sidechain compression..

[Mattbrown]

Hey guys,

 

I understand the concept of sidechain compression but im not sure how to set up my enviroment in logic to achieve this process.

I want to use sidechain compression on my drum hits and bass etc to control and achieve a better overall sound.

 

Ive only ever incerted compressors directly into the channel strip as an incert, and would now like to start experimenting with the sidechain process.

 

Any tips anyone???

[David Nahmani]

You don't need to open the environment, all audio routing is done on the channel strips.

 

If you want the dance music style sidechain compression, send your kick to a Bus that doesn't have a corresponding bus object (Bus 32 should do if you're using a factory template) - or if you send it to Bus 1, then go to Bus 1 and set the output to no output.

 

Then on the bass, insert your compressor and set the sidechain to that Bus. Raise the ratio, and adjust the compressor's threshold and attack/release time so you get the desired pumping effect on the bass.

 

If you set the send (to the bus) as "pre-fader", you can solo the bass and hear the effect.

 

You can access all those channel strips in the track mixer: click global, then click Bus.

[Mattbrown]

"Then on the bass, insert your compressor and set the sidechain to that Bus. Raise the ratio, and adjust the compressor's threshold and attack/release time so you get the desired pumping effect on the bass. "

 

 

 

How do you set the sidechain to the seleted bus???

[David Nahmani]

In the gray bar at the top of the compressor plug-in, on the right, choose your bus from the sidechain pop-up menu.

[Mattbrown]

Thanks david, your a big help!!

[shivermetimbers]

"Then on the bass, insert your compressor and set the sidechain to that Bus. Raise the ratio, and adjust the compressor's threshold and attack/release time so you get the desired pumping effect on the bass. "

 

 

 

How do you set the sidechain to the seleted bus???

 

With your compressor inserted in the Bass guitar channel, click on the 'sidechain' button or the Compressor and select the bus you wish to use (for this example I chose bus 1)

 

If you want to trigger the Bass guitar compression using a Kick Drum, then have the Kick drum set up on another track and use a Bus 1 insert.

 

The kick drum signal will be send via Bus 1 to activate the Bass guitar compressor on track 1.

 

Follow the directions David posted.

[David Nahmani]

A picture speaks a thousand words.. thanks shiver!

[djals]

I've also read that you should turn off the auto gain. Is this correct?

[David Nahmani]

That has nothing to do with sidechain compression, but personally I usually turn off the auto-gain. That's really just a workflow preference.

[Andy M.]

With your compressor inserted in the Bass guitar channel, click on the 'sidechain' button or the Compressor and select the bus you wish to use (for this example I chose bus 1)

 

If you want to trigger the Bass guitar compression using a Kick Drum, then have the Kick drum set up on another track and use a Bus 1 insert.

 

The kick drum signal will be send via Bus 1 to activate the Bass guitar compressor on track 1.

 

Maybe I'm missing something but this seems a bit long-winded to me.

 

Why send the Kick to a bus and set the sidechain to that bus, when you can simply set the sidechain to the Kick track..?

 

I don't see the need for a bus here...

 

[Creature]

With your compressor inserted in the Bass guitar channel, click on the 'sidechain' button or the Compressor and select the bus you wish to use (for this example I chose bus 1)

 

If you want to trigger the Bass guitar compression using a Kick Drum, then have the Kick drum set up on another track and use a Bus 1 insert.

 

The kick drum signal will be send via Bus 1 to activate the Bass guitar compressor on track 1.

 

Maybe I'm missing something but this seems a bit long-winded to me.

 

Why send the Kick to a bus and set the sidechain to that bus, when you can simply set the sidechain to the Kick track..?

 

I don't see the need for a bus here...

 

 

Yeah me too, ....just put a kick with no output on an audio track along the whole song.

 

Now you're also sure that your sidechain effect is still pumping on places where the'res no kick in your song.

[David Nahmani]

Well.. as usual, there are more than one way to do the same thing, and different ways have different pros and cons. You guys are describing two different ways to do it. I'll comment on your methods, and add one more technique.

 

Andy, your solution is the quickest to implement, but it doesn't let you hear the effect on the bass alone, without the kick drum. If you mute your kick drum (or solo the bass), the compressor on the bass is no longer active.

 

Creature, your solution works but requires the creation of an extra track. Not exactly quicker or easier to setup! Although it has, as you said, the advantage of having an independent "trigger" track. I have actually used that solution several times.

 

One more solution that I have been using lately is to simply slice the bass track (after bouncing to audio) and using batch fade ins to have total control of the pumping, independently of any kick, without using a compressor plug-in, and experimenting with the length and curve of both the fade in and the fade out.

[shivermetimbers]

With your compressor inserted in the Bass guitar channel, click on the 'sidechain' button or the Compressor and select the bus you wish to use (for this example I chose bus 1)

 

If you want to trigger the Bass guitar compression using a Kick Drum, then have the Kick drum set up on another track and use a Bus 1 insert.

 

The kick drum signal will be send via Bus 1 to activate the Bass guitar compressor on track 1.

 

Maybe I'm missing something but this seems a bit long-winded to me.

 

Why send the Kick to a bus and set the sidechain to that bus, when you can simply set the sidechain to the Kick track..?

 

I don't see the need for a bus here...

 

 

Good point. Unfortunately, I don't have a real drum kit and I rely on Audio instrument drums (Ultrabeat). Since my only choices are Tracks, Inputs, or Busses...I am limited to the bus. I forgot that Real drums are used.

[Andy M.]

Well.. as usual, there are more than one way to do the same thing, and different ways have different pros and cons. You guys are describing two different ways to do it. I'll comment on your methods, and add one more technique.

 

Andy, your solution is the quickest to implement, but it doesn't let you hear the effect on the bass alone, without the kick drum. If you mute your kick drum (or solo the bass), the compressor on the bass is no longer active.

 

Sorry David, muting the kick track (channel strip) does not mute the signal into the bass track's compressor sidechain. And soloing the bass is fine too.

 

I guess you are thinking of mutes/solos on the arrange window's tracks.

 

Sorry to be pedantic, but this is an area that often confuses people.

 

And I agree 100% - there's definitely more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[David Nahmani]

Well.. as usual, there are more than one way to do the same thing, and different ways have different pros and cons. You guys are describing two different ways to do it. I'll comment on your methods, and add one more technique.

 

Andy, your solution is the quickest to implement, but it doesn't let you hear the effect on the bass alone, without the kick drum. If you mute your kick drum (or solo the bass), the compressor on the bass is no longer active.

 

Sorry David, muting the kick track (channel strip) does not mute the signal into the bass track's compressor sidechain. And soloing the bass is fine too.

 

I guess you are thinking of mutes/solos on the arrange window's tracks.

 

Sorry to be pedantic, but this is an area that often confuses people.

 

And I agree 100% - there's definitely more than one way to skin a cat.

 

 

You are right! I always thought the sidechain was post mute/volume, but it's not! Your solution is definitely faster then. Thanks for sharing it!

 

I usually use a software instrument to generate the kick, hence the need for a bus (audio instruments being unavailable in sidechain menus).