You need a MIDI loopback device. It sends CC changes based on input volume.
It was originally quietly released on the Electribe Forums (proud owner of an ESX, EMX soon…) and you have to be a member to download it, so I downloaded it and shoved it on my Googlepage account for your leaching pleasure.
In order to properly use it, you need have a MIDI Loopback program. There’s a couple of free ones out there if you google 'em. Essentially, you play your sound into the VST and it sends a CC change based on the input voluume. The loopback device is so you can control whatever you want with that CC inside ReNoise. It has scaling of the volume threshold and CC/Channel select. For sidechain compression, you would have a kick control the volume of the bass track.
hhhmmm…wouldn´t it be easier to send the midi-cc´s from the kickdrum channel (kick/bass sc) direktly to a sc compressor, i think i have seen something like this - can renoise do this?
i will post the comp later…i´ll have to search it first…!
you can run windows VSTs under linux by using “fst” or “dssi-vst” (there’s a tutorial in tips & tricks). It works quite well, but it won’t be integrated to your “renoise experience”.
I did it recently as follow :
run your sidechain compression VST with fst / dssi-vst
switch renoise to 8 outputs
send your key signal to channels 5/6
send your compressed signal to channels 7/8
route them to your VST compressor with Jack
use outputs 1/2 and 3/4 for everything else
It works like a charm, but it’s a pain in the ass to set up, as you have to do all the wiring by hand. The tutorial says that you can use LASH to record your FST configuration, which would make the thing much easier, but I couldn’t make it work. If you get this to work, it would only be a matter of opening your song in renoise, then opening the corresponding LASH session.
if you just want ducking on a kickdrum, use the lfo on a channel volume.
otherwise draw your custom lfo the way you need it if you can’t
use proper sidechaining.
