DP Mixer: pre/post fader routing

[stratology]

In an audio track strip in DP’s mixer, the default signal flow is Track Insert (for Effects) > Fader > Track Sends (to Aux tracks).
So by default, the Track Insert is pre-fader, the Sends are post-fader.


Track Inserts can be set up to be post-fader (by dragging up the divider), and Track Sends can be set up to be pre-fader (by pushing the ‘P’ button).


In the manual, I could not find any information about the signal flow when both Inserts and Sends are pre-fader, or when both Inserts and Sends are post-fader. Meaning, does the signal go to the Insert first, and then send the effected signal to the Aux track via the Track Send, or does the signal go to the Send first (signal without effects to the Aux channel)?


So I decided to test it.

Here’s what I found:
(I’m labelling the Track Insert as ‘FX’, for clarity):


default set up:
FX>Fader>Sends


Sends set to pre-fader:
FX>Sends>Fader


FX set to post-fader:
Fader>Sends>FX



The last option is not what I expected.

Hope this helps.

[Robert Randolph]

Neat.

How did you test this btw?

[stratology]

How did you test this btw?

I used an obvious effect, like a delay with multiple repeats.

For both FX and Send pre-fader:
Track Fader set to - ∞ so the output only comes from the Aux track: the effect is audible.


For both FX and Send post-fader:
Route the main track to a 'blind' bus with no output, like 'bus 29-30', and the Send to an Aux track that routes to the main output.
(Track Fader>bus29-30; Fader is on unity gain.
Send>bus 1-2 >Aux 1 > Firestudio 1-2)

So all that is audible is coming from the Aux track, muting it silences all output.
In this scenario, the audio from the track is audible without the effect, as the Sends sit before the FX in the chain.

[Phil O]

Wow, that's not what I expected (and I'm not sure that's the way I'd like it). Thanks for that info Strat. Great work!!

Phil