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Proper bus routing and submixing techniques will increase your efficiency in the studio and raise your DAW’s tracking power.
Nothing can make you sweat quicker than having computer-related issues when tracking an artist or a band: millisecond delays in headphone mixes, plugins lagging, glitchy performance from your DAW. Even if you’re tracking only yourself, it is frustrating and breaks your creative flow. For this Dojo, I want to give you some tips for staying in the flow and keeping your cool.
Harnessing the Power of Buses and Submixes.
For the modern guitarist venturing into home recording, your computer’s power and your DAW can be both a blessing or a bottleneck. As creative possibilities expand, so does the strain on your computer’s CPU. Fortunately, one of the most powerful tools for optimizing your recording workflow and CPU usage comes from the tried-and-true, old-school, analog domain: proper bus routing and submixing techniques.
Efficient Signal Flow In the world of digital recording, a bus is essentially a virtual pathway that allows multiple audio tracks to be routed to a single auxiliary (aux) track. This aux track can then be processed with effects like reverb, delay, EQ, or compression, applying the same settings to all routed tracks simultaneously. For guitarists, this is particularly useful when layering rhythm tracks, harmonies, or ambient textures that all benefit from similar effects.
Why Use Buses?
CPU Efficiency: Instead of inserting the same reverb plugin on five different guitar tracks, route all of them to a bus with a single reverb instance.
Consistent Sound: Buses help glue multiple guitar tracks together, ensuring a cohesive tone.
Simplified Mixing: Adjusting levels or automation on a single bus affects all associated tracks, saving time and effort.
Submixes: Organizing Your Sonic Palette Submixes are essentially buses with a specific organizational role. In larger sessions, creating submixes for instrument families (e.g., drums, guitars, vocals) helps maintain clarity and control. For home-recording guitarists, a common approach is to create submixes for:
Clean guitars
Overdriven/distorted guitars
Ambient or effects-heavy guitars
Each submix can have tailored processing chains appropriate to the tone and role of those particular guitar parts. For instance, you might apply light compression and stereo widening on clean guitars, while distorted parts could benefit from dynamic EQ and multiband compression.
“Another great trick if you’re running low on CPU power with a large track count is to bounce or ‘render in place’ any finalized parts.”
Practical Setup Example
Let’s say you’ve recorded:
three rhythm guitar tracks (L, R, center)
two lead parts with delay
one ambient swell track
Then set up three stereo buses and route rhythm guitars (three tracks) into stereo bus one, leads (two tracks) into stereo bus two, and finally the ambient guitar to a more generic stereo bus that will be used by other tracks in your mix and to bring some cohesion.
Lightening the CPU Load Modern plugins can be CPU-intensive, especially convolution reverbs, amp simulators, or complex modulation effects. Routing similar instruments through buses allows you to:
Use one amp sim plugin on a bus during the writing/mixing phase
Print or freeze tracks with final effects before the mastering stage
Automate bus bypassing when a group isn’t active in a section to reduce processing
Another great trick if you’re running low on CPU power with a large track count is to bounce or “render in place” any finalized parts. Once you’re happy with a guitar tone, turn it into a static audio file, removing the need for real-time plugin processing.
Classic Techniques Finally, in classic pop production—think the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, or Michael Jackson—engineers relied on submixes even in the analog domain. Drums, guitars, vocals, and backing vocals were often premixed to stereo stems to facilitate real-time mixing without modern automation.
Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound famously involved routing dozens of instrumental layers into a single bus and feeding that into a reverb chamber. The result was a lush, unified soundscape. This same idea applies today: Guitar tracks layered for harmonic richness can be routed into a reverb bus to achieve that enveloping texture.
Smart Routing, Better Results Creating buses and submixes may seem like advanced engineering, but it’s simply smart organization. For the home-recording guitarist, this practice not only streamlines workflow but also ensures a more professional-sounding mix. By mimicking tried-and-true studio practices as well as optimizing for CPU load, you can focus less on troubleshooting and more on making music.
So, whether you're recording your next EP or collaborating online, harness the power of bus routing to bring clarity, control, and character to your guitar tracks. Until next month, namaste.
GRAMMY® Award-nominated songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Wolfgang Van Halen has unveiled all the information for his upcoming third album, The End. The album – released by BMG – is slated for release on October 24. The 10-track album clocks in at 39-minuttes and showcases the evolution of Wolf and his songwriting since he launched his solo career in 2020. Recorded at the legendary 5150 studio, the album was produced by friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette.
The End is available for pre-order in multiple configurations including limited edition vinyl colors, signed insert version and retailer exclusives here: https://Mammoth.lnk.to/TheEndAlbum.
Continuing the tradition of writing all the songs and performing all the instrumentation and vocals himself, Wolfgang Van Halen set out to challenge himself beyond what he did on his debut and sophomore release, Mammoth II. From the hypnotic opening of “One Of A Kind” to infectious closer “All In Good Time,” Wolfgang demonstrates his proficiency as a musician and songwriter. Songs like “Same Old Song,” “Happy,” and “Selfish” will fit perfectly alongside older songs that fans have already come to love from Mammoth. Mammoth released their first single in May, and it has shot up the charts currently in the Top 5 at Active Rock radio. The success of the single was propelled by the landmark music video – a remake of the classic film From Dusk ‘Til Dawn – directed by Robert Rodriguez and Greg Nicotero. The video is approaching 4-million views and contains cameos from Danny Trejo, Slash, Myles Kennedy, and of course his mother Valerie Bertinelli. To coincide with the album announcement, Mammoth is releasing the track “The Spell” for fans to check out.
The tracklisting for The End is:
One Of A Kind
The End
Same Old Song
The Spell
I Really Wanna
Happy
Better Off
Something New
Selfish
All In Good Time
Mammoth has become known for being road warriors, constantly taking to the road to play their music for the masses whenever they can. 2025 will continues that trend as the band will be heading out with longtime friends in CREED on the Return of the Summer of ’99 Tour this summer. Backed by his live band featuring Jon Jourdan, Frank Sidoris, Ronnie Ficarro, and Garrett Whitlock, Wolfgang and Mammoth hit the road July 9in Lexington, KY through August 30 where the tour wraps in Halifax, NS. To celebrate the album being in stores this October, Mammoth will be heading out on a Fall headline run. The End Tour kicks off on October 31 and runs for 5 weeks before it wraps up on December 7. The tour will make stops in Las Vegas, NV (November 1), Atlanta, GA (November 8), Montclair, NJ (November 14), Chicago, IL (November 26) and Tempe, AZ (December 6) to name a few. Longtime friend Myles Kennedy will be the special guest on the run. More information on all tickets and VIP passes can be found at www.mammoth.band.
Blackstar Amplification is proud to announce the release of ID:X, a new generation of advanced DSP modellingamplifiers created for guitarists who demand intuitive control, powerful tone, and flexible connectivity. Available inboth 50 Watt and 100 Watt models, ID:X goes head-to-head with the current market leader delivering a streamlineduser experience with unmatched sound quality and versatility.
Built on the foundation of Blackstar’s acclaimed and award-winning ID:Series, Silverline and AMPED, ID:X introduces a discreet user-friendly OLED display, providing instant visual feedback and deep access for editing settings and effects without the need for menu-diving or external devices. The amps feature six carefully designed voices that cover everything from pristine cleans to our signature Blackstar high-gain tones, all shaped by a powerful four-band EQ section including our patented ISF, allowing players to craft their sound with precision.
Over 35 effects are included, spanning overdrives, distortions, modulation, delays and reverbs. Each effect is fully editable directly from the amp using simple, real-time encoders, making it effortless to dial in tones and jump between different effect types and parameters on the fly.
ID:X also includes Blackstar’s latest IR-based CabRig™ technology, offering powerful speaker and mic simulation and featuring new In The Room™ technology which creates the experience of standing next to an amp while you play, rather than the more studio focussed tones of traditionally captured IRs – all with a choice of EL84, EL34 and 6L6 valve responses to shape the amp’s dynamic feel. Players can create and store up to 99 patches, with easy recall via the front panel or using the compatible FS-12 or FS-18 footswitches. The amps are fully integrated with Blackstar’s Architect software, providing deep editing, patch management and access to a growing online community where you can create, share and download patches with other users and artists.
With a full suite of modern connections, including balanced XLR out*, USB-C for recording, a ¼-inch line out, headphone output, MIDI in and thru* and an aux input, ID:X is ready for everything from silent practice and studio sessions to full live performance. Selectable power modes (including 1W for quiet playing) make it just as suitable for late-night inspiration as it is for the stage.
Designed for players who want the sound and response of a pro rig without the weight or complexity, ID:X represents a bold step forward in modern amp design. Combining hands-on control with studio-quality tone and next-level flexibility, it’s the all-in-one solution today’s guitarists have been waiting for.
The Blackstar ID:X Series is available now at authorised dealers worldwide.
Dave Matthews’ guitar playing left its mark on the hosts of 100 Guitarists. In this episode, we’re talking about his unique style and sound and the players who influenced it. From his work leading DMB to his duo performances with guitarist Tim Reynolds, there’s a lot to cover.
Speaking of Reynolds, Jason calls on Dave and Tim to return to Luther College for the 30th anniversary of their first live record. And Jason learns about Michael McDonald’s guest spots with DMB.
Recording sessions for Janek Gwizdala’s debut album in November 2004 at Manhattan Center Studios, NYC. Back row left to right: John Ellis, Mark Turner, Elliot Mason, Albert Leusink, Tim Miller. Front row: Jojo Mayer and Janek.
Photo by Jonas Bostrom
What does your favorite player’s back catalog reveal about their artistry?
I recently reconnected with one of my earliest teachers and mentors in London, Geoff Gascoyne. Google him—he’s had an incredible career, and he set me up with some invaluable information at the beginning of mine. I was a guest on his podcast, The Quartet, and so many amazing memories about my very first days of becoming a bass player came flooding back.
One of the most important lessons I learned, just weeks after picking up my first bass, was also something that wouldn’t come into focus for some years—and it’s something I think we all deal with as fans of music.
We all have our favorite artists and favorite albums or periods of output from our heroes. It’s one of the major considerations that factors into whether we’ll go that extra step and buy a new recording or a concert ticket. Geoff knew I wanted to be a jazz musician and recommended some incredible albums like Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter, and Soul Station by Hank Mobley. But in that very same lesson, he threw another name into the mix: Meshell Ndegeocello.
I fell in love with her albums Peace Beyond Passion and Plantation Lullabies, and her playing on those records has shaped my foundation as a bass player more than any other artist I’ve ever listened to. Both came out in the early and mid ’90s, when I was doing nothing but listening to and playing bass every day. They were the soundtrack of a very formative time in my life, and as such, my attachment to the music was intense.
Fast forward a decade to the mid 2000s: I’m living in New York, even playing on the same bill as her. Through my initial disappointment that she didn’t play any of those songs I loved so much as a kid, I started to understand something incredibly important about what it is to be an artist.
She was playing for herself in the studio. She was making music that mattered to her and not following a tried-and-tested formula of copying the albums that made her successful early on. It would have been so easy to make variations of Plantation Lullabies and be known for a specific thing for the rest of her career. But despite the massive success of Peace Beyond Passion, which was her second album, she followed it up with Bitter: acoustic guitars, strings, and big, open-sounding drums. A complete—and very brave—left turn.
“Curiosity is always going to win out in the artist’s mindset, and those who are truly curious tend to write and play for themselves.”
This is not the norm today. People find something that works, and then they do it over and over again. They maybe change the lighting in their TikTok video once in a while or go do “their thing” in front of a famous landmark in the hopes of more followers. But they rarely seem to play for themselves. They do it specifically because they deal in the metric of attention, and are beholden to their audience.
My big takeaway is that I think it’s important to realize this both as a fan and as a player. It’s easy to expect something from your heroes because you have such a connection to a small part of their catalog—and that’s what you want to hear when you go to see them live. But history tells us that a large percentage of serious artists have moved on, sometimes even before an album is released.
Curiosity is always going to win out in the artist’s mindset, and those who are truly curious tend to write and play for themselves. Whoever comes along for the ride is a bonus.
We’re all basically along for the ride, and I think we can lose sight of that when we get too attached. Don’t get me wrong—I’m always going to love Peace Beyond Passion—but I’m also going to remember that it’s the artist beneath the performance that I’m actually most attached to. I now try to have as open a mind as possible when I go see my heroes live or listen to their new music, and that has a massive impact on how I go about my own career as an artist.
With my current goal of releasing three new albums every year until my time here ends, I have to let go of the last thing and move to the next more efficiently than ever.
I think you’d be surprised by some artists you think you really know—then you go digging in their back catalog and discover there are things they put out that never reached your ears.
Now, more than ever in history, it’s our job as fans and players to stay engaged in the fundamentals—and ignore the noise.