KVR Audio

cortereal · Post by **cortereal** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:47 pm

Hi guys,

I recently finished a track but I've a dought. A lot of people say that sidechain is essential, however, If I insert sidechain on my track it sounds really bad. Without sidechain is much better, because the chorus of the track is not a linear-one. It is plucked, something like : " - - - - - - - " and not linear as " ----------------" .

Am I correct? Should we use sidechain depending the situations, right?

Aiynzahev · Post by **Aiynzahev** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:51 pm

You have to side-chain everything with a 20:1 ratio and at least 18dB gain reduction. If you dont... well forget it, really no one will even listen to your music, especially if they can see from the soundcloud waveform that its not side-chained.

JD Gaffe · Post by **JD Gaffe** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:54 pm

If it sounds good, it is good.

Only rule someone doing audio should live by.

cortereal · Post by **cortereal** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:55 pm

Hum... and imagine, after my track explodes, I've some 3 pads at the same time, should I sidechain the main one or should I sidechain all of them?

rob_lee · Post by **rob_lee** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:58 pm

cortereal wrote:Hum... and imagine, after my track explodes, I've some 3 pads at the same time, should I sidechain the main one or should I sidechain all of them?

Make a bus channel and route all your pads there

Rob

cortereal · Post by **cortereal** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:01 pm

rob_lee, the thing is, in FL studio if I link all of those 3 pads, the other individual ones (Pad1, Pad2, Pad2) in "Mixer" will disappear. It will clear those individual ones and It will create that 3pad linked

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:03 pm

It's like: "Do I have to use Autotune because everyone does?"

No, if it sounds better without, then it sounds good.

If you need to sidechain the pads, I would take them in a group and sidechain the whole group.

But what bothers me is that no one asks WHAT you want to sidechain - and with what FX? Compressor, gate, filter??

cortereal · Post by **cortereal** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:06 pm

Thanks for the coments.

I want to sidechain the chorus, after the track explodes.

To take them in a group and sidechain it, should I clone those 3 pads individually and link them all in a new channel?

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:07 pm

cortereal wrote:A lot of people say that sidechain is essential

People say a lot of stupid stuff. FWIW I never sidechained anything in my life ...

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:10 pm

cortereal wrote: I want to sidechain the chorus, after the track explodes.

The track explodes? Should I call the police??

Wildfunk · Post by **Wildfunk** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:14 pm

cortereal wrote:rob_lee, the thing is, in FL studio if I link all of those 3 pads, the other individual ones (Pad1, Pad2, Pad2) in "Mixer" will disappear. It will clear those individual ones and It will create that 3pad linked

Set your mixer up like this:

Then enable send from "Pad 1/Pad 2/Pad 3" to "Sidechain".

rob_lee · Post by **rob_lee** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:16 pm

cortereal wrote:rob_lee, the thing is, in FL studio if I link all of those 3 pads, the other individual ones (Pad1, Pad2, Pad2) in "Mixer" will disappear. It will clear those individual ones and It will create that 3pad linked

I only recently started using FL10 so i haven't figured out the routings etc but my partner is a power user and she would be able to show you this in a moment. I should have asked what host you were using to further explain. I use Studio One Pro and Cubase 6 and that's the way i do it in seconds there... hmm i will have to look further at FL10 and it's workings at some point.

Cheers

Rob

Aiynzahev · Post by **Aiynzahev** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:27 pm

In seriousness though I really dislike side-chaining effects and the over use of side-chaining has ruined many a good tune imo. Don't feel obligated to practice everything people say when it comes to music because one size cannot possibly fit all.

The only thing I do side-chain is the effects and I might do light side-chaining on the bass. But this is always for mixing and not for effect.

I also think obvious side-chain pumping is

1. A short-cut to make up for a lack of interest in the music itself
2. Is going to sound really dated eventually

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:28 pm

I don't think it's essential at all, in fact I think it's getting a little overdone and cliched now. I have some people send me tracks to master that are so heavily side-chain and pumping, it literally makes me nauseous. Sort of how really out of phase things do.

Like anything there's a time and a place for it, just don't overdo it if you do decide to use it.

cortereal · Post by **cortereal** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:03 pm

Thanks for the answers.

If any1 is interested to know how the track is (somethin' like avicii+pryda) and if u are able to give me an opinion, it would be awesome, just pm me. I dont want to share my work in public, for now

Is Sidechain essential?