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Drambo FX - Is it possible to send audio to another instance?

I'd like to use drambo the same way that Roughrider 3's external sidechain works. In my mind, I see a Drambo FX instance that takes the audio input and routes it to a multibus output. Then I add another Drambo FX instance on a second channel that takes the input from that multibus output and can use it to drive compression. I can't figure out a way to do this. Am I trying something impossible?

Comments

  • I think that Drambo 8 outputs is only available as an AUv3 "Instrument", which means it has no audio input. The FX versions do not have multiple outputs. Of course, if you can do it all in Drambo, using multiple racks, it'd be fine.

    Now, in AudioBus, you cannot really route audio from one channel to another. Such routing is easier in AUM. Which app are you trying to use as host for this?

  • In AUM you can place the first Drambo in an FX slot, followed by a bus send. Then make channel with the bus as the input and the second Drambo in the FX slot.

    But, I also don't quite see why you need two Drambo's in the first place. You can route audio between tracks internally in Drambo, so it seems like you could accomplish what you want in just one instance. Probably I'm just not understanding clearly why you're trying to do.

  • I'm just trying to get a feel for how drambo can be used. So here's an example of using Roughrider 3 with an external sidechain:

    I'd like to do the same kind of thing, but with drambo. I could imagine using it for all sorts of different things. I think the key problem, as @uncledave has pointed out, is that the FX version of drambo doesn't support multi-bus.

  • edited November 2020

    The one option you have is to run two mono tracks into Drambo on the one stereo bus.

  • Here's the configuration I mentioned. I don't know if that would work for what you want though.
    You can also just route the channel output to bus A, eliminating the need for the bus send and for muting the track.

  • edited November 2020

    @wim the problem with that setup is that you are simply routing the audio from track one into track two, it's not coming into the second drambo instance independently from the second track's primary input. Meaning, you can't have a different instrument on the track, and use the mix bus signal to only drive the second drambo instance via a separate input. So, instead of having the mix bus be the source on the second track, imagine zeeon, or some other synth. Then the drambo fx instance in that track would take the audio input from zeeon, and it would take the secondary multi-bus audio input from the first drambo instance. You could drive a drambo compressor with the multubus input, and you could use it to compress the audio coming from zeeon. In the setup you show above, the audio from the first track is routed over to the second track's source, instead of a secondary input.

  • @jscheel said:
    @wim the problem with that setup is that you are simply routing the primary bus, it's not coming into the second drambo instance independently from the primary input. Meaning, you can't have a different instrument on the channel, and use the mix bus signal to only drive the second drambo instance via a separate input.

    Yeh, I was afraid you'd say that. It wasn't clear whether you were wanting to compress external input or internal sounds.

  • Yep, I think this would elevate drambo to a whole new level of utility. I can imagine building sidechain compressors, sidechain gates, etc. Could be awesome.

  • Is there a way to generate MIDI CC values from the amplitude of an audio signal? That way the sidechain could be MIDI based and a second audio input wouldn’t be needed.

  • @wim he's got a point there.

    dRambo doesn't currently accept multi audio input which
    would be needed to sidechain from another channel.

    The only work around would be to load a
    sample/track into dRambo and sidechain internally
    which can be done with the inbuilt compressor
    as that does have sidechain functionality.

    Still, set Roughrider3 to transparent and it does
    the job very well until dRambo has multi audio input.

  • @TheOriginalPaulB said:
    Is there a way to generate MIDI CC values from the amplitude of an audio signal? That way the sidechain could be MIDI based and a second audio input wouldn’t be needed.

    Yes, this is possible.

  • @TheOriginalPaulB @wim ok, I’ve done a rough version of this. Obviously the ideal scenario is that drambo would support multi-bus on the fx modules, but this is kinda cool too. The sidechain on the compressor is an audio signal, so I take the midi signal from the source fx instance and use it to drive an oscillator that is then routed into the compressor’s sidechain. Thanks for the idea!

  • edited November 2020

    @jscheel said:
    @TheOriginalPaulB @wim ok, I’ve done a rough version of this. Obviously the ideal scenario is that drambo would support multi-bus on the fx modules, but this is kinda cool too. The sidechain on the compressor is an audio signal, so I take the midi signal from the source fx instance and use it to drive an oscillator that is then routed into the compressor’s sidechain. Thanks for the idea!

    Now, this is a superb workaround.

    Can you share this on patchstorage (dot) com please ???

    Edit,

    Also would mind sharing it on the Beepstreet forum as well?

    Thank you.

  • wimwim
    edited November 2020

    A slightly simpler (though less fun probably ;)) way to go about this is to use FAC Envolver to do the audio to Midi CC duties.

  • I think it may be simpler to do an envelope follower, now that I think about it. If I can clamp the values, I could have it send cc controls out. @Gravitas, sure I can post it. Lemme play around a bit more with it to hone it in some first.

  • @jscheel said:
    I think it may be simpler to do an envelope follower, now that I think about it. If I can clamp the values, I could have it send cc controls out. @Gravitas, sure I can post it. Lemme play around a bit more with it to hone it in some first.

    Cool.

    Maybe use the ,'scale module', either before or after the envelope follower???

    The envelope follower is a very interesting way to go.
    I like your thinking.
    Totally outside of the box.

  • @jscheel

    Did you get the compressor to respond to the midi to cv module
    or did you use the midi cc modulator module?

    I've got it working using the,'Midi CC Modulator, needs fine tuning but it works.

    Have a look at this.

    Send on the left and side chain compressor on the right.

    The envelope follower values are arbitrary.

  • edited November 2020

    @Gravitas I used the modulator. Here’s where I’m at right now. I want to get it up on patchstorage, but I need to look into setting that all up, so it’s a photo for now. All the oscilloscopes and midi monitors are just for debugging, and they disappear in the collapsed view of the instruments. I think I’ve over complicated this though. I didn’t realize that I could patch the output of the midi cc modulator directly into the sidechain on the compressor, so I’m generating a waveform from an oscillator and using the modulator to drop the amplitude.

  • @jscheel said:
    @Gravitas I used the modulator. Here’s where I’m at right now. I want to get it up on patchstorage, but I need to look into setting that all up, so it’s a photo for now. All the oscilloscopes and midi monitors are just for debugging, and they disappear in the collapsed view of the instruments. I think I’ve over complicated this though. I didn’t realize that I could patch the output of the midi cc modulator directly into the sidechain on the compressor, so I’m generating a waveform from an oscillator and using the modulator to drop the amplitude.

    Cool.

    Your screenshot looks good and I'm glad to see that I
    arrived at the same point from your earlier description.

    No worries about the oscilloscopes and stuff.
    That's good practice.

    I wouldn't have thought about doing this at all so I've learned something new myself.
    I'll try using the oscillator as well and see if it makes a difference
    but it seems to do the job when the midi cc modulator
    is patched directly into the compressor sidechain input.
    The filter before the envelope follower on the send is also really cool.

    The most important thing is that the concept works.

    Well done.

  • I love it when a plan comes together...

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