Help understanding sidechaining workflow

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WarStar
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30 Apr 2021

I got this idea and maybe it's not correct, but there was a tutorial along time ago about using side chain on the master compressor by using control room output.. got to change insert order but when you take the control room signal and put a hipass on it then it seems that the low end is left alone and only the highs are compressed so I just figured flip that concept around to compress low end but I think I'm off a bit cuz with the control room example it's compressing its own signal... Dang lol now I'm all confused 🤔

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orthodox
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30 Apr 2021

WarStar wrote:
30 Apr 2021
I'm Not always the best at describing things but this article explains it pretty well...

https://www.audiotechnology.com/tutoria ... -filtering
It tells about sidechaining with THE SAME filtered signal as the one that goes to the input. De-esser falls into this category as well. You were talking about "external" sidechaining, as the article defines it.

WarStar
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30 Apr 2021

Yeah you guys are right...!!! Sometimes you think you know something lol

WarStar
Posts: 296
Joined: 17 Oct 2018
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30 Apr 2021

orthodox wrote:
30 Apr 2021
WarStar wrote:
30 Apr 2021
I'm Not always the best at describing things but this article explains it pretty well...

https://www.audiotechnology.com/tutoria ... -filtering
It tells about sidechaining with THE SAME filtered signal as the one that goes to the input. De-esser falls into this category as well. You were talking about "external" sidechaining, as the article defines it.
Yeah just figured that out lol sorry guys!!

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orthodox
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30 Apr 2021

And by the way, that technique does not alter the EQ of the signal, it can only suppress/boost the whole signal in certain periods on the timeline, when some frequency content is detected.

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Ottostrom
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01 May 2021

WarStar wrote:
30 Apr 2021
I got this idea and maybe it's not correct, but there was a tutorial along time ago about using side chain on the master compressor by using control room output.. got to change insert order but when you take the control room signal and put a hipass on it then it seems that the low end is left alone and only the highs are compressed so I just figured flip that concept around to compress low end but I think I'm off a bit cuz with the control room example it's compressing its own signal... Dang lol now I'm all confused 🤔
I remember that tutorial as well!
The reason you would want to highpass the master sidechain input is not so the compressor would leave the lows alone (which it can't) but so that the lows of the song wouldn't have such power over the compression. In bass heavy music the lower frequencies will always be the dominating area in terms of amplitude, so its just a way to balance the compression amount :)


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kuhliloach
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01 May 2021

Compression use falls into two main buckets: Traditional/Transparent, and the more modern Using Compression As A Color. I like to think of sidechaining also in two similar "buckets". Two types of sidechaining that should both be mastered: Transparent, and Pumpy. The second flavor, pumpy, became an important thing in modern music, thus the existence of RE's like Pump.

EdGrip
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Joined: 03 Jun 2016

02 May 2021

Rothgarr wrote:
23 Apr 2021
Billy+ wrote:
23 Apr 2021
I personally use pump its easier to setup you can use the effect how you like it's easier to visualise and control.


That's neat. I guess it's faking it by running that Pump pattern? I imagine that really only works with four on the floor or simple beats.
Since Pump came out, we've had Europa and Grain, and then Sweeper. They all feature a really good envelope drawing interface, and by using the CV out of that envelope, they can do what Pump does, only infinitely customisable, and you don't have to pay. You can use any of these devices purely as envelope generators.

You take the gate output from the Kong or Redrum channel of your kick sample, and use it to trigger the envelope.
You can use a different envelope length/shape on different channels, and/or use the envelope to control things other than volume - for instance, the 808 kick could add pulse width modulation to a baseline, high-pass a pad, etc.

Other than Pump, there's the SideChain ReAction RE device in the shop, which I have - but I feel these new devices make it largely redundant, though it has cool multiband functions built in.

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integerpoet
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02 May 2021

kuhliloach wrote:
01 May 2021
Compression use falls into two main buckets: Traditional/Transparent, and the more modern Using Compression As A Color. I like to think of sidechaining also in two similar "buckets". Two types of sidechaining that should both be mastered: Transparent, and Pumpy. The second flavor, pumpy, became an important thing in modern music, thus the existence of RE's like Pump.
Deliberately pumpy compression makes me want to yell at those kids to get their damned bikes off my lawn.

It literally hurts my ears and I can't turn off the track fast enough. Despite my antiquity, I can't be the only one.

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kuhliloach
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02 May 2021

integerpoet wrote:
02 May 2021
kuhliloach wrote:
01 May 2021
Compression use falls into two main buckets: Traditional/Transparent, and the more modern Using Compression As A Color. I like to think of sidechaining also in two similar "buckets". Two types of sidechaining that should both be mastered: Transparent, and Pumpy. The second flavor, pumpy, became an important thing in modern music, thus the existence of RE's like Pump.
Deliberately pumpy compression makes me want to yell at those kids to get their damned bikes off my lawn.

It literally hurts my ears and I can't turn off the track fast enough. Despite my antiquity, I can't be the only one.
Exactly! My head is not some tire that needs to be inflated and deflated repeatedly within a few minutes thanks.

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