Double click ‘compressor’ and drag it down to the ‘Audio Effects’ slot. ġ.Click on ‘Audio Effects’ on the right hand side.
This short guide will teach you how to sidechain using Ableton. Just make sure the volume is automated after setting up a 4/4 beat. This way, you can alter the shape of the curve to exactly how you want it. Plugins such as CableGuys VolumeShaper 6 or Magic Core FX volume former allow you to automate the volume of the track’s tempo. The bassline will now be compressed by the side chain track. Next, route this sidechain trigger audio to the sidechain input on your compressor. The audio should be set to ‘sends only’ so that you can still access it through send controls, however you won’t be able to hear the drums playing. Program the pattern of a sidetrack trigger chain into a MIDI channel (use a sampler). The technique is good for raising the sound of certain elements to a level that you are happy with for the final stage when creating the mix-down. This can be tedious but gives you the most control and should be managed with a level control plug-in.
Follow these steps for an easy ride! Manual Volume Automation Setting up a sidechain may seem complicated but it is relatively easy and there are a number of ways to do it. Maybe just keep those tracks for your own entertainment… Setting Up a Sidechain It is not so much used in classical or acoustic music, but that’s not to say it can’t be used. The steady pumping of the bass is what keeps the clubbers dancing, and sidechain compression creates those loud ‘dirty’ bass drops we love! This production technique can be used in any genre of music but is most definitely more commonly heard in nightclubs that play electronic, trance or house music. Genres of Music That Use Sidechaining Compression Producers may want to accentuate certain elements such as the bass, lead or chords in order to prevent it from sounding too crowded. Many hip-hop tracks use sidechain compression to create a ‘bump’ sound whenever there is a kick. For some reason, listeners love hearing that clarity which is what makes it so good to listen to! The Bump The listener won’t notice that the bass volume has decreased but the kick will appear loud and clear. Producers separate the two by using sidechain compression to essentially ‘duck’ sounds of the sub-bass whenever the kick drum triggers. Music genres such as dubstep or drum and bass often use this technique as the tracks are heavily dominated by the kick drum and the sub-bass. This happens when the compressed element/s is sidechained and as the chosen trigger activates, the ducking effect happens to the sound or instrument that has been compressed. This is commonly used in EDM and is identified as a ‘pulsing’ sound. Sidechain compression gives vocals clarity and makes them appear separate from the music. Sometimes, vocals and certain instruments operate at similar frequencies and can crowd the music and make it sound muddy. You may want to separate the vocals on a track but still keep a quiet riff in the background. Listed below are some examples (yes, we like to use examples) of when sidechain compression is used. Sidechain compression however, is slightly different and happens when the volume of one instrument is controlled by the effect of another instrument. If you want to incorporate the sound of your toddler banging on pans in the kitchen into music, sidechaining helps you to do this! Sidechain CompressionĬompression in music has been used as a technique for years and is the act of reducing the dynamic range of a signal. Sidechaining allows musicians to turn any sound into music. So if you have a few minutes to spare, read on to find out more about sidechaining and how it can be used. The technique of sidechaining can be utilized in many ways. Professionals use this technique to prevent tracks from sounding too crowded as it gives clarity to specific elements that may be lost in a track without it. Sidechaining is most commonly used for kick and bass and helps to lower the sound of the bass so that the kick has a clearer impact. This production technique is used throughout multiple genres of music, more commonly heard in electronic dance music (EDM) tracks or techno. It can also be described as letting a sound or instrument run alongside another sound or instrument that gives it directions. Therefore, given the example, the sound ‘ducking’ would be the music, rendering the ‘event’ the DJ. The volume of the music decreases and this happens through sidechaining. Or if you want to get technical, it is when one audio signal is triggered or activated by another audio signal.Ī good example of sidechaining is when you are listening to the radio and the DJ speaks over the music. Sidechaining is the act of making one sound ‘duck’ when an ‘event’ triggers.