FabFilter Twin 3 offers the possibility of feeding an external signal
to its side chain, which can be used to trigger Envelope Generators and is
needed to trigger Envelope Followers. Feeding a signal to a plug-in's
side-chain inputs works slightly different in various hosts. This topic
describes the procedure for some of the most popular hosts around:
Pro Tools, Studio One,
Ableton Live, Logic Pro and
Cubase.
To explain how it works, we use a scenario with two tracks. The first one
contains Twin 3, which we'll call the main track from now. The second
track contains the audio that we want to route to Twin 3's external side-chain
input and use as trigger signal. We'll call this track the side chain
track.
After setting up everything according to the instructions below for your host,
any envelope generators or
envelope followers that are set to trigger on
the external side chain, will now respond to the side chain signal. You can
check whether everything is routed correctly: play the audio, open an EG of
EF interface and confirm it's set to trigger to the external side-chain. Then
use the Audition button to listen to the side-chain signal.
Pro Tools
Open Pro Tools and start a new empty session.
Create and intrument track and an audio track. Add and audio file to the audio track (the side chain track).
Open the Mix window to display the tracks with their Insert slots and Sends slots.
In the first 'Sends' slot of the side chain track, choose 'Bus 1'. The track view for Bus 1 will open: set
its level slider to 0.0 dB so the bus actually produces audio!
In the first 'Inserts' slot of the main track, choose Instrument > FabFilter
Twin 3.
Now, in the 'Key Input' menu of the plug-in interface (just above the FabFilter logo),
choose bus > Bus 1 instead of the default 'no key input'. Now, the audio from the side chain
track is routed to Twin 3's external side chain input via Bus 1.
Studio One
Open Studio One and choose 'Create a new song'.
Create and intrument track and an audio track (via Track > Add Tracks...). Add and audio file to the audio track (the side chain track).
Access the mix window via "Mix" in Studio One’s bottom right corner.
Insert FabFilter Twin 3 on your main track via the '+' button next to the Insert tab.
In the right top corner of the plug-in interface header, in the 'Side Chain' menu, choose
the side chain track. Now, the signal from the side chain track is sent to FabFilter
Twin 3's external side-chain input.
Cubase
Open Cubase and create a new empty project.
Create and intrument track and an audio track. Add and audio file to the audio track (the side chain track).
Open the Mixer. In the main track, click on an empty insert slot and select the VST 3
version of FabFilter Twin 3 in the Instrument menu (note the VST 3 icon which looks like
///).