Using Source-Nexus Mute-On with the Source-Nexus™ Suite for a remote recording session

The following tutorial will teach you how to use the Source-Nexus Mute-On plugin along with Source-Nexus Review and Source-Nexus Router to set up a fluid remote session providing full record, playback and communications for all parties. 

What you will get out of this tutorial 

After finishing this tutorial, you will have a very simple DAW and Source-Nexus™ Suite setup for a remote VO recording session with remote clients that lets you keep communications open while you are closing and opening your DAW sessions. 

Setup Sample Description 

The tutorial assumes the following setup: 

• Your TALENT is on Source-Connect. 
• Your CLIENTS are on Source-Nexus Gateway.
• You, as an ENGINEER, have access to: 
  • A Source-Nexus™ Suite subscription. 
  • A DAW of your choice. For the purpose of this tutorial, we will use Pro Tools. 

1. Setting up the devices to connect your talent and clients - Source-Nexus Control 

To handle the communication between you, your clients and the talent on Source-Connect, you will want to create two virtual devices on the Source-Nexus Control Panel: 

1. A 2-channel device called “From SC”. 
2. A 2-channel device called “To SC”. 

We will discuss what each one of these devices will do in depth in each section. 

2. Setting up your DAW session to record your talent - Pro Tools 

Starting off with a blank Pro Tools session, follow the steps below: 

1. Create a mono audio track and name it “Record”. You will use it to record the remote talent.  
   
   1. In order to essentially set up a mix minus, place the Source-Nexus Mute-On plugin on this channel and select options to “Mute” on “On Stop” and “On Record”. 
      
   2.  You must make sure not to use input only monitoring on this track and instead use auto input monitoring, effectively preventing echoing back to the talent while the track is receiving input from Source-Connect, but not while it’s in playback. 
2. Create a stereo master fader track - you can name it “Master 1”. 
   1. Place the Source-Nexus Review plugin.  
      
   2. You need to select your talkback microphone as well.  
      
   3. Make sure that the audio track is routed to the same monitor output as the master fader is set to. 
3. Create a mono aux track and name it “SC” - you will use this for the return audio from Source-Connect.  
   
   1. Place the Source-Nexus plugin on the aux track. 
   2. Set the “RECEIVE” of Source-Nexus to “From SC”. 
   3. Send the output of the aux track to the input of the Record track.  
      

This makes for a very simple DAW template. In order to tie it all together, we will use the Source-Nexus Router next. 

3. Setting up the behavior during a session - Source-Nexus Router 

To manage the connections between your clients on Source-Nexus Gateway, your talent on Source-Connect, and you, create the following routes: 

1. Route 1: “From SC” to your monitors - so you can always hear the talent. 
2. Route 2: “From SC” to “To Nexus Broadcast” - so the clients on the Source-Nexus Gateway can also hear the talent. 
3. Route 3: “To Nexus Chat” to “To SC” - so the talent can hear your talkback microphone. 
4. Route 4: “From Nexus Chat” to “To SC” - so the talent can hear your client on the Source-Nexus Gateway. 

4. Setting up the behavior between sessions - Source-Nexus Router 

With the setup as it is so far, there is no talkback from you to the talent until the DAW session is open, because the Source-Nexus Review plugin can manage your talkback microphone. 

However, when you are between DAW sessions, your talent and clients can still hear each other, while you can only hear the talent. 

Therefore, if you need it, you can also set up two more routes in Source-Nexus Router for the communication between you and your client: 

1. Route 1: from your talkback microphone to “To Nexus Chat” - so that your clients and the talent can hear you. Unless you’re using headphones, keep this set to mute when you are not talking to prevent echoing from your speakers to the talent. Also, keep this muted once your DAW session is open. 
2. Route 2: “From Nexus Chat” to your monitors - so you can hear the clients on the Source-Nexus Gateway. Again, once your session is open, you will want to keep this muted, because the path will be handled by the Source-Nexus Review plugin.