In addition to the official documentation, I will try to explain it briefly, in case it is helpful. It is valid for Audio (MIDI is more flexible):
1_Routing the application (recording/playback):
To establish the input and output connections of Qtractor, Buses are used and they are managed from Connections.
2_Internal routing (mixing):
For internal connections of Qtractor from track to bus, or between buses, "Auxiliary Sends" are used.
3_External routing of tracks and buses (mixing):
To connect tracks or buses with external applications, "Inserts" are used.
_ Summarizing:
If the purpose is to route the application itself, buses are always used. If the purpose is to mix internal signals, Auxiliary Sends are always used. If the purpose is to use external signals in the mix, inserts are always used.
Exiting can create conflicts or simply not work.
You should not:
- Directly connect the output of a bus to the input of a bus.
- Directly connect the output of an Insert to the input of an Insert. Auxiliary Sends are intended for internal sends.
_ To better understand how the bus concepts work in Qtractor, I provide you with this tutorial:
In addition to the official documentation, I will try to explain it briefly, in case it is helpful. It is valid for Audio (MIDI is more flexible):
1_Routing the application (recording/playback):
To establish the input and output connections of Qtractor, Buses are used and they are managed from Connections.
2_Internal routing (mixing):
For internal connections of Qtractor from track to bus, or between buses, "Auxiliary Sends" are used.
3_External routing of tracks and buses (mixing):
To connect tracks or buses with external applications, "Inserts" are used.
_ Summarizing:
If the purpose is to route the application itself, buses are always used. If the purpose is to mix internal signals, Auxiliary Sends are always used. If the purpose is to use external signals in the mix, inserts are always used.
Exiting can create conflicts or simply not work.
You should not:
- Directly connect the output of a bus to the input of a bus.
- Directly connect the output of an Insert to the input of an Insert. Auxiliary Sends are intended for internal sends.
_ To better understand how the bus concepts work in Qtractor, I provide you with this tutorial:
How To Manage audio workflows with "Group Buses", "Auxiliary Buses" and "Master Buses"
https://www.rncbc.org/drupal/node/2654
P.S.
To monitor tracks, activate auto-monitoring by right-clicking on any track.
This will automatically monitor the selected track.
This is a better option than activating bus monitoring.