Channel splitting splits my head...

Reading nicholas' ReaMix, I'm trying to get my head around Reapers routing facilities, but it doesn't behave as I expect, and I wonder what it is I'm missing. Experimenting with the Big Wide Vocals FX chain (see ReaMix Section 3.10.7, p. 135-138) I have the following FX chain: 1. ReaDelay, 2 in 2 out, in L 1 & 3, in R 2 & 4, out L 1 & 3, out R 2 & 4 2. ReaEQ, 2 in 2 out, in 1 & 2, out 1 & 2 3. ReaEQ, 2 in 2 out, in 3 & 4, out 3 & 4 4. multifreq, 4 in 4 out, "diagonal" ins and outs 5. JS:IX/Mixer_8xM-1xS, 4 in 4 out, "diagonal" ins, out 1 & 2 (3 & 4 disabled) 6. multifreq 4 in 4 out, "diagonal" ins and outs Questions: 1. ReaDelay gets what on inputs 3 and 4? It doesn't seem to matter if I disable these inputs or not (and I think I understand why). 2. IX/Mixer_8xM-1xS outputs what on 3 & 4? I have disabled those outputs from the mixer, still I see activity on channels 3 & 4 in the multifreq following the mixer. This is what I do not expect.

Can you post a link to an RPP file with this setup on one track (and preferably just this one track in the file)? I'll d/l and take a look at it. Cheers. :)

OK, I'll see if I can find some time today or tomorrow to look at this. I think it will be easier to address the question when I can see it in context. Cheers!

Ah! Now I understand your question. The answer is quite simple, once you understand it ... but bewildering until you do! ;) And not easy to explain. I'm guessing that when you say you "have disabled those outputs from the mixer" you mean that you have faded the levels for Channels 3 and 4 all the way left, to about -120 dB or whatever it is, right? This will ensure that virtually none of the signal in channels 3/4 will be mixed back with the signal in channels 1/2 to be sent to the master in channels 1/2 ... BUT ... the signal is still present in Channels 3/4 ... mixing everything back into channels 1/2 doesn't divert the signal away from 3/4. Let's try a practical demonstration. Put the mixer back to its original state, with channels 1 to 4 all at about -6 db (or so). Now play. Notice the activity in the second instance of multifreaq. Now find the EQ for channels 3/4. Fade the Gain (on the right) all the way to -inf. Now you'll see no activity for channels 3/4 in your analyzer plug-ins - because you've killed it. Fade it back up slowly. It will slowly register again on those lovely graphs! Now copy the 3/4 EQ to immediately after the mixer and before the last multifreq thingie. Fade the gain on that one down to - inf, and it's gone. Does this make sense? Another demonstration. Restore the gain on the final EQ to about 0, the one after the mixer. Change the settings on the master so that instead of Channels 1/2, Channels 3/4 are directed to your speakers. Now fade the gain on this final EQ instance slowly down to -inf and back up again. This is what you will now hear thru your speakers. Now restore your speakers to take the output from Channels 1/2. Now when you fade the gain on the final ReaEQ up and down it will make no difference to what you hear, but it will register on the second multifreaq because it's still there on 3/4 - you just can't hear it. I hope that makes sense. Ask some more questions if it doesn't! :)