I have an Empress Bass Compressor. it has a side-chain input with a TRS connector. The T forwards the input signal and the R receives a signal used to drive the compressor’s detector/CV/control… This is like “most” hardware compressors with a side-chain input: the idea is that you use an eq or filter to shape the signal so the compressor isn’t triggered by the whole frequency range. Presumably I can bypass the T side and use the R as a “trigger” or “key”.
I want to feed the pedal a bass signal (probably from my Four), and to send a kick in to duck the bass. I’d like my source kick to come from my Rytm. The Rytm’s individual outs are impedance balanced. I’ve read this article a couple of times but I can’t infer how best to wire up a connection between the devices. It kinda implies that one of the channels doesn’t have any signal on it at all*.
Can I simply use a TRS -> TRS connection, on the theory that the Rytm will ignore the signal sent down the T channel from the pedal, and the pedal will receive the kick on the R channel?
OR do I need to wire up a cable that connects the T output from the Rytm to the R input to the pedal
I asked Electron support this a few weeks ago but I suspect the message got lost.
(* = I suppose I could test this with a splitter, and to check the output of both channels.)
Are you saying that the compressor receives the signal on the sleeve and not the ring? That doesn’t seem right.
Edit: I just checked the manual. It receives the sidechain return on the Ring portion of the connector, you you can use an insert-type cable to send the signal in only on the Ring. I guess you know what I’m meaning by insert cable?
The tip of the TRS cable is wired to the tip of one of the TS ends, and the ring of the TRS end is wired to the tip of the other TS end. That way you can use the TS end which is wired to the ring of the TRS end to send a signal into only the return of the compressor (from the Rytm individual out), which will bypass the internal sidechain signal.
TS cables work great with Elektron outputs so this should work fine.
I just keep a Velcro strip around the cable so I can tie one end backwards along itself for no dangling. You could always make a cable but inserts are color coded usually so it’s always easy to tell which end is the “ring” TS, and you never have to look for your custom cable because insert cables are so common.
You underestimate my dislike of loose ends I’m aiming to have this part of a live set-up and don’t like having strays on stage.
Following your suggestion that I use the Tip channel, I was curious what the signal from the Rytm is actually like. So I used a TRS -> 2x TS splitter into two channels on my mixer. Sure enough, the signal only comes from the Tip/left/black channel. So, my interpretation of the SoS article on impedance balancing was correct - one channel is “the signal” and the other is “nothing”, or ground. This is different from “full” balanced, which has the signal on both lines, but with one inverted.
I’ve ordered a custom cable. I’d have made one myself, but my eye-sight sucks and I don’t trust myself to do a good job.
I’m aiming to have this part of a live set-up and don’t like having strays on stage.