![]() ![]() To demonstrate this setup, we have added two audio tracks in Logic Pro. This article will explain how to create such an effect in Logic Pro using the Native Instruments VARI COMP compressor on a bass. The effect is usually triggered by a transient-heavy track (eg. Having understood some of the basics, the walkthrough details several practical examples of sidechaining in action that can hopefully inspire you to think about how you might want to apply the technique in your productions.Sidechain compression can be useful to create a ducking or pumping effect on a particular audio source. Sidechaining also makes the music more dynamic, more responsive and much less static… all properties that, even when deployed in subtle ways, can increase the listener’s enjoyment. The application of this concept – whether it’s clawing back a few decibels from synth pad or adjusting the reverb levels in response to the instruments playing – really aids the considered creation of ‘sound space’ within a mix. This probably goes a long way to explain why the effect is so popular in EDM music, where big synths and equally expansive reverbs can eat up the soundstage with just a few instruments. One of the key benefits of sidechaining is its ability to make a mix more dynamic and even more importantly, create space in a mix. Establishing the sidechain routing is therefore just the beginning, as you need to be clear on how to tweak the plug-in or instrument to hear the effect in action. The Gate, for example, is opened and closed in relation to the sidechain hitting a given threshold, whereas the AutoFilter uses the threshold to trigger a pre-programmed ADSR envelope setting. With both the Noise Gate and AutoFilter plug-ins, this works in close conjunction with a Threshold control. When it comes to other plug-ins – such as the Noise Gate, AutoFilter and the ES2 instrument – it’s important to comprehend how the sidechain facilities are integrated. On the compressor plug-in, we’d then select the kick drum as a sidechain source, and assuming both elements are playing (kick and pad), we’d achieve the distinctive pumping effect. ![]() In the case of the aforementioned French-style compression, we’d either have a compressor patched across a pad sound or, if we’re processing a proportion of the whole mix, a compressor patched across and aux channel being used as a submixer (this could be done using a Track Stack, for example). If the instrument or plug-in features sidechaining, you’ll find a drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the interface that lets you select a separate input (either an audio track, instrument or buss) as the sidechain source. Going a stage further, there’s even a range of software instruments – including the ES2, Sculpture and the EVOC 20 PolySynth – that also feature the provision of sidechain inputs. The first thing to note are the specific plug-ins that support sidechaining, most notably the Compressor plugin, but also Noise Gate, Auto Filter and the EVOC 20 TrackOscillator. ![]() Now that we understand these principles, let’s look at how it’s implemented in Logic. ![]() Applying greater amount of compression creates more ‘pumping’, while the compressor’s release time dictates the movements (quick or slow) of the pumping effect. The result creates a unique pumping effect, where the presence of the kick attenuates the rest of the track. The classic contemporary examples of sidechain would be the aforementioned French-style EDM compression, where a kick drum is fed to the sidechain input of a compressor, while the rest of the mix (or a large proportion of it) is fed through the main inputs. The key point to note is that signal processors like compressors and gates have both an audio input – which was used as the input for the signal need to be processed – and a so-called ‘Sidechain’ or ‘External Key’ input that allowed the engineer direct access to the ‘listening’ circuitry.Īs such, this meant there could be a distinction between the signal being processed and the signal being used to drive the signal processor like a compressor. ![]()
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