Audio tracks output splitter method? or splitter plug-in? PLEASE Help

Question

Fellow Logic-addicts,
I am scratching my head around a problem.
I already use a lot of external hardware processing, and nearly always as inserts
processing(compressors,eq,analogue filtering)
Until sometime ago I did the same for using more send-return type of fx like
reverb/delays/modulation etc....
Thus I had to duplicate a dry audiotrack and process it, and bounce then blend in with the other track.
In a recent project I mixed, I ended up with some sessions with a leadvocal track
and 5 copies of this track all processed through various fx like short reverb,short delay, long delay, doubler etc..., because of using hardware fx.
I wonder if it's possible in Logic to insert the hardware fx on a bus, so I could simply use the aux sends on the track's channel strip to send to that bus and to avoid piling up identical audio files in a Logic project, which also is clumsy
in the workflow, because when I apply hardware fx to a lot of tracks there are doubles/triples everywhere and it gets confusing and too crowded?
Other possibility, I've been searching like a madmen for years for an audio track's output splitter plug-in(like Spider in Reason), but I have found NONE
in the AudioUnits realm.
Does somebody know about such a plug-in to work in Logic?
I still don't understand why the Apple-developers didn't think of including such a plug-in, because it could allow amazing routing possibilities, like in this case, you could send the audio track to the main output(1-2 or whatever)
BUT also to alternate hardware outputs, so you can use a hardware reverb unit, + a hardware delay unit etc...to which the audio track is being sent , and then you could blend the results back in Logic more easily.
Or more: you could even avoid copying tracks for sidechaining as you could use one track as is to main outputs but also connected to the sidechain input of other tracks processing, wich would make this also easier.
Or what about outputting and grouping drum-tracks(kick-snare-hh-etc...) to multiple busses so you could have a very flexible setup for parallel processing, with many
more sonic possibilities= drum-group going to a bus with hard-compression, while another goes to a softer compression, and a third one a distortion/beef bus with tape/tube processing, then you could all blend those tracks with faders, like on a real console and not piling up inserts on one bus, wich is more limited sonically, especially if the processing you use doesn't have a dry/wet knob.
If any of you sees a better alternative, or method to achieve what I want in Logic, or want to discuss that topic and chime in, be my guest.
I am not an expert of Logic, so you Logic geniuses= rise and shine!
Thank you very much for your advice
Best Regards
Biggnik

Answer 1

Wow - long post to say "can I use hardware boxes as inserts?" and the answer is yes, and you have been able to for a long time.
I don't know why you're doing some odd "duplicated track" thing... weird...
So, for inserts of regular channels, just stick Logic's I/O plug on the channel. Tell it which audio output you want it to send to, and which audio input to receive from. Patch up the appropriate ins and outs on your interface to your hardware box/patchbay/mixer/whatever and bob's your uncle.
You can also do this on aux channels, so if you want to send a bunch of tracks to a hardware reverb, you'd put the I/O plug on the aux channel you're using in the same way as described above. Now simply use the sends on each channel you want to send to that aux (and therefore hardware reverb).
Note you'll need to have software monitoring turned on.
Another way is to just set the output of a channel or aux to the extra audio outputs on your interface, and bring the outputs of your processing hardware back into spare inputs and feed them into the Logic mix using input objects.
Lots of ways to do it in Logic.
And no duplicate recordings needed...
I still don't understand why the Apple-developers didn't think of including such a plug-in, because it could allow amazing routing possibilities, like in this case, you could send the audio track to the main output(1-2 or whatever) BUT also to alternate hardware outputs, so you can use a hardware reverb unit, + a hardware delay unit etc...to which the audio track is being sent , and then you could blend the results back in Logic more easily.
You can just do this already with mixer routing alone, no plugins necessary.