Your favourite : Sidechain compressor + settings

[Ldizzy]

Hi,

in my book, this would be a high-risk thread theme...

but i had a talk with two friends of mine about the fact that plugin compressors most definately dont all sidechain the same way...

since a lot of us are well rounded in carving space for conflicting sounds and dance music techniques in general... id like u, my friends , to share with us about the compressor u cherish the most when it comes to sidechain compression... and the why ... there could be several, and for different reasons...

i really think the tool here has an imapct on the outcome

if you disagree, this could be another pleasant rant alpaca oriented thread always interesting !!


GO!

[Today]

hmm. i've only used two
Reason's Mclass (shit)

Waves RCompressor (terrific)

[hxczach]

I like fabfilters pro-c as it makes it easy to visualize what effect you're having on your audio.

[Undrig]

I really like dbaudioware sidechain comp. Very easy to use without having to route busses for the sake of ducking multiple sounds. Sounds very nice too.

[Volatile Psycle]

as I only use reason thats the only one i've really used when it does to electronic music

[wub]

Don't use sidechain compression all that much. Use sidechaining in nearly every tune, just not for compression.

[didi]

Don't use sidechain compression all that much. Use sidechaining in nearly every tune, just not for compression.

like filters?

favourite compressor = fabfilter pro-C

pro-C and the pro-Q

beautiful plugins...

[wub]

I use sidechain reverb a fair bit on synths/basslines where the trigger is the track itself, so there is more resonance to the sound the longer the note is held.

And sidechain ducking, so whenever the kick (or whatever) hits, other element(s) drop out to make room for it. The main kick usually has a couple of peak controllers (FL Studio) on it with different settings, some having longer releases, higher base levels etc so I can pick & choose which peak controller setting I want to be affecting which element.

For example, the background airy synth loop I have going I might want a slightly longer release on it when it ducks, so it gives more of a breath-y feel to it.

[naroja]

Thanks for starting this thread, lots of good information

I just use Live's built in compressor, but not too familiar with any plugins that can side-chain Will have to experiment a bit with this stuff!

[Ldizzy]

Wub id be really curious to hear audio examples or maybe reference to a tune uve produced displaying that effect.. sounds very dope... and to be quite honest i didnt understand the part about the peak controller... which ive also used back when i used fl.. (i was just a young squirt)

ive always wanted to see the effects of compression, visually, and sometimes, i still do... however im learning, more and more, how to properly read meters... a good meter (even digital), paired with good monitoring, will help u see how ur sound hits... the lights on ur compressor aren't just decorative (in sum compressors at least)... (i still imagine some kind of plugin ud put an instance before, and one after the sound, and that would kinda communicate the info and produce a differential image of compression being applied)... (am i mistaken with the meter thing????)

the best way to hear it for a beginner is still to work at unity gain i guess...

back to our featured program...
For me Rcompressor is ABSOLUTE heaven for these tasks... ive been highly skeptical about using waves for anything but the clinical stuff but it turns out it has a very "swollen" release if i may describe it like that, me like it.

any more sharings

[yamaz]

Ya I use ableton's built-in compressor. I don't understand quite what to side chain to what though. Traditionally you sidechain the bass line to kick drum, but I've noticed good effect doing this to a lot of sounds/synths as well. So I'm not sure if its ok to basically set up all main tracks of your song to sidechain to the one kick drum or not?

Similarly what say you about sidechaining to the snare as well...

[Aphile]

Don't use sidechain compression all that much. Use sidechaining in nearly every tune, just not for compression.

like filters?

favourite compressor = fabfilter pro-C

pro-C and the pro-Q

beautiful plugins...

Been running around screaming this like a chicken with my head cutoff!

[nowaysj]

Wub you're essentially sidechain compressing.

IMO, two types of sidechain compression transparent mixing, and effect sidechaining. For the first, of course, it depends on the sounds you are using, their envelopes. For the later, a fairly exaggerated release time tickles my fancy. I love that emptiness after the kick (or snare ) then pads, leads, incidentals, everything else loping back in. Just me. Pro-C, of course, simple controls, never mind the graphics, truly only for the newbiest, and most experienced users out there, for the newebs, I think those graphics get you further away from getting your compression sounding right. Is useful if you have like absolutely no idea what a compressor is, but feel that you must use one.

Compassion also sports a stuxnet like ability to home in on your desired compression sound if you're willing to put in the time and $$$.

[wub]

Wub you're essentially sidechain compressing.

Can it be sidechain compression if I'm not actually using a compressor though?

[Today]

just ducking then, i guess
you are secretly some acclaimed producer we all listen to, aren't you

[nowaysj]

Wub you're essentially sidechain compressing.

Can it be sidechain compression if I'm not actually using a compressor though?

Yeah.

Have been on the other side of this very conversation, on this very board like... 4 years ago re using peak controller vs sidechain compressor . Really though, when you're sidechaining with a compressor you are ducking anyway, not so much even compressing even though you are using a compressor.

Same shit really, that's my only point, made only for... noone :O

[wub]

Wub you're essentially sidechain compressing.

Can it be sidechain compression if I'm not actually using a compressor though?

Yeah.

Have been on the other side of this very conversation, on this very board like... 4 years ago re using peak controller vs sidechain compressor . Really though, when you're sidechaining with a compressor you are ducking anyway, not so much even compressing even though you are using a compressor.

Same shit really, that's my only point, made only for... noone :O

No worries man, my question was as much about semantics as it was about the actuality of what is being done. In which, case I use sidechain compression a lot more than I thought I did

In addition to the above technique I've described (peak controller running directly to volume fader), I also sidechain onto the Parametric EQ2 to drop out the low end frequencies in other elements whenever the kick hits, plus there is a wicked little program called SideKick which fulfils a similar purpose linking directly between instances of the VST.

[didi]

How do you connect parametric eq 2 to the kick. (Not really comfortable with the peak controller).

[wub]

How do you connect parametric eq 2 to the kick. (Not really comfortable with the peak controller).

• Set peak controller on the kick (and uncheck the mute button)
• On Parametric EQ2, right click on the freq fader you want to control (lets say the purple one). Link to controller > from the drop down menu select the Peak Ctrl - Peak.
• Set it to 1-Input to invert the diagonal line thingy.
• Now adjust the base knob on the peak controller and you'll notice the parametric eq2 curve adjusting itself.
• Play the kick, and it'll start to drop down whenever the kick hits. Adjust the base and vol knobs on the peak controller to get the effect you want.

[Ldizzy]

wish i had thought about these things when i was on fl :O a case of rtfm i guess

ive always been very unaware of typical attack times in sidechain compression on a letssay bass, triggered by a short sound with lots of transient, eg kick ..

do u always leave the attack to zero?