Ableton Live Unconventional Return Effects for Better Mixes

Very ingenious use of the returns. Great work and super informative. Plus the track itself is cool.

really useful stuff 👍thank you

i like

Drums go Phhaaa!!

thank you and congrats on the microdosio album it's incredible!

👌

I love the vocoder trick, has a nice gritty sound.

Amazing man! :D I have only one question. The real only reason for putting these effects for mixing on return tracks instead of on single tracks in groups (so that you can dile in the amount without touching the dry sound), is because it's just more handy right? For example, giving multiple instruments a touch of Erosion. So the real question being: Do you think using the same return mixing effect on multiple instruments also glues your mix a bit maybe, since you're routing multiple instruments through the same return effect? Hope that explains my question properly!
Thanks for the great tips as always! Gonna sign up for your class if I have enough cash! :P

This is like a whole spice rack in one video :) Great tips man!

God I love Ableton and I love your videos

What is the benefit of using these effects on return tracks instead of just putting them on a particular track and changing the dry wet?

I use to put my effects on return track, but then noticed that they were not delay compensated. So for saturation, it created some phase issue when blending back with the mix. Do you noticed that too? Do you compensate manually? The only thing I do not mind letting as return tracks are delays and reverbs.

So I'm wondering if you could get a similar effect by creating a parallel chain with an audio effect rack with one dry signal and another with the audio effect.

Interesting, like the vocoder one ;)

Beautifully creative! Thanks a lot, will try this stuff

loved what you did with the vocoder on the drum track. Grate trick!!

Good stuff!!

🔥🔥🔥

Return tracks?? I've just been calling them sends my whole life

Interesting, love these concepts and honestly can't wait to test them out. I'm only halfway through the video as I write this but I'm really liking that vocoder trick for the kick

More and More and More)))your video helps me alot, thank you

Another very helpful video...cheers!

I am gonna copy that parallel compression glue comp return trick.
Adding a bit of body/decay to sounds is something i frequently find myself doing. This should work great.
There are however some complications with using returns like this. I've used bitcrusher and distortion as returns on drums before, and when you want to lowpass the drums in the song at some point, the lowpass will only affect the drum sounds before going into the sends, thus leaving you with the redux grit.
Any ideas on how to circumvent that? Dropping all send outputs to zero using automation isn't a good solution..

Enhance. Enhance.

Great work, such an inspiration!

that freq shifter is trippy - nice tip !!

always great ideas, i appreciate. I often look for a someting as to switch off and on all effects with one click.

These are some very interesting approaches, I usually don't use return tracks, but this might get me into them.

Love that vocoder move. Going to try that on my hi hats

Cool material..... It's pretty much NY.. It's something I often apply this way with compressor for a parallel compression, I've not really applied it to other types of effect in the same way before now though other then for standard reverb and delay send/returns.. Nice one Anthony😊

didn't even know about Erosion. Would be cool if you went over all the effects and what they do and how to use them.

Always top quality information! You have really helped me a lot grow as a music producer, so thanks!

Since you’re using each return for only one instrument, why not put the effects directly onto the particular instrument you’re effecting? Is there a functional difference or is this essentially just a different way of looking at the problem?
Thanks, as always!

Thanks for the video(s) Anthony! Great ideas you're sharing. Your content is gold. Love Yah, Earthcry, and Papadosio!

i enjoyed this! thank you <3

These returns are kind of Blessing xD so thanks!

You're a god

Just getting into music production after an 8 year long hiatus and it all starts with reinstalling all the VST plugins and recreating the default template.
This video gave me a lot of ideas on setting up the return tracks. Thanks!

I've been using different software for years. I've been sitting on Ableton for a couple years. Just getting into it and actually enjoy the difference. Good content bud.

Hello! Thanks for the video! I have one question:
You are about to record some vocals and you have some vocal tracks (lead vocals and vocal layers) that require the same default plugins to get started. For example, you might have a standardized plugin chain like EQ, DeEsser, Compressor, Saturator, Reverb and Delay with default settings for every vocal track you produce.
To save CPU, instead of inserting this plugin chain in each vocal track, people usually suggest using a Return track and inserting the plugin chain there. Then, it's advised to increase the Send level of the vocal tracks to let the audio pass through the Return track and then to the Master.
However, unless the output of the vocal tracks changes from Master to Send Only, you will have double audio going through the master (the audio from the vocal tracks and the return track).
You could also group the vocals and send them to the return track, which leads to the same issue but with less flexibility in the individual tracks.
My question is what is the best practice in the above example, considering the need for further effects per track down the road, as well as gain staging and mixing overall?
Thank you!

Creating that New York style compression on a return track is something that I'm going to be utilizing from now on as part of my template sessions. Thank you for that. Also useful with vocals. Normally I would have done the New York style compression directly on the track with an audio effects rack, but this seems more useful as it can be utilized by all of the tracks as well without having to set up audio effects racks in multiple instances and in conjunction lessons CPU strain.

Love these tips for the return channels. Best of luck with all your work 🤟

What is the difference in using it in a send bus vs putting it directly on the track and just mess with the dry/wet? Thank you.

It's all great but that Erosion trick is just ace! Thanks a bunch!

can you let a sidechain listen to a muted return track? in that case you could send and mix different signals for the compressed tracks to duck from