Need a little help on routing to an external effects box

[zenpicker2]

I'm almost embarrassed to ask this question, but I can't seem to find a clear answer anywhere. I need some simple steps to route audio from an Audition analog mono track out to an external effects box and receive it back into a separate track so that I can inject it into my mix.

I am set up in multitrack view with mic inputs (via a Focusrite Saffire D/A interface) going into mono channels 1, 2, 3 and 5. I have an Audition track corresponding to each. I would like to send the signal on channel 5 out to an external (physical, actual) rackmount RNC compressor and route the signal back into my mix. In terms of physical connections, at present I have my Saffire interface sending out to the compressor on its output jack 7 and receiving the treated signal back on input jack 7.

In my (admittedly hazy) understanding, I need to route my Audition track 5 to Saffire channel 7, then add an Audition track to receive from channel 7. The idea would be that inbound channel 7 should contain my compressor-treated return signal. (Do I need to use a bus for this?) Despite considerable fiddling I can't seem to make this basic operation work...I get no signal back on that channel 7 no matter what I do. Dead as a doornail.

Embarrassed! If easiest to point me to an online resource, please do - I haven't been able to find one, to my surprise. Thanks in advance.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

I don't know for sure, but it sounds like you've used too much Saffire channel 7. I'd be looking at something like this:

Audition track 5 to channel 7 output. Feed that signal to the RNC, and feed the RNC output back to a different input on the Saffire - like 6, or whatever. Set Audition to recieve channel 6 and leave the track output set to Master. No you don't need a bus. Also doing it like this should make it fairly easy to check the signals at each point in the routing.

Or I could be completely wrong. Try it anyway?

[zenpicker2]

Thanks, Steve. Just tried that out, sending on channel 5 and receiving back from the compressor on 8. Nice signal from the live mic on 5, as expected, but still dead on 8. Harrumph. Bah humbug. Etc.

I'll attach a screen shot of the mappings I have. If those look right to you, I'm really stumped. In the screen shot, the KM184 track is the live mic signal coming through the Saffire's pre. Nice level there.

[zenpicker2]

I misspoke. I am getting my mic signal in on 5, sending to the compressor on 7, receiving back on 8.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_ · Accepted solution]

Have you listened directly to the output from the RNC? Alternatively, if you plug anything else into input 8, do you get level from it?

[zenpicker2]

Steve, you gave me just the clue I needed. Plugging headphones directly into the RNC output I did hear a signal…which led me to discover that I was using the wrong kind of patch cable (balanced vs unbalanced) to route back to the Saffire pre. Once that was swapped out I got my signal. Yay! Now I can start fiddling with the FUN stuff….

Thanks so much for sticking with this. You’re the man.