prefade

Prefade refers to a phenomenon in audio engineering where a signal is routed to an auxiliary bus or subgroup for processing or monitoring before it reaches the main output or a dedicated mix. This is commonly encountered in mixing consoles and digital audio workstations. The prefade send allows engineers to create effects sends, monitor mixes, or create parallel processing chains without affecting the level of the main fader for that channel. For instance, a reverb effect might be sent via a prefade send to an auxiliary bus. The level of the reverb applied to the original signal is then controlled by the prefade send knob on the individual channel, independent of the channel's main fader. This offers greater flexibility in shaping the overall soundscape and creating distinct sonic textures. Prefade sends are also crucial for creating headphone mixes for musicians during recording sessions, ensuring they hear a balanced blend of instruments and vocals without the main stereo mix interfering. In essence, prefade provides a way to "tap into" a signal's path early on, enabling a wide range of routing and processing possibilities.