Preference for Side-Chain sends to ignore channel mute state (more flexible sends in general)

There’s an option in Preferences “Mute Pre-Send When Mute”

Which I have checked, personally, I don’t like hearing the reverb or effects of a channel I’ve muted.

But… It’s not really the behaviour I want for Side-Chain sources.

For example,

-Vocal Channel
-Guitar Channel

There’s bad vocal bleed in the guitar channel and so I’m sending the Vocal as a key to the Guitar Channel multi-bad compressor to duck the vocal bleed.

I might want to solo the Guitar Channel to listen to just it - but this mutes the Vocal channel and thus mutes the side-chain key being sent from the vocal.

Now before you suggest it, I realize there is the ‘Listen’ matrix, which is a very useful utility - but - the issue with it is, there is also a bus as well as FX channels connect from the Guitar channel I also want to “Solo” when I Solo the guitar channel. One of which buses is a Guitar+Vocal bus….. So If I listen to all these other channels, I end up ‘Listening’ to the vocal channel again… and If I mute the vocal channel while listening, we end up with the same problem - the side-chain key being muted.

So in certain instances, we need a ‘Mute Pre-Side Chain Send When Mute’ on/off preference, and or, more customizable Sends/Side-Chain options.

This could also be important for certain creative workflows, and or, solo listen exporting channels that have gating/ducking/etc on them.

Also see this thread:

VST protocol feature: Integrated Cross Plugin Audio Routing and/or customizable send positions - Cubase - Steinberg Forums