Routing

Routing

OpenDaw includes a visual, node-based signal routing view for managing how audio flows between inputs, tracks, buses, and outputs.

Routing View

Switch to the Routing tab in the bottom dock (alongside the Mixer, Piano Roll, etc.).

Layout

The routing view organizes signal flow into five columns, left to right:

Input Channels → Tracks → Buses → Master → Output Channels

Each element is a draggable node with input/output jacks. Color-coded cables show signal connections at a glance.

Navigation

• Pan: click and drag the background
• Zoom: mouse wheel or zoom controls
• Auto Layout: click the toolbar button to reset all node positions
• Drag nodes freely to arrange the view — positions persist across sessions

Working with Routing

Connecting Tracks to Buses

1. Create a bus: click + Add Bus in the toolbar, or right-click empty space > Add Bus
2. Route a track to a bus: drag a cable from a track's OUT jack to a bus's IN jack, or use the output selector dropdown on the track header

Output Routing

Every track's output can be routed to:

• Master — the default; signal goes directly to the master output
• A bus — for submixing groups of tracks before they reach the master

Use the Output selector dropdown on each track header, or drag cables in the routing view.

Sidechain

Bus tracks support sidechain inputs. Each effect on a bus has a per-effect sidechain source selector, allowing you to feed one track's signal into another track's compressor (or other sidechain-aware effect).

Input Routing

• Input channels appear on the far left of the routing view
• Each input represents a physical audio input on your audio device
• Route inputs to tracks by dragging cables or using the input selector on track headers
• Rename input devices with custom labels by right-clicking the input node

Disconnecting

• Right-click a cable and select "Disconnect" to remove a connection
• Or change the output selector on the track header to a different destination

Bus Tracks

Buses are special tracks that act as submix points:

• Create buses from the routing view or the timeline context menu
• Route multiple tracks to a bus to apply shared effects (e.g., a reverb send, a drum bus compressor)
• Buses have their own effect chain, volume, pan, mute, and solo controls
• Buses appear in the mixer alongside regular tracks
• A bus's output can be routed to Master or to another bus

Common Bus Setups

Bus Name	Purpose	Typical Effects
Drum Bus	Group all drum tracks	Compressor (glue), EQ
Reverb Send	Shared reverb for multiple tracks	Reverb (100% wet)
Vocal Bus	Group lead + backing vocals	Compressor, EQ
Strings	Group orchestral string sections	Reverb, EQ