How to optimize workflow for VSX and Speakers in Ableton Live

How to optimize workflow for VSX and Speakers in Ableton Live

In this article we are going to go over using VSX on a separate bus so that users can easily switch between the headphones and speakers without having to bypass constantly when trying to A/B.

1. Create an Audio Track for the Master FX return and send all FX to that audio track. Then set the Monitor setting to "IN" and turn up the send A for the VSX.
   
2. Create a Group Track "Mix Bus" of all the Audio Tracks and the master FX.
   
   
   
3. Create a Return track called "VSX" and instantiate VSX on this return track then send the output of this return to Output 3-4 next turn up the send on the Mix Bus Group to this "VSX" Return track. Users will also need to set this send to "pre" fader so the master volume of the group/bus doesn't effect the volume going to the headphones. 
   
   
   
   
4. Route Output 3-4 to the Headphone output of the Audio Interface. 
5. VRS8: https://slatedigital.com/vrs-support/
   Apollo:  https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/universal-audio-sending-audio-to-apollo-headphones-with-console/
   Focusrite: https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/207546805-How-do-the-headphone-outputs-work-on-the-Scarlett-18i20-
   Apogee: https://knowledgebase.apogeedigital.com/ensemble/ensemble-routing/
   Presonus: https://answers.presonus.com/22686/setup-extra-headphone-from-line-outputs-quantum-interface
6. 
   
   Now the speaker outputs will be "clean" and not have the VSX room models on it while the headphones will always have VSX sounds making it very easy to switch between Speakers and Headphones. All mastering effects should be done on the MixBus/Group track so that the users are hearing the final master through the VSX plugin. If more plugins are added to the Master fader then these will not be heard through the VSX plugin return track.