Multitrack routing and EQ controls

Learn how to route tracks and apply EQ controls in the Multitrack Editor to shape sound and manage complex audio mixes effectively.

Multitrack routing and EQ controls in Audition help you manage how audio moves through a session and how each track sounds within the mix. These controls let you assign inputs and outputs, route signals through buses and sends, and adjust frequency balance to shape individual tracks.

To use the multitrack routing controls, you can use one of the following methods:

• On the left side of the Mixer, click the Show/Hide triangle for one or more sets of controls.
• In the upper left corner of the Editor panel, click the button for Inputs/Outputs , Effects , Sends , or EQ .

You can drag the right or bottom border of the track controls in the Editor panel to show more or less detail. You can vertically zoom tracks as well. 

Assign audio inputs and outputs to tracks

In the Inputs/Outputs area   of the Editor or Mixer panels, you can carry out the following:

• From the Input menu, choose an input.

• From the Output menu, choose Bus, Mix, or a hardware output.

Invert the polarity of an input

If a pair of stereo inputs, such as overhead drum microphones, is out of phase, you’ll hear a duller sound and a narrower stereo image. To correct the problem, invert the polarity of one of the inputs.

In the Input Controls area   of the Mixer, click the Polarity Reverse button  .

Routing audio to buses, sends ,and the Mix Track

Buses, sends, and the Mix Track let you route multiple track outputs to one set of controls. With these combined controls, you can efficiently organize and mix a session.

Understanding bus tracks

With bus tracks, you can combine the outputs of several audio tracks or sends and control them collectively. For example, to control the volume of multiple drum tracks with a single fader, output all the tracks to one bus. Or, to optimize system performance, apply a single reverb effect to a bus track, and then output sends from multiple tracks to that bus. (Individually applying the same reverb to multiple tracks would inefficiently use CPU resources.)

Although bus tracks lack a hardware input, they have all the other features of audio tracks. You can apply effects and equalization and automate your changes over time. For most mixes, you’ll output buses to hardware ports or the Mix Track. If you need to combine buses, however, you can even output them to other buses.

Understanding sends

Sends let you route audio from a track to multiple buses, creating tremendous signal‑routing flexibility. Each track provides up to 16 sends, which you configure independently from the track output. For example, you can output an unprocessed track directly to a hardware port, but output Send 1 to a reverb bus and Send 2 to a headphone bus. (A headphone bus lets performers hear a unique mix during recording. Drummers, for example, may prefer a louder bass track.)

Understanding the Mix track

A session always contains one Mix Track, so you can easily combine the outputs of multiple tracks and buses and control them with a single fader. Because the Mix Track exists at the very end of the signal path, it offers fewer routing options than audio and bus tracks. The Mix Track can’t connect directly to audio inputs or output to sends or buses; it can only output to hardware ports.

Set up a send

When you set up a send, you determine the volume and stereo pan it outputs to an assigned bus. You also place the send either pre‑ or post‑fader. Pre‑fader sends aren’t affected by track volume; post‑fader sends are. (For example, if you output a pre‑fader send to a reverb bus, the reverb continues after you fade out dry audio. If you instead output a post‑fader send, the reverb fades out in unison with dry audio.)

For more information, see Insert effects before or after sends and EQ.

Equalize tracks

For each track, the Multitrack Editor provides a parametric equalizer. In the EQ section  of the Editor or Mixer panels, do any of the following:

• Double-click the graph to access detailed controls in the Track EQ window. 

• Click the Power button  to compare audio with and without equalization.