Using SendFX for Distortion (strange delay using not the ssl return)

[dan_g]

Hi,

so im not new to reason, and also did something a few years ago were i sent a signal through a send for distortion.

now im trying to do this again adding some saturation-knob to my signal. the problem is my routing i think. im using a seperate channel for my return track instead of the return on the ssl. so i can use the eq and hpf from the ssl to shape the return signal (also summing all my returns to one group).

so now when i send a signal to my saturation i get strange delay/timing problems. sounds like a few ms to me. why is that?

Greetings
Daniel

[dannyF]

post a screenshot of your setup

[selig]

It happens because the returns are delay compensated and the Mix Channels are not (when used as a send).

One alternative is to use a parallel channel and be sure to engage delay compensation.

[dan_g]

ah thanks giles, now it makes sense.

parallel channel is a nice idea but i want to apply it to multiple tracks. so my "workaround": i use the ssl return for this specific task (saturation and compression) and apply the eq and hpf with REs.

but now that i think about it, could it be also possible to make parallels of all channels wanted, send them to a group and apply the comp and sat there?

Regards,
Daniel

[selig]

but now that i think about it, could it be also possible to make parallels of all channels wanted, send them to a group and apply the comp and sat there?

Regards,
Daniel

That workaround should work, but has "issues".

The first is that the parallel channel isn't really the same thing as a send. For one, a send is tapped "post everything", including input gain, polarity, inserts, dynamics, EQ/filters, panning, and faders (unless using PRE fader mode). With a parallel channel, you tap the signal "raw" before it enters the original Mix Channel. What this means is that as you make changes to your original audio channels, these changes are not "passed on" to the parallel channels (and thus not to the processing that follows). For example, if you lower the level of the fader on one of your original channels, the parallel channel stays the same level - thus changing the balance you've setup for the parallel channel processing. Conversely, when using sends the level of the send "follows" changes to the fader etc. thus preserving the balance between the "dry" and "wet" signals. Another example would be changes to EQ or filtering etc.

One workaround that would eliminate all but one or two of these issues would be to tap the signal from a Line Mixer in the insert (providing the insert is "post EQ/Dyn", which is the default routing, and the mixer is the last device in the insert if there are other devices present).
What you would loose is the panning and fader levels, but everything else would work as with a "pre fader" send. To make it easier, assign a programmer knob in the insert to the send level, and you won't even need to view the inserts/rack to adjust levels. Add a mute control to complete the picture. What you end up with is a pre fader AND pre panning send, and there would be an extra step involved when making changes to the channel fader in that you would ALSO need to change the level of the send to match (which won't be easy because they both use a different scale).

Hopefully I've covered all the known issues, and let me know if any of this isn't clear or I left something out!

[dan_g]

thx giles! always dropping that knowledge

i will try both and experiment