Ableton/Live/UG/18 Mixing/04 Return Tracks and the Main track
- Return tracks and the Main track can't play clips. They sit at the right of the Session mixer and the bottom of the Arrangement. Show or hide returns from View → Mixer Controls → Return Tracks.
- A return track's effects process audio sent from any number of tracks, so one delay can echo several tracks.
- A track's Send sets how much of it feeds each return. A return can even send to itself for feedback; because that can get loud fast, a return's own sends are off until you right-click → Enable Send or Enable All Sends.
- Each return's Pre/Post toggle taps sends before or after the track's pan, volume and activator. Pre makes an independent auxiliary mix, such as a separate monitor mix routed to its own output.
- The Main track receives every track by default; effects here, usually compression or EQ, process the whole mix. Add returns with Create → Insert Return Track; there is only one Main.
