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I'm trying to use sidechain now for while, but some things are still kinda magic for me. (I'm using ableton btw)

For example, the settings of the attack, threshold, release and the gain.

Where does it depends on? Like, does my subbass need different settings then my bass lead? Or will it sound better if the settings are (almost) the same on each track? And is it costumary to make automatations on this settings? Is Sidechain always needed to get you're drums more clear? or will it sound better if you're useing good EQing and leaving the sidechain behind?

Hope my questions are clear enough..

if you dont know what you're doing, dont do it?

Then how I'm supposed to learn it?

By learning what a compressor does

Mind Fight wrote:Then how I'm supposed to learn it?

Seems like you've got the basics...you're not asking how to sidechain, just how to sidechain effectively. In which case, it's just a matter of patience and practice.

Yes the sidechaining is allready making my drums deffinitly more clear and giving it more punch. And i'm practicing and experimentating a lot right now.

That's why I made this topic, to get some inspirational tips.

Sidechain everything to everything else and off again
Vary your settings on everything
Sidechain other effects not just the compressor

Mind Fight wrote: Like, does my subbass need different settings then my bass lead?

Depends on the song and your preference. Mess around with it till you like it. Although,
I'm not a fan of too much side chaining gets too pumpy.

Is Sidechain always needed to get you're drums more clear?

Nope, there are plenty of resources to work with drums
IE: transient shapers, compression techniques, distortions, layering ect.

will it sound better if you're useing good EQing and leaving the sidechain behind?

Depends on the song but generally I reach for the Eq way before I reach for a sidechain.
I like to use of sidechaining as more of a effect for the song than using it as a mixing tool.

^ hooking ut up to the d/w of a reverb sounds very nice

wub wrote:YOU CAN SIDECHAIN THINGS OTHER THAN THE COMPRESSOR AND THE EQ

So you are telling me that I can side chain with other plugins? Could you give me an example?

It's fairly simple in reason

Bassf4ce wrote:

wub wrote:YOU CAN SIDECHAIN THINGS OTHER THAN THE COMPRESSOR AND THE EQ

So you are telling me that I can side chain with other plugins? Could you give me an example?

ehbrums1 wrote:^ hooking ut up to the d/w of a reverb sounds very nice

wub wrote:

Bassf4ce wrote:

wub wrote:YOU CAN SIDECHAIN THINGS OTHER THAN THE COMPRESSOR AND THE EQ

So you are telling me that I can side chain with other plugins? Could you give me an example?

ehbrums1 wrote:^ hooking ut up to the d/w of a reverb sounds very nice

why would I side chain it with reverb when I can just put reverb on the drums them self?

Side chaining a reverb send using a kick sounds cool, I did it a week or two ago.

Dunno how its done in ableton, but in fl i use peak controller to sidechain, mainly just sidechaining kick and sub, snare and midbass.
Might have to try that reverb sidechaining, sounds interesting

At the moment I'm a huge fan of automating dips in EQ using Peak Controller in FL, does wonders for claps and snares, and you can't really tell the synths being dipped as you can with comp sidechaining.

Also, someone mentioned reverb sidechaining - doing this with a really big kick and large reverb in slower tempo (~90bpm) music sounds really good and gives a really nice flow and fill to the track.

mthrfnk wrote:Also, someone mentioned reverb sidechaining - doing this with a really big kick and large reverb in slower tempo (~90bpm) music sounds really good and gives a really nice flow and fill to the track.

Thats what i thought this will sound and do, got to try when i got some time

MaZa1 wrote:

mthrfnk wrote:Also, someone mentioned reverb sidechaining - doing this with a really big kick and large reverb in slower tempo (~90bpm) music sounds really good and gives a really nice flow and fill to the track.

Thats what i thought this will sound and do, got to try when i got some time

Check that out iirc he covers something similar in that vid.

If you're doing that in Ableton, all you have to do is put the compressor right after the reverb instead of before in the effects chain. It makes it sound pretty cool.

When I first learned sidechain compression, I just played with one sound and twiddled all the knobs until I figured out what they did. Probably not the best way to go about it, but I think it worked. You can either read up on it (which I think is boring ) or just experiment. Experimenting makes stuff fun!