For the price they go second hand YES…
I am also looking at others (Alesis).
Oh yeah I hadn’t processed that. Indeed important detail which makes it less of a competitor for something like RNC
Do you mean having it end of the chain / as master insert?
Yes 
Very flexible
And sidechained at will from any source
1 Like
With an aux?
Maybe if I can use this moment to ask what I can’t seem to figure out: I’m a bit new to compressors and sidechaining. I’ve successfully made it work at the moment, using the dedicated Kick-output from my Rytm into the RNC. So not using the tip/ring send-return that the RNC has on it’s side chain in(and out-)put. Why do sidechains have this, a TRS with also an output?
At some point I was trying to figure it out, and thought it might be to not “lose” your kick track, so you can send that back to your mixer “thru” the compressor. But I think my RNC sent out the compressed audio out of the side chain tip/ring, instead of the side chain source…?
The insert style is so that you can have the compressor react to all the information in the signal, but with the bass filtered out so it doesn’t kill your kick:
You can do it the way you describe, which is to not send the kick through the compressor at all, and instead make the compressor react to the kick information, but acting on the buss signal. That’s more the conventional way of doing sidechaining. In that setup the buss is generally not really being compressed, except when the kick triggers it, hence ducking it to allow more space for the kick.
The method with the insert & filter allows for buss compression of the signal (to increase overall level) but without the kick & bass energy causing the compressor to over-react.
2 Likes
Yes.
Inserted in main outs with TRS.
Sidechained from an aux send (can be pre or post) on my board. I have the option to send the SC signal directly from my kick track.
What @finalform just wrote
1 Like
When your mixer has insert plugs at the input of, for example, each channel you can use these (the original goes out to the compressor and back into the channel again).
2 Likes
Ah okay I’m gonna start with trying this!
(It doesn’t help in my current use case that my sidechain source and the audio that I am compressing are both coming from my kick: Im currently running a copy of the kick through a reverb and then into the RNC so I’ve got compressed wet reverb from my kick that’s ducking it’s dry self)
I’m actually also running the kick through the compressor, as the kick-out of the Rytm that I use for sidechain is a copy of the kick that I run through a reverb that I’m compressing…
But this is true indeed, I think, because indeed in the way I’ve got things running the RNC ónly reacts to the sidechain source, if I hear correctly and judging by the leds.
If I understand correctly, this would be combining both sidechain ducking ánd the regular internal compression that happens when not using the sidechain input? Seems like I got work to do:) Thanks for the link to the thread I’ll explore
This Compressor (MK I version) is the best companion of my Moog Sirin (Mono). Sidechained with my AR BD individual Output. And I must say that every Moog DFAM should get one of these cause the Sidechaining makes a big difference if you’re jamming with friends.
3 Likes
The sidechain output does not send the compressed signal. It sends a mono sum of what is received at the inputs. If you do not plug anything in to the sidechain socket, then the compressor reacts to the input signal. If you plug a jack into the sidechain then the compressor reacts to the sidechain return signal. Either/or.
1 Like
Ah OK. Got it!
1 Like
Maybe my first and final question remains/returns with this: why? This seems to clash/conflict with what @tnussb says here…?
In my experience indeed it seemed to send back a summed mono of the stereo inputs of the compressor. Even though what @tnussb wrote would seem to make more sense to me. So why does it send a mono sum of the inputs instead of return the unaltered sidechain source so you can use the mixer insert of the kick channel…?
This is not the sidechain, this is the main inputs - you can use TRS cables to make it behave like a channel insert, ie it takes the input and sends the output on the same cable. Details here:
https://www.fmraudio.com/rncrnla-faq.html
This is also why you can’t typically (or, let’s say easily) use balanced cables with the RNC.
Hey @finalform
Sorry I think I’m completely lost haha. I think I’ll stop with the off-topic and read the thread and the link, hope to finally understand it hahaha
Ah no worries. Look on the back of the RNC, the inputs can actually also be the outputs if you use TRS jack cables. That’s what @tnussb meant. Nothing to do with the sidechain functionality.
But the sidechain álso has that:joy:
Indeed, let’s all try to keep the Empress Compressor MKII thread about the Empress Compressor MKII.
Any RNC/RNLA discussion, please have that in the appropriate thread instead (or switch to private messages). Thanks
6 Likes
@all sorry for completely derailing off-topic indeed, stopping it now
I’ve found de-essing vs ducking in the manual of the RNC and will take it from there!