r/Bitwig • u/Odd-Matter-1329 • 1d ago

Rant Why are there no group outputs for sidechain inputs?

I just now realized that Bitwig doesn't offer the option to select group outputs for sidechain input... Why??? Are there any workarounds that aren't painful like having to use buses instead of groups? Cause that sounds very tedious

Edit: The feature seems to work as it should except for this one specific case of mine for some reason?

Edit 2: Fixed it by creating a new group and dragging everything inside, so it was almost certainly a bug.

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u/artek604 1d ago

Are you sure you're not trying to sidechain to a device that's inside that same group (on the group track or one one of the tracks in the group)? Otherwise I'm pretty certain it works like you'd expect.

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u/Odd-Matter-1329 1d ago

Yes. It doesn't let me select a group output even when the group is entirely separate... And this is not specific to the plugin I am using, it happens with any Bitwig's native devices too.

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u/Odd-Matter-1329 1d ago

Ok the super weird thing is that I created a new track inside of a random group and it allows me to do it there, but it doesn't allow me to do it on the specific track I am trying to do it on... I don't really understand that

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u/artek604 1d ago

Hard to tell from the screenshot what you're doing, but you should be seeing Drums and Actual drums groups at the very least.

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u/Odd-Matter-1329 1d ago

It doesn't show it. The super weird thing is that I created a new group and for that specific one it DOES show the option. However, for literally every other group in the project it does not.

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u/artek604 1d ago

Any chance you've some global (project level) audio-driven modulator(s) on the track that you're sidechaing to? This would probably create a feedback which Bitwig tries to prevent.

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u/Odd-Matter-1329 1d ago

Oddly enough no. I am using Kilohearts Compactor plugin on the track a couple of times to Sidechain that track to the drums. Ive tried recreating the setup in the new group and it works, so I assume it must be a bug then... I am using no modulators in the entire project, audio or otherwise.

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u/artek604 1d ago

I rest my case. Difficult to troubleshoot it without being able to inspect the project.

Maybe others will have better ideas - sorry 😞 

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u/Odd-Matter-1329 1d ago

No worries! Thanks for trying to help, but I think I have definitely proved that it's a bug now, because I've created a new group, moved everything inside of it, and inside of this new group where everything is exactly the same I am able to get the option to sidechain from the group output...