Old 06-18-2016, 01:11 AM   #1
drichard
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Default How to simulate Studio One's FX splitter

I purchased Reaper a few days ago, and I'm just learning it. I'm a total Reaper newbie and don't understand FX routing well at all.

In my previous DAW, when mixing a lead vocal I would often route it to three different compressors in parallel. The output of the three compressors is panned left, center, and right, respectively. Doing this required using three sends on the lead vocal track and creating three additional Aux tracks, one for each compressor. It works fine, but it's cumbersome to set up.

I tried Studio One, and it has a very cool feature called FX Splitter, and by using it I found I could do the whole 3-way parallel process on a single track, and could then also save the parallel setup as an FX chain for instant recall.

Is there a way to do this on a single track in Reaper? If not, is there an easy way to set it up and recall it?

Thanks in advance.

Dean
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Old 06-18-2016, 03:25 AM   #2
DarkStar
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Phew - you would only want to set this up once
  • set the track to 8 channels (in the Routing window),
  • add a compressor (followed by a pan FX if needed)
  • for the compressor, click the [In / Out] button to open the pin connector,
  • set the 2 inputs to channels 1+2 and the outputs to channels 3+4,
  • for the pan FX, open the pin connector,
  • set the first 2 inputs to channels 3+4 and the first 2 outputs to channels 3+4
  • add the second compressor (followed by a pan FX if needed)
  • for the compressor, open the pin connector,
  • set the 2 inputs to channels 1+2 and the outputs to channels 5+6,
  • for the pan FX, open the pin connector,
  • set the first 2 inputs to channels 5+6 and the first 2 outputs to channels 5+6,
  • add the third compressor (followed by a pan FX if needed)
  • for the compressor, open the pin connector,
  • set the 2 inputs to channels 1+2 and the outputs to channels 7+8,
  • for the pan FX, open the pin connector,
  • set the first 2 inputs to channels 7+8 and the first 2 outputs to channels 7+8,
Now you have the dry signal on channels 1+2 and the three compressed signals on 3+4, 5+6 and 7+8 respectively.
  • add the JS: IX/Mixer_8xS-1xS at the end and open the pin connector,
  • deactivate its first two inputs,
  • set inputs 3 to 8 to receive from channels 3 to 8

Here is an example:

>>> https://i.imgur.com/jBjGME9.png

You can see the levels on each channel in the track's meter (turn on "Multichannel metering"). The "FX Pins" window shows the routing between the FX. It is a.lua script: developed mainly by eugen2777: http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=173867 )

Details of the steps (except the "FX Pins" script) are in the User Guide.
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Old 06-18-2016, 10:25 AM   #3
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Darkstar's got you pointed in the right direction, but you don't need any "panner FX". Whichever comp is supposed to be hard left just outputs to channel 3 and the one that goes hard right goes to channel 4. Then the one supposed to be in the middle can go to 5/6, or even just to 5. So you won't need 8 channels, just six.

I usually don't bother with the channel mixer plugs either. You just need to put any other plug after the comps. If you're already following this with something, use that, otherwise stick something in there. Like maybe an EQ or even just JS Volume Adjustment set to 0db gain (I usually whack the ceiling way up so it can't clip at this point...). Open the I/O pins for that plug and route the various channels to the appropriate inputs. If you're using 3/4 and 5/6, then you'd have 3 and 5 go to the left input and 4 and 6 to the right. If you didn't bother with 6, then 5 goes to both left and right. The outputs go to 1/2 and you're done.

Then you adjust the relative mix with the output volume/gain on the comps themselves which is maybe not as convenient as the little mixer thing, but works fine.
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Old 06-18-2016, 11:05 AM   #4
drichard
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Thank you so much for this. I will sit down today or tonight and walk through it. As a new user, some of it is still foreign to me, but it looks like it will work great. And I do want the pan/volume controls as I don't pan fully hard left and right for the other two compressors.

And yes, I will save it so I only set it up once!

Again, thank you!!!



Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkStar View Post
Phew - you would only want to set this up once
  • set the track to 8 channels (in the Routing window),
  • add a compressor (followed by a pan FX if needed)
  • for the compressor, click the [In / Out] button to open the pin connector,
  • set the 2 inputs to channels 1+2 and the outputs to channels 3+4,
  • for the pan FX, open the pin connector,
  • set the first 2 inputs to channels 3+4 and the first 2 outputs to channels 3+4
  • add the second compressor (followed by a pan FX if needed)
  • for the compressor, open the pin connector,
  • set the 2 inputs to channels 1+2 and the outputs to channels 5+6,
  • for the pan FX, open the pin connector,
  • set the first 2 inputs to channels 5+6 and the first 2 outputs to channels 5+6,
  • add the third compressor (followed by a pan FX if needed)
  • for the compressor, open the pin connector,
  • set the 2 inputs to channels 1+2 and the outputs to channels 7+8,
  • for the pan FX, open the pin connector,
  • set the first 2 inputs to channels 7+8 and the first 2 outputs to channels 7+8,
Now you have the dry signal on channels 1+2 and the three compressed signals on 3+4, 5+6 and 7+8 respectively.
  • add the JS: IX/Mixer_8xS-1xS at the end and open the pin connector,
  • deactivate its first two inputs,
  • set inputs 3 to 8 to receive from channels 3 to 8

Here is an example:

>>> https://i.imgur.com/jBjGME9.png

You can see the levels on each channel in the track's meter (turn on "Multichannel metering"). The "FX Pins" window shows the routing between the FX. It is a.lua script: developed mainly by eugen2777: http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=173867 )

Details of the steps (except the "FX Pins" script) are in the User Guide.
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Old 06-18-2016, 11:49 AM   #5
drichard
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I got it working. This is so freaking cool! Again, thank you so much.

A really great side benefit of setting this up is that I now have a much greater understanding of how the FX routing chain works.

Again, thank you!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkStar View Post
Phew - you would only want to set this up once
  • set the track to 8 channels (in the Routing window),
  • add a compressor (followed by a pan FX if needed)
  • for the compressor, click the [In / Out] button to open the pin connector,
  • set the 2 inputs to channels 1+2 and the outputs to channels 3+4,
  • for the pan FX, open the pin connector,
  • set the first 2 inputs to channels 3+4 and the first 2 outputs to channels 3+4
  • add the second compressor (followed by a pan FX if needed)
  • for the compressor, open the pin connector,
  • set the 2 inputs to channels 1+2 and the outputs to channels 5+6,
  • for the pan FX, open the pin connector,
  • set the first 2 inputs to channels 5+6 and the first 2 outputs to channels 5+6,
  • add the third compressor (followed by a pan FX if needed)
  • for the compressor, open the pin connector,
  • set the 2 inputs to channels 1+2 and the outputs to channels 7+8,
  • for the pan FX, open the pin connector,
  • set the first 2 inputs to channels 7+8 and the first 2 outputs to channels 7+8,
Now you have the dry signal on channels 1+2 and the three compressed signals on 3+4, 5+6 and 7+8 respectively.
  • add the JS: IX/Mixer_8xS-1xS at the end and open the pin connector,
  • deactivate its first two inputs,
  • set inputs 3 to 8 to receive from channels 3 to 8

Here is an example:

>>> https://i.imgur.com/jBjGME9.png

You can see the levels on each channel in the track's meter (turn on "Multichannel metering"). The "FX Pins" window shows the routing between the FX. It is a.lua script: developed mainly by eugen2777: http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=173867 )

Details of the steps (except the "FX Pins" script) are in the User Guide.
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Old 11-14-2017, 06:40 AM   #6
TonE
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Can you explain a bit how you are setting up those 3 compressors on the vocals? What is the main idea or trick, thanks in advance. Are you compressing the center more, the sides less?
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Old 11-14-2017, 01:56 PM   #7
drichard
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It's a Michael Brauer trick. I don't always use it, but when I do I pan them 1/2 left, center, and 1/2 right. The uncompressed vocal is mixed back in as well. The idea is that the attack and decay and compression attributes vary enough between compressors to create a bit of movement in the vocal, sort of a 3D effect. It's subtle, but it does widen the vocal in a way that's different from delay or chorus effects.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonE View Post
Can you explain a bit how you are setting up those 3 compressors on the vocals? What is the main idea or trick, thanks in advance. Are you compressing the center more, the sides less?
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Old 11-14-2017, 02:21 PM   #8
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Quote:
The idea is that the attack and decay and compression attributes vary enough between compressors to create a bit of movement in the vocal, sort of a 3D effect.
Nice, I have a ReaDelay chain for guitar solo's that uses either two or three delay taps, but I modulate the delay times just slightly all the time using the random LFO in parameter modulation. The result is a little bit chorusish but the real effect I like is that the guitar sort of hovers and moves slightly in the stereo field in much the same way.
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Old 11-15-2017, 10:56 AM   #9
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you might also consider to use this wonderful genius script by Eugene which makes it a lot easier in these days..

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread....hlight=fs+rack
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