Recording question

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 21 Sep 2001 8:37 am

For you recording guys out there: What exactly does "bus" mean? And where did that word come from in a recording context? Just curious.
jc

------------------
www.jimcohen.com

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 21 Sep 2001 9:20 am

I believe it's usually spelled 'buss', Jim.

It's nothing more than a signal path. You'll often hear the term 'stereo buss'. That's the path from the individual trax to the stereo (2 trk) output. An 'auxiliary buss' is often used to route an effect processor into the signal.

The term 'bus' or 'buss' is also used more generally in electronics. e.g. a SCSI bus(s).

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 21 September 2001 at 10:25 AM.]

Billy Easton · Post by **Billy Easton** » 21 Sep 2001 9:42 am

Hi Jim....
Good question. My understanding is that a bus is an electronic pathway capable of carrying SEVERAL signals simultaneously to a SINGLE destination. Think of it as a mixer with several inputs all going to a final stage. Hope this helps.

------------------
Billy Easton
Casa Grande, AZ
Where the Sun Always Shines

Blake Hawkins · Post by **Blake Hawkins** » 21 Sep 2001 1:40 pm

Gee, Larry, all my electronic texts spell it "bus" as in "busbar" and "signal bus."

Blake

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 21 Sep 2001 1:55 pm

Here's a good article on recording and signal paths from Electronic Musician magazine.

Doesn't Buss make fuses?

------------------

Emmons Push Pull S10 | Peavey Session 400 | '52 Fender Lap Steel | Goodrich L120 & Matchbox
[This message was edited by Michael Holland on 21 September 2001 at 03:01 PM.]

Blake Hawkins · Post by **Blake Hawkins** » 21 Sep 2001 6:19 pm

Michael, That's a pretty comprehensive article and I think it should answer Jim's questions.
Something strange, though, the article refers to "11/44 inch phone jacks". I've been around audio for 50 years and I've seen lots of 1/4 inch phone jacks but never 11/44.
Is that something new that I've missed?

I tried to find the origin of "bus" in electrical and electronic circuits and the best I could do was also mentioned in the article...the analogy to a bus carring passengers from one place to another.
The term was used in the early 1900's and possibly before.
Blake

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 21 Sep 2001 9:03 pm

In audio studio terminology,a buss refers to a way of summing several signals together.For instance,when mixing down 24 tracks of music to two stereo tracks,you are mixing to the console's "stereo buss".A mixing console will often have several other busses also called effects sends which will sum a feed from selected channels together and then on to a reverb or other effect.
In computer recording,like Pro Tools or MOTU systems,busses are emulated with software and work the same way.Consoles AND software systems can have mono,stereo and now,of course,5.1 surround busses in which a source can be positioned anywhere in a 6 channel matrix.
I think the term "buss" was originally used in electrical wiring - like when AC power comes off the pole into your breaker box. If you look inside your breaker or fuse box,you'll see large copper "buss" bars (don't touch 'em!)which are bridged by your breakers or fuses which in turn,feed the various circuits in your house.Depending on how they're strapped together you'll get 110 or 220 volts.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 22 Sep 2001 2:24 am

Blake, the 11/44 must be a typo. If not, it doesn't lend much legitimacy to the entire article. If the author doesn't know what a "1/4" jack is, what else doesn't he know?

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 22 Sep 2001 5:02 am

Jeez, Jack. The web transcriber makes one boo-boo that the proofreader misses and:

If the author doesn't know what a "1/4" jack is, what else doesn't he know?

This article is filled with helpful and accurate information that specifically addresses Jim's question. And Barry Cleveland is a long time and well respected contributor to EM and is now editor of On Stage.

I sure don't want to miss a note while you're listening!

Post edited to fix my UBB tags.
------------------

Emmons Push Pull S10 | Peavey Session 400 | '52 Fender Lap Steel | Goodrich L120 & Matchbox
[This message was edited by Michael Holland on 22 September 2001 at 06:04 AM.]

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 22 Sep 2001 6:26 am

Michael, I wouldn't mind if it was one time, but throughout the article it's referred to as a "11/44" jack. 11 is 1/4 of 44 but that's not what 1/4" jacks are referred as.

I've been in Electronics since 1955, and at one time did some tech writing when I worked at NASA. Anytime I see someone write a "technical" article and miss something as basic as that I have to wonder about their technical ability. Although I didn't really get into the article, what is presented seemed good, but it gets back to the point if one thing is not presented exactly or missed in the proofreading (if it was proofed), what else is? It may seem harsh but with my background I probably look at it different.

If doesn't have anything to do with picking, which does remind me of one of my theories (rules??) - The difference between a Pro and an Amateur is the Pro covers their mistakes.

CYA

John Paul Jones · Post by **John Paul Jones** » 22 Sep 2001 9:04 am

It was obviously a typo. Most likely by a re-writer.

------------------
John Paul Jones

GFI U-12
Evans FET500 amp
ART T2 effects
HM-4 harmony machine

Vernon Hester · Post by **Vernon Hester** » 23 Sep 2001 11:58 pm

I first ran into Buss or Bus about 50 yrs ago in the old tube audio consoles, The block diagrams would refer to the Program bus or audition bus.Then later in TV with the old Quad videotape machines (had to maintain 25 of those suckers) we had the record buss the playback buss,etc. The engineers used steering diodes to send various commands to the circuits for the different modes of operation.
Vern

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 25 Sep 2001 7:33 am

When I was first learning about audio and recorders (still am), a practical definition of a "buss" (or bus) was a way to transport a signal from one place to another. In a completely non-techical way of looking at it, just like a bus (motor coach) transports people from one location to another.

I once had a 16-input, 8-bus console and used it with an 8-track analog recorder. I could assign any of the 16-inputs to any of the tracks on the recorder from the bus assignment switches on the console. Had I been using a 16-track recorder, I could only have assigned (from the console) audio going to just 8-tracks (with that console). Some consoles will split signals allowing, for example) the signal to #1 bus to also be sent to #9...in that same 8-bus configuration I mentioned. Past that, patching direct outputs from the console was the other way of getting audio signal to the recorder.

I hope that didn't confuse the subject. : )

Mike

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Sep 2001 10:35 am

Thank you, gentlemen.
p.s. Who remembers the Firesign Theater's "We're All Bozos on this Bus"?

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 28 Sep 2001 11:26 am

"Squeeze the wheeze... most folks like to!"

"If you lived here you'd be home by now..."

Figures, don't it Jim?

Steve Stallings · Post by **Steve Stallings** » 28 Sep 2001 12:26 pm

"Don't crush that dwarf...hand me the pliers"

------------------
Steve Stallings
Bremond, Texas

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Sep 2001 12:37 pm

"I'm not talking about 'hate'. I'm talking about 'eight'. Dinner at eight!"

Cairo Zoots · Post by **Cairo Zoots** » 28 Sep 2001 10:16 pm

Doesn't Buss make fuses?

I believe the fuse mfgr is actually Bussman!

------------------
ree-00-dee-doo