External FX question/WA76/Focusrite Saffire Pro26

[bluoma]

Greetings all…

I’m just starting out using the External FX capabilities in Cubase. I recently purchased a stereo linked pair of Warm Audio WA76 compressors. They’re awesome. I’ve inserted them on an FX Track in Cubase. I’m feeding that track via a pre-fader send from a drum group. It sounds fantastic but the fader doesn’t do a whole lot.

My interface is a Focusrite Saffire Pro 26. Outputs 3 and 4 to compressor inputs/ compressor outputs to Saffire inputs 5 and 6. In Saffire’s Mix Control software I have to have inputs 5 and 6 turned up so I can hear what I’m doing. The issue is: I always hear the compressors regardless of where the FX Track’s fader is set…kind of hard to blend in the effect when it’s always on. I’m a rookie with this stuff. I must be overlooking something. I have some screenshots of my Input/Output/External FX routing if it would be useful. I appreciate any help. Thanks.

[Grim]

It sounds as though you are listening to the compressor returns via direct monitoring. ie, the Focusrite is passing the inputs direct to the output…so in this case Cubase fader has no bearing.

To monitor via Cubase and have control with the fader you need to turn off direct monitoring in Cubase.
Make sure you pinged the FX loop to measure it’s latency so Cubase can compensate or it will be out of time with the original.

Finally just for clarity…you are specifically trying to do parallel compression? If not then the comp should be inserted to a channel or group rather than on a send.

[bluoma]

@Grim

It sounds as though you are listening to the compressor returns via direct monitoring. ie, the Focusrite is passing the inputs direct to the output…so in this case Cubase fader has no bearing.

To monitor via Cubase and have control with the fader you need to turn off direct monitoring in Cubase.
Make sure you pinged the FX loop to measure it’s latency so Cubase can compensate or it will be out of time with the original.

Finally just for clarity…you are specifically trying to do parallel compression? If not then the comp should be inserted to a channel or group rather than on a send.

Thanks for the reply.

I think I have it working properly now. The direct monitoring option in Cubase was greyed out so I started looking elsewhere. In Saffire’s Mix Control software I changed the sources to “off” for monitor inputs 5 and 6 which are my returns from the compressors. That seemed to do the trick. I thought I could just zero out the faders but apparently not. I guess it was direct monitoring regardless of Mix Control fader position through the audio interface and not Cubase. Thanks for helping me to eliminate one of the possible culprits.

…and yes this is for parallel compression. It sounds great.