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Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:17 pm
by Andrix
Ive learned how to do it, but im not COMPLETLY sure what it does,
so i was wondering if someone could take the time to explain it, that would be great!
and yes ive google it, i'd rather ask experienced producers directly :)

- Andrix

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:21 pm
by Sheff
there was a big thread on it somewhere

id like to know too

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:32 pm
by samkablaam
So you get what a compressor does? It just changes its output level depending on the input level? so put simply, loud peaks in, means smaller peaks out etc etc

Sidechaining means you are using another input as the control signal. So if you have a continuous pad through a compressor and you set the sidechain to monitor your kick channel, your pad will get compressed as each kick hits.

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:37 pm
by Sheff
thats sick...is it complicated?

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:50 pm
by therapist
Sheff wrote:thats sick...is it complicated?
Lol, he just explained it. Once you've done it once it's really simple. Ducking the bass/synths with a kick that is, you can make it as complicated as you like. Have everything sidechaining something else and it sounds like someone is going mad on the faders.

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:53 pm
by Sheff
haha yeah i know, but i meant setting up the sidechain an all that

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:54 pm
by wub
In a nutshell, Sidechaining is where an effect is triggered by another track.

For example, a bassline with a sidechained compressor on it that is triggered by the kick track, so every time the kick hits the compressor activates and drops the bassline a bit to free up headroom for the kick. However, this is not the only use of it. This is known as SideChain Compression, and is the most common use of Sidechaining. However, it is not the only use.

DSF Thread

Sidechaining in FL Studio 9. - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=207390
Ableton Tutorial: Sneaky ninja sidechaining - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=204446
driving your drums with sidechaining? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=186538
Sidechaining - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=179301
SideChaining Pads - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=179191
LFO's on subs? sidechaining? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=177065
sidechaining massive to ES2 in Logic - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=168491
Compression, "sidechaining(?)" & synths - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=163358
sidechaining and roll-offs - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=154378
Sidechaining a High Pass - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=150587
bussing and sidechaining - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=147255
Sidechaining oneself? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=147158
What are you using for sidechaining ? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=142591
Sidechaining in Reason - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=140852
Easy sidechaining in Cubase - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=127166
Sidechaining with fruity loops and cubase - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=127074
Ableton Sidechaining Issue - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=116204
How to you handle sidechaining - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=59775
Sidechaining Technique - Headhunter sidechaining a pad? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=57467
Sidechaining in Fruity - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=48233
Sidechaining Drums - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=38399
SIDECHAINING? NEED HELP - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35364
Sidechaining in Fruityloops 7 - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=25023
sidechaining-problem in logic express solved?! - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=24817
Decklyn's Sidechaining Tutorial for Cubase SX2 or SX3 - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18268
Sidechaining EH? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18055
sidechaining drums in Logic - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8556
sidechain compression attack and release help! - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=201136
Can You Sidechain a WASP Synth In FL Studio? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=194299
cubase sidechain question - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=186509
sorting kick/sub conflict - sidechain? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=181204
How to sidechain gate in FL studio - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=180883
Massive sidechain problem - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=179536
How to sidechain while using kong and redrum in reason?? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=179264
Do you sidechain everything? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=172267
Figured out sidechain compression, came up with this. - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=170606
MOTU DP 4.6 sidechain question - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=156858
[TUT] Sidechain compression (FL9 only) - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=153056
Sidechain compression to drum rack - Ableton - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=146201
Sidechain compression - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=144596
Sidechain Compression Tutorial with REnoise 1.8 - 2.0 - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=144019
Things you can do with sidechain - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=127305
Sidechain Expansion - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=127039
Sidechain Compression [Logic] - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=118484
How do you Sidechain your bass in Dubstep? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109661
Sidechain compression with Pro Tools? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=87886
Sidechain compression in fl studio - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=83169
Free Sidechain Compressor anyone? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=79139
sidechain compression - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=62800
fruity loops sidechain? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=61512
How to set up sidechain compression in FL Studio - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=49776
Decent compressor with sidechain? - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=37292
More Sidechain Technique Discussion (and massive love) - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18428


External Links

How To Use Side Chain Compression - http://sonictransfer.com/side-chain-com ... rial.shtml
Dynamic range compression - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range_compression
favorite sidechain techniques? - http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=116816
Sidechain????? - http://www.looperman.com/forum.php?tid=16099
Different Sidechain techniques - http://www.gearslutz.com/board/electron ... iques.html
Sidechain Techniques.. - http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php? ... w=previous
sidechain techniques - http://www.logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.p ... 6342ffe7d8
Side Chain Tricks - http://www.sawstudiouser.com/forums/sho ... php?t=4378
Stupid Sidechain Tricks! Please Add Yours! - http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much- ... yours.html
Yet more sidechain tricks - http://www.cosm.co.nz/index.php?option= ... Itemid=175
Side Chain Compression - http://www.cytopia.org/cytopiaforum/viewtopic.php?t=65
UAD Sidechain and Sonar Revisted - http://www.untidymusic.com/wordpress/us ... -revisted/

YouTube Videos
















Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:55 pm
by therapist
What do you use? I'm guessing it's fairly similar in logic/cubase etc. An empty/muted channel you send your triggers to (kicks, stabs whatever) and that channel can be set as a sidechain input on individual compressors.

Edit- er, yeah, all of that stuff above.

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:56 pm
by samkablaam
depends on the compressor and daw you're using. In protools, if the compressor allows it, you select the sidechain input in the top left of the plugin window. logic is the top right.

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:10 pm
by Andrix
Thanks for quick and good answer, i def got it now!
I use FL Studio 10 and i use the peak controller.
So, from what ive understand; Sidechaining makes the bass lower when the kick hits?

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:14 pm
by wub
Andrix wrote:So, from what ive understand; Sidechaining makes the bass lower when the kick hits?

No, that's a specific type of sidechaining called Sidechain Compression.


Sidechaining itself is where the output of one track triggers an effect. So for Sidechain Compression, if you had a peak controller on the kick that triggered the compressor on the bassline, that would be Sidechain Compression.


If the peak controller on the kick was linked to the Reverb wet control on the snare (for example), this would be Sidechain Reverb, as the reverb effect on the snare would only be triggered when the kick hit.

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:24 pm
by brack3n
I do it with the peak controller linked to a fader to duck the volume of say a pad when a kick hits, is sidechaining using a compressor any better or are they just as effective methods as eachother?

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:27 pm
by wub
brack3n wrote:I do it with the peak controller linked to a fader to duck the volume of say a pad when a kick hits, is sidechaining using a compressor any better or are they just as effective methods as eachother?

Different techniques get different results. I generally use 1 of 3 techniques;

1) Peak controller linked to fader
2) Peak controller linked to compressor
3) SideKick VST - I've luckily got a previous version of this, before they started charging 8)

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:41 pm
by therapist
Sidechaining distortion wet/dry can get some weird effects.

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:48 pm
by Fused Productions
Shit Wub, you're the man. Mad respect for yah!

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:51 pm
by deadly_habit
see sig clip for sidechain compression example

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:20 pm
by nowaysj

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 7:17 am
by Electric_Head
kick - send
bass - receive

Compress bass using receive as input bus.
Alter the ratio till the signal begins ducking the kick.
Adjust to suite. attack , release, etc.

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:03 pm
by XavierC
I use side chaining to allow the kick to push through the pad for a thumping effect

Re: Can someone explain Sidechaining?

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 5:46 pm
by moki
There are external side chains and internal ones. Everyone here explained the external. Most compressors have internal side chains aswell, it will be a built in eq or filter that allows you to pick the frequencies that the compressor reacts to. great for mix buss compression because you can make it so it doesn't react to your bass keeping it from suffering from gain reduction.