How to implement sidechain in Reaper

[ChrisBlue]

Hi I've just been looking at a video on the proper use of Waves Vocal Rider by someone using Cubase. In it he puts Vocal Rider on a stereo track and then selects a sidechain input for it by, wait for it, clicking an icon. I've just been looking at what seems to be the Reaper method and am totally confused by all this routing and splitting etc. How does Reaper even know that I am treating the Vocal Rider track as a stereo track and how do you create a sidechain input for it, surely it's not this long complicated stuff I've been trying to get to grips with instead of making music (yet again)

[ChrisBlue]

I've watched the Reaper blog on sidechain ducking the bass with the kick but I can't follow it sorry. It's like telling someone how to understand computing by going on about legato and rubato etc

[DarkStar]

Drag the Routing button from the track with the sidechain audio onto the Wave's plug-in GUI.

[ChrisBlue]

I have a folder that all the music elements are sent to and the vocal sent to a track with just Vocal Rider on it. I have a music buss and set it as an audio stereo source 3/4 (tried leaving it as 1/2 as well)sent to Vocal Rider but Vocal Rider isn't detecting any music so the green light isn't working and the knob remains inoperative (presumably because it thinks there's no music input?). No more idea what to do....

[ChrisBlue]

ok thanks. I wrote the previous bit before I saw your answer. Thanks for that

[ashcat_lt]

The source channels should be 1/2 with the destination channels set to 3/4. DarkStar's method does that automatically, but once it's done, you can look in the routing window and see what it's supposed to look like. If that still doesn't work, there may be a setting in the plug itself that you have to engage before it will work.