I'm a dunce - how to create a dedicated MONO side chain bus?

[David Polich]

I cannot for the life of me figure out how to create a mono side chain bus!

I'm trying to use Cherry Audio's Rackmode Vocoder FX as an insert on a a recorded vocal track. The track is mono. Cherry Audio's vocoder requires setup of a side chain input (there is no side chain input "button" on the Vocoder's UI).

I can insert the Rackmode Vocoder on the track, then double-click on it to open up its UI window. I can see at the upper left of the plugin's window there is a field marked "Sidechain". If I click on that to open it, I get a drop-down menu, and I can easily add a stereo bus as an input. But there is no option to add a mono bus, even though this is a mono audio track and the plugin is the mono version.

Many vocoders include a pre-configured input. But not the Rackmode Vocoder FX.

Can anyone point out what I am missing?

[daniel.sneed]

Maybe I don't get your case, or I'm pushing an opened door: Why not send (aux send) your mono (sidechain) track to a new stereo bus, then feed the vocoder sidechain input with this stereo bus?

[David Polich]

Appreciate the reply. Tried that but no joy. The Rackmode Vocoder FX has to see a mono input.

But not to worry..I'm giving up on using the Rackmode Vocoder in favor of Reason's BVX Multimode Vocoder. Slap it on a mono vocal track (or any audio track) and the audio on the track is automatically routed to the vocoder input, where you just turn up the gain. Easy, no sidechaining involved. Every vocoder plugin should work this way, but sadly, CA's Rackmode Vocoder and Arturia's Vocoder V both make you jump through this side chain input nonsense.

I have the Reason+ sub, which is a great value and makes sense for my business.

[mhschmieder]

By the time I have DP running tonight, I'll probably be ready for bed, so I'll write off the cuff for now, without the ability to check my vocoder project work from late 2023, when I had similar struggles with the mono vs. stereo sidechain bit.

My recollection is that Arturia treats their vocoder as an instrument vs. an effect, but I can't remember whether Cherry Audio did the same. If I can stay awake long enough to get DP up and running and go through three projects that use different vocoders, I'll be sure to check, as I remember being confused by the Arturia approach but may not have had a chance to adopt the Cherry Audio vocoder yet.

I think it may be the Softube Vocoder Vocal Resynthesizer that I was initially having luck with. Historically I used ELS Vocoder but it never made it to 64-bit land, and the Xils-Lab 5000 version of the EMS hardware didn't seem to capture the magic. But I used it and their Sennheiser VSM201 emulation for a few years.

For me, I have always wanted a high level of articulation in my vocoders. I used the Korg MS2000 and Radias hardware for the longest time. I was used to feeding a sidechain, but it was usually mono with no option for stereo, at that time!

Looking at project notes for songs where I use vocoder other than Korg hardware, I have two in particular where the clearest enunciation possible was a requisite. But it has not yet moved beyond a "take comp" shootout between Eisosis ELS and XILS 5000, I applied Softube FET Compressor at the front end of the modulator, and am fairly confident I stayed in mono.

[daniel.sneed]

IMHO, the Waldorf hardware vocoder, named STVC, is great. IMOE, very clear and articulate.
I have the Waldorf plugin too, named Lector, but have never used it in a projet, till now.

[Chandrasekar]

May be you take a look at Matts video of this week in FaceBook.
He describes how mono/stereo aux buses and mono / stereo inserts on them work.

https://www.facebook.com/Motu/videos/1410153550396107

[ironchef_marc]

I've got an issue too with side chains would love to check out that video but that link won't open for me