Quote:
To set up a side chain:
STEP ONE :Send the track you want to use to control the dynamics processor (the one that will trigger the processor on another channel) into any bus.
STEP TWO: :On the track which is to be compressed (or gated or whatever), call up the dynamics plug in. Set the key input on the compressor to the bus used in step one. The key input button is in the upper left of the digirack compressor. Click on that and choose the bus.
STEP 3 :Turn on the side chain function by clicking the "external key" button at the bottom of the compressor.
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this is good, but i think your first instruction is probably the same spot where the poster is feeling the manual is vague.
i.e. if you "send the track you want to use" into a bus you lose that track. of course, that may be what you want, but most of the time i find it isn't. you may not have meant it that way, but it's still sort of vague for a novice.
as in the example above of the bass compressor being keyed by the kick drum, you want to send the kick's signal to the side-chain while keeping the original signal intact.
a couple of ways to achieve this (there are more, but i think these are the easiest and most economical):
create a pre-fader aux send on the kick's channel, which is routed to whatever bus your side-chain input is set to; alternatively, select the dropdown menu for the kick channel's output routing, hold down the 'Control' key and select the bus your side-chain input is set to. this should send signal to both destinations simultaneously. of course, the signal at your side-chain would then be post kick fader.
also, if you wanted to process the side-chain send for whatever reason, you could route your aux (or what have you) to a bus feeding an aux-input channel in your mixer, then insert EQ or what-not, then set the buss output of that channel to the bus your side-chain input is set to. it would eat up two busses and in most cases i can't think of a need to do it really. i guess if you were unhappy with the available de-esser plug-ins and wanted to experiment with your own set up. it would also be useful for doing a high-pass filter in the side-chain of a compressor ala the handy feature on the Distressor™.
anyway, hope that clears out the cobwebs a little