# Bus not found

**URL:** <https://qa.fmod.com/t/bus-not-found/22615>\
**Category:** FMOD Engine\
**Tags:** cpp\
**Created:** [February 20, 2025, 10:56pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/bus-not-found/22615 "2025-02-20T22:56:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rontt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@rontt](https://qa.fmod.com/u/rontt)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 10:56pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/bus-not-found/22615/1 "2025-02-20T22:56:19Z")

</div>

I am using FMOD\_Studio\_System\_GetBus() to get the “bus:/master” bus but it is failing. I have a VCA called master, I assume this is the same thing as a BUS? Why would it be failing? This worked fine on a pervious project and as far as I can tell everything is set up the same. I am using c interface. Everything else in the game works fine, I can play sounds, etc.

 ![Screenshot](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/fmod/original/2X/7/756c10d182e9511f186fd2c8c16dd3c96955bf32.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Connor\_FMOD](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/connor_fmod/32/3685_2.png) [@Connor\_FMOD](https://qa.fmod.com/u/Connor_FMOD)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 11:26pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/bus-not-found/22615/2 "2025-02-20T23:26:16Z")

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Hi,

The issue may be with the name you are trying to retrieve the `Master Bus` with: `bus:/master`, if you right click the `Master Bus` in the Mixer and select `Copy Path`:

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/fmod/original/2X/b/b39adc49d1a7f69db3da68940c1171238e3b0c3b.png)  
it will return `bus:/`. Would it be possible to test using this path? Most of our FMOD functions return FMOD\_RESULT’s ([FMOD Engine | Core API Reference - FMOD\_RESULT](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/api/core-api-common.html#fmod_result)) which help in debugging, it may help to add this to the `GetBus()` function:

```auto
FMOD::Studio::Bus* masterBus = nullptr;
FMOD_RESULT result = system->getBus("bus:/master", &masterBus);

if (result != FMOD_OK)
{
    // Do something here
}

```

Hope this helps!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rontt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@rontt](https://qa.fmod.com/u/rontt)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2025, 1:51am UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/bus-not-found/22615/3 "2025-02-21T01:51:49Z")

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That does solve the problem, but I don’t know why it was working in my previous game. Can you rename buses or create new buses? Is there a reason to use the bus:/ rather the vca:/? I used to have a group named master? I though groups were just for internal organization. Do they matter? Just trying to figure out why this works in the previous game.

I’m trying to call FMOD\_Studio\_Bus\_SetPaused() when the game loose focus.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Connor\_FMOD](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/connor_fmod/32/3685_2.png) [@Connor\_FMOD](https://qa.fmod.com/u/Connor_FMOD)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/bus-not-found/22615/4 "2025-02-24T02:40:03Z")

</div>

Good to hear that helped.

> [@rontt](#):
>
> Can you rename buses or create new buses?

You can create new Group Buses: [FMOD Studio | Glassary - Group Bus](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/glossary.html#group-bus) but there can only be one Master Bus: [FMOD Studio | Glossary - Master Bus](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/glossary.html#master-bus) in each project.

> [@rontt](#):
>
> Is there a reason to use the bus:/ rather the vca:/?

“A group bus mixes the output of multiple events and buses together, allowing you to apply [effects](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/glossary.html#effect) and [routing](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/glossary.html#routing) behavior to all the [signals](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/glossary.html#signal) within a group.” ([FMOD Studio | Mixing - Group Buses and Routing](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/mixing.html#group-buses-and-routing))  
" A [VCA](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/glossary.html#vca) (or “Voltage Controlled Amplifier”) is a volume property that adjusts the volume of the [buses](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/glossary.html#bus), [events](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/glossary.html#event), and other VCAs assigned to that VCA." ([FMOD Studio - Mixing - VCAs](https://fmod.com/docs/2.02/studio/mixing.html#vcas)). In summary, VCAs are used for controling the final volume of buses and events regardless of their routing while buses are used for mixing, applying effects and routing.

> [@rontt](#):
>
> I’m trying to call FMOD\_Studio\_Bus\_SetPaused()

If you are wanting to pause then you would want to use a bus rather than a VCA.

> [@rontt](#):
>
> I used to have a group named master?

It maybe that in your previous game, you created a new group bus and renamed it to “master”? That would have given you a working path of `bus:/master`.

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/fmod/original/2X/a/a5c0e5230015eb82dff34ea8e876f75d9634ede8.png)

> [@rontt](#):
>
> I though groups were just for internal organization.

As mentioned above, group buses can be used for organization and routing but provide other functionality as well, while a VCA is used for volume control.