Subgrouping routes related tracks to a shared bus controlled by one fader

Subgrouping (bussing) means routing all tracks in a logical section — all drum channels, or all backing vocals — to a single group channel before the master. The group fader then controls the collective level of those tracks, so you mix with fewer faders. A critical caveat Sound On Sound stresses: any channels subgrouped this way must have their effects routed to the same group too, otherwise the effects level won’t change as you move the group fader — a common error where a reverb returns straight to the master and drifts out of proportion when the group is turned down.

Examples

Route kick, snare, hi-hat, and overheads to a ‘Drums’ bus; one group fader now rides the whole kit, and a compressor on the bus glues the kit together. Send the snare’s reverb to the drum bus, not the master, so it tracks the group level.

Assessment

Describe the routing to subgroup five drum tracks to one bus, and explain what goes wrong if the snare’s reverb returns directly to the master instead of the drum bus.