Combinator, am I missing something?

[jonbpm]

Very basic question, but I just can't seem to find an answer - I feel as though I'm missing out or misunderstanding the power of the Combinator.

Is the Combinator supposed to be used with live audio?
My case is I record a guitar track, press F6, add some Effects e.g. amps, eq, compression, rack extensions etc. I also then fiddle around with the Spectrum EQ and add some Sends e.g. to default 1st Plate in the SSL. I'm really happy with this track and think "hey, this is going to be my default electric guitar sound, I really want to use it in some other songs".

Does this fit how the Combinator works? Because I can't seem to create a Combinator from the above scenario. And what i end up doing is copying the track to a new song, delete the audio and then have to do a manual comparison of the SSL settings to get a match.

So is what I want to do possible with a Combinator? Or if not, is there a better way of achieving what I want to do?
thanks

[QVprod]

A combinator patch only contains the devices inside of it. Nothing on the SSL mixer is included. You could however use the SSL rack devices instead.

[Bes]

maybe you want to explore making a template file with those settings

[selig]

Maybe approach the Combinator as your own personal programmable pedal board. Using a Line Mixer you can add a reverb send/return, and insert the SSL EQ RE where needed, etc. You can even include an amp if you record direct guitar. The idea in this scenario is the Combinator represents what you would bring into the studio to record, not what the engineer would add in the mix. Make sense?

[jonbpm]

Sorry for the delay in replying (life gets in the way!) but I'm still not getting it. It maybe as simple as the routing is wrong, but....
I have an audio track that I've recorded guitar onto. I press F6, show Insert FX on the audio track and add a combinator. Into the combinator (in this order) I added the Line mixer, scream 4 and then the softube amp. I'm expecting some change in sound to the guitar but nothing.
Flipping the rack (tab) I can see that everything is connected within the combinator but it's not connected to my audio track. But when I created the audio track I add the combinator TO it, so why isn't it connected? And what should be the routing - I've messed around for the last 30mins randomly trying different things?

Sorry if I'm being dumb, I just can't seem to find any info on how to do it, all the videos are about adding synths etc.

[crimsonwarlock]

Sorry if I'm being dumb, I just can't seem to find any info on how to do it, all the videos are about adding synths etc.

Have you tried the user manual?

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[selig]

Sorry for the delay in replying (life gets in the way!) but I'm still not getting it. It maybe as simple as the routing is wrong, but....
I have an audio track that I've recorded guitar onto. I press F6, show Insert FX on the audio track and add a combinator. Into the combinator (in this order) I added the Line mixer, scream 4 and then the softube amp. I'm expecting some change in sound to the guitar but nothing.
Flipping the rack (tab) I can see that everything is connected within the combinator but it's not connected to my audio track. But when I created the audio track I add the combinator TO it, so why isn't it connected? And what should be the routing - I've messed around for the last 30mins randomly trying different things?

Sorry if I'm being dumb, I just can't seem to find any info on how to do it, all the videos are about adding synths etc.

Sounds like you are adding an empty Combinator to the insert, so Reason doesn’t ‘know’ how the Combinator is intended to work. If it’s producing sound (like a synth), there will be no input connected. If it is ‘affecting’ sound (like a delay or amp sim) there will be an input and an output.
I’m not sure why it’s designed to work this way as a default setting, but workarounds are easy. One thing to do is create a Combinator with the internal routing connected ahead of time, and save it as your ‘guitar’ template. Could be as simple as a line mixer with the input and output connected to the Combinator internal in/out.
NOW, Reason knows this is a Combinator that processes audio, because you’ve connected an input and output. From now on, if you drag this into an insert on an Audio Track it will ‘know’ to connect the inputs AND outputs and all will work.

You can also keep working the way you describe above, but right-click and select “AutoRoute” after creating the internal routing (and all missing connections will be added). The ‘key’ in both cases is having a combinator with the internal routing in place so Reason knows the intended function of your Combinator, so that the built in auto-route features work as expected.

[robussc]

A picture of the back of your rack showing the routing would help.