What is the equivalent for a "Bus" in Bitwig

[] Peter:H []

Hi all,

I have the following use case:
I have created a track with several groups already.
I have sent various of these groups to an effect track.

Now I want another track be side-chain ducked by the effects track?
This didn't work, because I haven't found a way (or wasnt able to find) the effect track as input for the side-chain in the dynamics plug-in.

In Cubase, I can create arbitrary number of buses.
From any Track in Cubase I can send to any number of buses.
I can even tweak the send pan.
Then I can use all the signals that are received by the bus as a source for side-chaining.
I haven't found a way to to this.

I know how to use groups, but groups are not as flexible.

Do I really have to use multiple Audio Receivers in a row?
But then I won't be able to control the send level at the sources.

Me puzzled. Any good idea?

] Peter:H [

[ckam03]

I'm not really sure what you're trying to do but can't you just put a tool on the effects track and then use the sidechain modulators to sidechain whatever you want? You can put multiple modulators for whatever tracks you need sidechained.

[ere2learn]

Native devices can't accept sidechain from effects channels,but any 3rd party plugs can using the audio sidechain modulator

[Quack Quack]

A group is the equivalent of a bus. Keep grouping and throw a sidechain compressor on said group.

[xerxes[no]]

"I have the following use case:
I have created a track with several groups already.
I have sent various of these groups to an effect track.

Now I want another track be side-chain ducked by the effects track?"

Yeah, dont do that. Please let me know how ANY track needs this?

[MidiBo$$]

Bitwig doesnt have a VCA option yet. where the Track/Group tracks are routed to a VCA Fader Bus and which when you move your VCA fader down for that Group it turns down the FX's Sends volume of that associated Group/Tracks.... You probably can figure out a a work around within bitwig to do this.. I've sent a support message to bitwig requesting VCA's as an option in a future Featured update..Which Bitwig Desperately needs.. .. Here's a perfect video that explains Groups/Folders/VCA's in Reaper which you can apply the same concepts to any other DAW..

[loungepanda]

Bitwig doesnt have a VCA option yet. where the Track/Group tracks are routed to a VCA Fader Bus and which when you move your VCA fader down for that Group it turns down the FX's Sends volume of that associated Group/Tracks.... You probably can figure out a a work around within bitwig to do this.. I've sent a support message to bitwig requesting VCA's as an option in a future Featured update..Which Bitwig Desperately needs.. .. Here's a perfect video that explains Groups/Folders/VCA's in Reaper which you can apply the same concepts to any other DAW..

VCA for sends? You can already edit the relative volume for selected tracks by adjusting levels in the left side editor.

[askewd]

Not sure it helps the op, but one cool & often unknown feature of bitwig is that groups can have their own unique set of sends. You can add them within the group itself.

[] Peter:H []

Thanks guys for all you're feedback up to here:

Seems I wasn't to clear with what I wanted to achive or what my question was - Let me try again:
I have a number of tracks S (S for source signals) which I routed to a effect track E.
Now I want to use the resulting signal of E as source of a side-chain on another instrument track. BUT the FX track does not show up in the side-chain drop down in the bitwig native "Dynamics" plug-in.

I've tried to work around this situation by setting up a new audio track B (B for Bus) that contains the same plug-ins than the original FX track E. If I go this route, then B is usable as side-chain input.

Using a Group track is not the solution - Because I need the group track for my main mixing settings.

Question is now:

• How can I route the source signals S into Bus B - there are no send levels?
• Do I have to use multiple Audio receivers? Is this even possible?
• How would I control the individual "send levels" with multiple audio receivers?

In Cubase, a bus track is functional similar to an fx track. Into both I can route audio by setting up sends on the source tracks.

In Cubase I could even have many bus tracks which are fed from the same set of source tracks but with different send levels (and even use different send panning settings) for each bus.
---

Maybe a different use case where I would use busses:
Think about having a bus channel which will end up collecting the "low ends" of a selected number of channels, which is

• not directly used for the main mix
• is used as input for a side-chain
• and itself sends the collected signal to a saturator effect

How would you createthe setup?

Best regards
] Peter:H [

[antic604]

I have a number of tracks S (S for source signals) which I routed to a effect track E.
Now I want to use the resulting signal of E as source of a side-chain on another instrument track. BUT the FX track does not show up in the side-chain drop down in the bitwig native "Dynamics" plug-in.

1) Put FX Layer on the instrument track
2) Add Audio Receiver as 1st layer, choose E as source and silence the layer (set its volume to -inf dB)
3) Add Dynamics as a 2nd layer, set sidechain source as the output of the Audio Receiver in 1st layer
4) Let me/us know if it works - I'm at work now, so can't verify myself

[u-u-u]

I have a number of tracks S (S for source signals) which I routed to a effect track E.
Now I want to use the resulting signal of E as source of a side-chain on another instrument track. BUT the FX track does not show up in the side-chain drop down in the bitwig native "Dynamics" plug-in.

This is not clear: how did you route the S tracks into E? Using the send amounts in the Mixer view (1) or by setting their output selector to route their audio to track E (2)?

Using a Group track is not the solution - Because I need the group track for my main mixing settings.

You know that you can put groups tracks groups tracks? So I don't see a reason for not using a group track.

If you did (1):

1. Group all tracks S into a new group track G
2. Put the effect track E also into G
3. the other instrument track with the Dynamics plugin has to be outside of G --> then you can select E as a sidechain source

If you did (2):

1. Group all tracks S into a new group track G. Their outputs should be automatically routed to G
2. Then G==E (G has to contain the effect chain)
3. the other instrument track with the Dynamics plugin has to be outside of G --> then you can select G as a sidechain source

What you are describing is Bitwig Studio's normal behaviour to prevent you from accidentally create feedback routings. So you cannot use the output of an effect track as a sidechain source insdie a track which you could again send into that effect track. By putting the tracks S + E into a group track, you clearly say to the program that all tracks outside of this group cannot be sent into track E so there is no danger of feedback routing.

Maybe a different use case where I would use busses:
Think about having a bus channel which will end up collecting the "low ends" of a selected number of channels, which is

• not directly used for the main mix
• is used as input for a side-chain
• and itself sends the collected signal to a saturator effect

How would you create the setup?

Again I try to understand what you mean with the word "send" in this case. But let me try:

1. create the bus track B as a new audio track with an FX layer device
2. inside the FX Layer device create one layer with an audio receiver for each channel S you want to "collect" audio from
3. you can adjust the "send amount" of those audio receivers by adjusting the volume of the FX Layer layers (also try to unfold them in Bitwigs Mixer view to have a better overview)
4. put a low pass behind the FX layer device to cut out all the highs (shouldn't make a difference compared to putting a low pass behind each audio receiver)
5. now you can select B as the side-chain source on a new track (which is NOT 'collected' by one of the audio receivers - otherwise it would be a feedback routing)
6. you also can send/route the signal from B to a Saturation track

Instead of step 5 and 6 try the following more elegant way:

1. select the output of the lowpass eq device (on track B) as the side-chain source
2. put the saturation device onto track B behind the lowpass eq device

[pboy]

Not sure it helps the op, but one cool & often unknown feature of bitwig is that groups can have their own unique set of sends. You can add them within the group itself.

For those who are new to this this, I just want to make clear that this "set of sends" also includes recieving Effect Tracks inside the group. I agree that this is a really useful feature!

[FrequencySounds]

Bitwig is very good in the routing, in my opinion the best at the moment.
Just super flexible!

[Yokai]

Antic's reply above is the best solution to your specific use case.

[marco13]

I'm not really sure what you're trying to do but can't you just put a tool on the effects track and then use the sidechain modulators to sidechain whatever you want? You can put multiple modulators for whatever tracks you need sidechained.

Thanks so much! I was struggling with this small detail that there is no VCA grouping volume control that can change with one fader each of the grouped tracks proportionally between each other. In Logic Pro X there is.... and I recently changed to bitwig because I just loved it over any other DAW right now (MOTU's DP I may try in tow more years....), even my good old LPX.... its just amazing its cleanness and modulation capabilities and the workflow with clip veiw and the traditional time line......

So I've been discovering that almost anything I could do in Logic Pro X I can in bitwig but even easier...

This solution of yours helped me a lot (this "hidden" feature....")

Thanks from the future (a lot happens in 6 years.....)