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5 - Project Arrangement Basics
5.13
Understanding Sends, Buses, Submixes and Folders
You have already seen that each of the tracks in your
projects has its audio output routed by default to the master,
and that from here the audio signal is directed to your
preferred output device or devices, such as speakers or
headphones. The signal flow that occurs here within REAPER
can be represented by the first diagram on the right, which
shows a simple project with just three tracks.
In Chapter2 of this User Guide, you were shown how to use
a track as an effects bus, for example to add the same
reverb effect to a number of tracks. The signal flow for this
arrangement can be represented by the second of the two
flow charts (below right).
The sends that you create for each track carry a signal to the
Bus track, which applies the effect, and then sends the
processed (wet) signal on to the Master. At the same time, so long as the Send Master/Parent option
remains enabled, the dry signal for each track is also sent directly to the master. Here it is finally mixed together
with the “wet” signal from the bus before being directed to your speakers and/or headphones.
These two example models use routing arrangements that
you would expect to find in probably any DAW program.
However, we are now about to enter territory where REAPER
may be substantially different from other software that you
may have used before. This relates to how you can create
and use submixes.
With most programs, to create a submix (perhaps for your
various drum tracks or vocal harmonies) you will need to
create a bus, add sends from each track that is to be included
in the submix, and then disable the direct sends to the
master from each of these tracks.
You can use this method in
REAPER. Holding the Alt
key while you click on a
track's ROUTE button will toggle on and off the direct send to the master. If
a track's output to the master is enabled the first of the green “lights” on the
ROUTE button is turned on. If disabled, it is turned off. This distinction is
shown on the left. In the
first (top) track, the output
from the track to the master is enabled. In the second
(bottom) track, it has been disabled. If there are no other
sends or receives on that track, the word ROUTE is then
shown in red.
However, a smarter and potentially more powerful way of
creating a submix is to use folders (sometimes called track
folders). We'll look at how this is done shortly, but first let's get
our heads around the concept.
A folder track is created initially in the same way as any other
track. You then tell REAPER to treat this as a folder track - and
essentially that's it. You now have your submix (as shown here
on the right). Direct output to the master from the individual
“child” tracks within the folder is automatically disabled.
Instead, they are passed thru the folder. Note that you should not manually disable the master/parent send for
child tracks within a folder, or their output will no longer go to the folder (the master track).
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Up and Running: A REAPER User Guide v 5.12
Anything that you do to the folder will be done to the entire submix. For example, if you adjust the volume
up or down, the volume of the submix will be adjusted up or down. If you add an effect such as a
compressor to the folder then that effect will be applied to the submix.
Before we see exactly how a folder and its child tracks are set up, there's one more scenario to consider.
Even when you have a folder which contains a submix of other tracks, you can still use buses for the
folder itself or for individual tracks inside the folder
(see right). In this case our folder (submix) still
consists of the same three tracks as before. In
addition, however, a send has been created from
the folder to an FX bus, perhaps to add reverb to
the submix. We'll see an example of this soon.
There are three types of send – Post-Fader
(Post Pan), Pre-Fader (Post FX) and Pre FX.
These are explained in Chapter 16 and illustrated
by the flow charts at the end of Chapter 6. For the
time being, accept the default option, Post-Fader
(Post Pan).
5.14
Track Folder Essentials
When a number of tracks are collected within a folder, you will probably want to use both the individual track
controls and the folder controls. For example, you can use the Volume controls for individual tracks within a
folder to set the volume levels for the different tracks relative to each other. You can then use the Volume
control for the folder itself to control the overall combined volume level of the tracks in that folder.
Another example is that the Mute and Solo controls for the folder will act on the folder as a whole. However,
you do still have the option of using each track’s individual
Mute and Solo controls.
The example illustrated (right) shows a folder called
Instruments that contains three individual tracks. The
faint peaks that you see in the folder's lane in arrange
view represent the combined contents of the folder's child
tracks. This can be disabled on your Preferences,
Appearance, Peaks/waveforms page. Identify the little
icons that you can see below the track number of each
item in the track control panel. These are used to
determine a track's folder status. Ordinarily, this can be
one of four states:
An ordinary top level track (the default). The icon is displayed as a faint image of a folder. Hover the
mouse over this image and it changes to a+ sign.
A folder track. This is displayed as in the Instruments track above, as a
stronger image of a folder. Hover the mouse over this image and it changes to
an X (see right).
A child track within a folder. The track is nested and the icon is displayed as a
faint image of a folder. Hover the mouse over this image and it changes to a+ (see below right)
The last track in a folder. A folder icon is shown
and the track is nested. Hover over this icon
and it displays a down pointing arrow.
You can click on this icon to set a track's status. Let's
work thru an example.
1. Open the file All Through the Night.RPP and
save it as All Through the Night Folder.RPP
2. Make sure the Vox track is track 1, Gtr Body track 2, Gtr Neck track 3 and Bouzouki track 4.
3. Press Alt Enter to display project settings. Select Stereo Pan as project pan mode. A width rotary
control is now added to every track.
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5 - Project Arrangement Basics
4. Select track 1. Press Ctrl T to insert a new track immediately underneath this track. This becomes track
number 2. Name this track Instruments.
5. Click once on the folder button for this track. It becomes a folder and the tracks below it are indented.
6. We want the bouzouki to be the last track in the folder. Click twice on that track to set this. Adjust the
panning of the three child tracks as you wish.
7. To illustrate a point, select the Bouzouki track
and press Ctrl T. A new track is added outside
the folder.
8. Name this track Reverb and insert
ReaVerbate into its FX chain. Drag and drop
in turn from the ROUTING button of the Vox
track and the ROUTING button of the
Instruments folder to this Reverb track. This
will create two sends.
9. Lower the Reverb track volume to about –
10.0 db (see right) and save the file.
10. Play the file. Experiment with folder controls.
For example, mute the folder and you mute all
instruments. Solo it and you solo all
instruments. Adjust the volume and the overall
volume of the instrument submix changes.
11. Use the width control on the folder track to
bring the different instrument tracks closer together or further apart. Use the pan control to move the
whole instrument mix further left or right.
To restore a folder as a normal track, click on the folder control icon as many or as few times as are required to
cycle thru the various options until you see the one that you want.
5.14.1
Drag and Drop Folder Management
Another way of creating folders is by dragging and dropping. You identify which track is to be the folder, which
are to be its children, then select and drag and drop the children into the folder. When you know what you are
doing, this method is probably quicker, but it can be
tricky at first. This process is illustrated below.
Here's the same project file as before (except that this
time the Reverb track has already been added).
Three tracks have been selected and we have began to
drag and drop them up. Notice that the thick horizontal
bar shown above the first of these tracks occupies the
whole width of the track control panel.
Carefully and slowly drag them a little higher and you
will notice that the horizontal bar is now indented
slightly.
Now release the mouse and you will see the three
tracks have been placed as child tracks within a newly
created Instruments folder (see below).
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Up and Running: A REAPER User Guide v 5.12
If you hover the mouse over the folder icon for the
Bouzouki track you should see confirmation that it is the
last track in the folder.
The drag and drop method can also be used to add tracks
into an existing folder, and/or to remove them. However,
the technique may take a little getting used to.
Experiment with this now if you wish.
Notice the small down pointing arrow just above the track
number of the folder track (in this case Track2).
This can be used to toggle the display of child
tracks in the folder between normal (as shown
above left), minimized and collapsed (as shown
below left).
5.14.2
Nested Folders
REAPER allows you to nest folders within folders, to as many levels as you like. This feature is probably more
suited to relatively experienced DAW users than it is to newcomers.
To create a nested folder, first create an empty track
within an existing top level folder, then use the folder
control icon to make that track into a folder. Because
the track is itself contained within an existing top
level folder, it will automatically be made into a
second level folder.
The project shown here is an example of this. Notice
that:
There is a top level folder called Vox Tracks
which holds a Lead Vox tracks and a Harmonies
sub-folder with four child tracks.
There is another top level folder called
Instruments which holds two sub-folders (Drum
Kit and Guitars).
The two second level folders which are sub-
folders of the Instruments folder each contain
child tracks of their own.
There is another top level folder (Reverbs) which
itself contains two reverb busses.
Any action taken on a folder will effect its entire
contents. For example, if in this case you were to
mute the Instruments folder, then you would
automatically also mute the contents of the Acoustic
Guitar and Other Instruments folders.
REAPER does not limit you two levels of folders. You
can have more if you like. Be warned, however, that
if you do, life can get complicated!
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5 - Project Arrangement Basics
5.15
Track and Track Parameter Grouping
Note: As well as conventional grouping, REAPER supports VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) grouping. To help
avoid confusion, VCA grouping will be considered as a separate topic later in this chapter.
The topic of track and parameter grouping is a huge one with an extraordinary range of options designed to
help you especially in your mixing and arranging. It is based upon this principle.
You can define group
relationships between different tracks and their controls so as to ensure that when you make a change to one
track in the group, changes are also made to the other tracks in the group.
The nature of these relationships can vary from being quite simple to rather complex, and everything in
between. Everybody will have their own different ways in which REAPER's track grouping feature can be helpful.
Let's look at some possible examples. These examples have been selected primarily for learning purposes. You
might or might not find the actual examples themselves to be useful for you.
You might have two tracks that you wish to keep at a constant volume relative to each other. In this
case, you could ensure that whenever one is faded up or down then so is the other.
You might have two tracks that need to be panned opposite each other. In this case, you can ensure
that when one is panned in one direction, the other is automatically panned in the other direction.
You might have two or more tracks that you wish to treat as a group so that they are always soled or
muted together.
In a moment, we'll work thru some examples. There are two
main ways to create and manage your groups. This can be
done either using the Track Control Panel or the Track
Grouping Matrix. Here is an overview of both methods.
Method 1 uses the Grouping dialog box (shown right), which
can be accessed from the Track Control Panel or the Mixer
Control Panel. The method is as follows:
In the TCP or MCP, select the tracks whose parameters
you wish to group.
Right-click over any track number in the group and
choose Track grouping parameters from the context
menu (or press Shift G).
When the Grouping dialog box is displayed (see left)
specify those parameters that you want to group, then
click on Close.
Make sure that the option Track grouping enabled on
the TCP or MCP menu is selected (ticked).
You can use this same method later to make changes to your
grouped parameter definitions.
This interface might appear a little overwhelming at first. For
this reason, it may be easier, especially at first, to use the
second method. Method 2 uses the Track Grouping Matrix. This is illustrated overleaf.
The grouping matrix, which can be docked, can be used to manage up to 32 different groups. To display this,
choose the View command, then Track Grouping Matrix, or press Ctrl Alt G. The picture that follows shows
just two groups on display. We can create a special project file for our examples. You can then group any
selection of tracks that you like: in this example, we will be working with two of three tracks enclosed within a
track folder. Note that you do not need to place tracks in a folder in order to be able to group them.
5.15.1
Basic Track Grouping
Example
In the examples that follow, the optional Width control is shown, but not included in any groups. Whether
or not this is visible will depend on your choice of track layout. This is explained in Chapters 10 and 11.
1. Open the file All Through The Night.RPP and immediately save it as All Through The Night
GROUPS.RPP
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2. Select Track 1 (Vox) and press Ctrl T to create a new track immediately below it. Name the new track
Instruments. Using the techniques explained earlier in this chapter, make this track into a folder.
Enclose in the folder the two guitar tracks and the bouzouki track. Make the bouzouki the last track in the
folder. Save this file. First, you need to make sure that the track grouping is enabled, Choose the Track
command from the main menu. If Track grouping enabled (near the bottom) is not ticked, click on this
command to select it. If it is already ticked, just click on the REAPER title bar.
3. Choose the View, Track Grouping Matrix command to display the Grouping Matrix.
4. Pan one guitar track about 50% left, and the other 50% right.
5. In Group 1 on the Grouping Matrix, click in the cells representing Gtr Body and Gtr Neck in the
Volume column.
6. Click in the cells for Gtr Body and Gtr Neck in the Pan
column. In this column, click also in the Pan Reverse
cell for one of the guitars, as shown (right).
7. The volume controls for these two tracks are grouped so
that when you adjust the volume for either track, both
volume faders will move together in the same direction.
8. Perhaps more interesting, when you now move the pan
control left or right for either of these tracks, the other
track's pan fader will move in the opposite direction.
9. Save the file.
10. Now click in the cells for the two guitar tracks in the
mute and solo columns and again save the file. The
solo and mute controls for these two tracks are also
linked together. Try them out!
11. To temporarily override the grouping, hold Shift while you adjust the volume of one of the guitar tracks.
Notice only that one fader is adjusted. You can use Shift to temporarily
override any grouped track parameters.
12. To temporarily disable the group altogether, click where shown (right) on the
Group 1 enable/disable toggle control. You will now find that all group controls
for this group are disabled.
13. Click in this same cell again to again enable the group. Save the file.
The table that follows on the next page summarizes what you might have discovered
about grouping track control parameters from this exercise.
Note: A item's group control status can be master only (M), slave only (S) or master/slave (the default). In this
exercise, all grouping has been of the default type, master/slave. We'll get to the other two options shortly.
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