So obviously on the surface, mixer sends seem more versatile because then you can mix the AH with all your instruments as you like. But it seems I was able to get a better sound by running directly into the AH and then out into the mixer on one stereo channel (I would typically do this for the drum track - run it through AH and then into a mixer channel - so it was not used as an aux send on the mixer). If I had the option I typically would want to use the AH on drums rather than the instruments. By instruments I mean any other sounds besides the drums and percussion sounds. Looking for different perspectives from Elektron users and wondering how people approach using the AH.
So the twofold question is what way do you prefer to do your setup, generally, and do you like AH better on drums or your instruments or just on everything as a master fx?
Personally I’ve never used it on a send or really even considered doing so. I suppose I see it much more as a 100% wet effect. Suppose I should give it a try as a send to just add bits to various tracks.
@tr909 wouldn’t one usually use an aux send-return effect full wet also?
I use my Heat as an insert into my master stereo channel on my mixer. So I run it relatively subtle, and affecting the complete mix. Creatively less interesting but it often helps nicely to fine tune the final mix/tone of the mix.
Yeah exactly, I was thinking of trying it out and after using it 100% wet before as well - it def was a different feel, but I was also using an old tascam 414 mixer which was very noisy (so as a send effect on that mixer it didn’t seem to sound good through it for some reason - it was there but not nearly as powerful or clean). I’m going to try it again on a compact (and quiet) mackie mixer I have coming in and see if that improves it as a send fx.
If it’s the same kind of deal I’ll post my results here. Or I’ll post the final setup I come up with in case anyone’s interested in my experience. If it doesn’t work as well as a send I may get another AH unit and use one for my drums and percussion and another for my instruments and then run them to two separate stereo tracks directly into the mackie.
Obviously, the sends sounding good would be great because of the convenience and only having to use one unit, but we’ll see what happens,
The other thing is having the synths you can get interesting colors on the synths themselves by carefully crafting the presets - so I feel like they don’t need the distortions fx as much as drums themselves would - because it’s harder to get those kind of tones even with the built in AR dist for instance, but maybe easier to get some tones on the synths. But still being able to put it on everything I think is ideal. I would just like to be able to separate it by sends or using two separate units.
My experience as a master fx I did not enjoy it, but that is more just how I use it. I like to push the fx more hard & not subtle. Basically I didn’t like it as a master because I found trying to get a balance between the drums and instruments sounded worse than just putting it only on the drums or just only on the synths. It didn’t sound horrible on the master however. I’d imagine depending on the situation it could prob sound pretty great on the master too.