Tracks out Individual Outs -To Mixer - Back into the Input/compressor?

Has anyone done this?

Im looking at purchasing a 16CH 4Bus mixing console, so I can use the individual outs of my rtym with external effects, eq control etc etc.
Of course then I would loose the use of the compressor/master dist.
Then I thought, why don’t I rough all the rytm tracks to a sub-group on the mixing desk and send this subgroup back into the Rytm’s input/compressor - then back out to the desk on a separate channel.
The signal path as follows
_Rytm Individual outs - mixer in (ch 1 - 12) - to mixer subgroup A - subgroup A direct out - rtym in

  • rtym master out - to mixer (ch 13) - mixer LR out_

This in theory would work, but I understand the Rytm’s input is almost useless, because its so quite.
Anytime I tried to use it there was weird distortion, gain staging sounded fucked, and I kinda gave up.

Has anyone tried this ?

I tried this without a mixer, just through Ableton and audio interface and it worked. You need a healthy gain level into the AR external in though and you lose distortion as that’s pre the external in.

I had issues with a weird ground loop in the system though and the noise floor was raised quite a bit so I didn’t end up keeping that configuration.

Thanks - yea I think I will just have to test it i think.
Noise isn’t too too much of an issues but buzzing or group loop stuff could be bad.

Another option would be to mute tracks on the desk, whilst still using the aux bus’s as sends on the mixer.
That way I could retain master dist, compression and pan. forgot about panning.

I have a feeling this is what I will end up with…