Hi everyone,
I wondered are there any good easy to use alternatives for what Trackspacer doing - ducking the frequencies based on sidechain input?
Trackspacer (Wavesfactory) alternatives?
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Inversion Of Control Inversion Of Control https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=411499
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 128 posts since 9 Jan, 2018
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- KVRAF
- 4710 posts since 26 Nov, 2015 from Way Downunder
Sweetsonics 'Laser' is a new one that's brilliantly implemented, especially suited to the kickdrum sidechain ducking technique. Trackspacer has it's own thing going on though.
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Inversion Of Control Inversion Of Control https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=411499
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 128 posts since 9 Jan, 2018
Laser is 3 band? I think Trackspacer is 32 band.
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- KVRian
- 911 posts since 10 Dec, 2013
Soothe2 has a sidechain mode now which functions similarly to TrackSpacer but with much faster response and narrower cuts.
I look at regular sidechain compression, Trackspacer and Soothe2 as a sort of continuum between full spectrum ducking and very subtle carving of space between two elements, and use all 3 extensively depending on the task at hand.
I look at regular sidechain compression, Trackspacer and Soothe2 as a sort of continuum between full spectrum ducking and very subtle carving of space between two elements, and use all 3 extensively depending on the task at hand.
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- KVRist
- 267 posts since 18 Apr, 2019
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- KVRist
- 129 posts since 14 Oct, 2018
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- KVRian
- 642 posts since 28 Oct, 2014
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NeonNightflyer NeonNightflyer https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=384912
- KVRist
- 87 posts since 1 Sep, 2016
Duck is great in general. It's a very versatile ducker/gate that's low on CPU. It immediately replaced the stock Logic compressor for sidechain ducking.
I also use soothe2 as a Trackspacer alternative. It's very easy to dial in.
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- KVRAF
- 6826 posts since 28 Apr, 2004 from france
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- KVRian
- 1030 posts since 26 Feb, 2018
Trackspacer is a great plugin. However, I'm not sure I want a plugin ducking so much of the signal back and forth. Personally, I prefer to use a sidechain dynamic EQ to target a set of frequencies (typically the fundamentals of the main instrument). This has the intended effect of giving the spotlight to the favored track without taking out too much on the target track.
Even if you wanted to go heavier, you could simply do 2 nodes. For instance say I'm ducking bass to the kick drum. I'd place a bell at the fundamentals of the kick drum, say it's 80hz. The next area to showcase for the kick is the the bite, say around 1.5khz. So now you have 2 dynamic eq nodes doing spot treatment by sidechain, and the kick is now perfectly audible around the bass, but the bass is still melodic and easy to hear, and also consistent across the song because it is being ducked in a very specific way and you are in control of those bells and settings.
Even if you wanted to go heavier, you could simply do 2 nodes. For instance say I'm ducking bass to the kick drum. I'd place a bell at the fundamentals of the kick drum, say it's 80hz. The next area to showcase for the kick is the the bite, say around 1.5khz. So now you have 2 dynamic eq nodes doing spot treatment by sidechain, and the kick is now perfectly audible around the bass, but the bass is still melodic and easy to hear, and also consistent across the song because it is being ducked in a very specific way and you are in control of those bells and settings.
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- KVRist
- 84 posts since 25 Feb, 2020
I use trackspacer and find it extremely helpful.
Like yourself I use sidechained dynamic eq on the low end - Ozone Eq
In trackspacer you can narrow the bands to a specified frequency - I use this more to make space for lead instruments against a background pad or bus for example...where it’s less about a very specific frequency / if you lower the amount of effect it can be a pretty subtle clarity- enhancer
In a track I might have 3 or 4 trackspacers loaded - at subtle levels ducking bussed groups.
Like yourself I use sidechained dynamic eq on the low end - Ozone Eq
In trackspacer you can narrow the bands to a specified frequency - I use this more to make space for lead instruments against a background pad or bus for example...where it’s less about a very specific frequency / if you lower the amount of effect it can be a pretty subtle clarity- enhancer
In a track I might have 3 or 4 trackspacers loaded - at subtle levels ducking bussed groups.
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- KVRist
- 319 posts since 9 Sep, 2017
I'm using TDR Nova (4 bands) or ...GE (6 bands) in a "rack" construct.
Example:
I have a bus with a wall of distorted guitars.
I want to cut out room for vocals, lead guitars and snare. I will need only one Nova and feed it all 3 sources in a very controlled way.
So, I give the rack 3 side-chain inputs, that come from these 3 sources, and I can insert a volume fader and an EQ for each branch, perhaps also a level meter.
With the side chains I can grab the sounds that would get drowned.
To set up the dynamic EQ, I watch a spectrum of each of these SC sources, the most important (probably vocals) comes first. I memorize the frequencies, that are typical for this source, and especially the ranges that would suffer.
Vocals might have 3 or 4 frequencies, but often 2 will be enough to tackle.
But then I look at the lead guitars, sometimes they are close to the vocal frequencies, or I must open up another band for them, perhaps with the 6-band version.
For the snare, it is obvious we need some crack and some body. Again, these bands may correspond to the vocals, or would sit in between, so there might be a compromise. To catch a snare, perhaps one main band for it would have the Q a bit wider.
The good thing here is, that I can adjust the timing and compression with high precision and detail, so I can make the snare kind of pump up the wall guitars, with a certain choice of release time in 1 or 2 bands. Lead guitars might have quite a fast release, etc.
With the GE version, I can select the sensitivity of a band to a different frequency from its EQ point, so to identify e,g, the snare alone, and with this (perhaps the body sound) I can trigger a ducking that makes room for the spring carpet, but at the carpet frequencies there would be a mess from other sources, and it would not work without this trick.
The only issue might be CPU load, but often it is only 1 or 2 broadband busses that need a trackspacer like this. Between bass and kick, sometimes a simple ducking compressor might do the job.
To make a particular concept of the sound order or ranking (who ducks whom), for certain songs, turned out quite rewarding.
Example:
I have a bus with a wall of distorted guitars.
I want to cut out room for vocals, lead guitars and snare. I will need only one Nova and feed it all 3 sources in a very controlled way.
So, I give the rack 3 side-chain inputs, that come from these 3 sources, and I can insert a volume fader and an EQ for each branch, perhaps also a level meter.
With the side chains I can grab the sounds that would get drowned.
To set up the dynamic EQ, I watch a spectrum of each of these SC sources, the most important (probably vocals) comes first. I memorize the frequencies, that are typical for this source, and especially the ranges that would suffer.
Vocals might have 3 or 4 frequencies, but often 2 will be enough to tackle.
But then I look at the lead guitars, sometimes they are close to the vocal frequencies, or I must open up another band for them, perhaps with the 6-band version.
For the snare, it is obvious we need some crack and some body. Again, these bands may correspond to the vocals, or would sit in between, so there might be a compromise. To catch a snare, perhaps one main band for it would have the Q a bit wider.
The good thing here is, that I can adjust the timing and compression with high precision and detail, so I can make the snare kind of pump up the wall guitars, with a certain choice of release time in 1 or 2 bands. Lead guitars might have quite a fast release, etc.
With the GE version, I can select the sensitivity of a band to a different frequency from its EQ point, so to identify e,g, the snare alone, and with this (perhaps the body sound) I can trigger a ducking that makes room for the spring carpet, but at the carpet frequencies there would be a mess from other sources, and it would not work without this trick.
The only issue might be CPU load, but often it is only 1 or 2 broadband busses that need a trackspacer like this. Between bass and kick, sometimes a simple ducking compressor might do the job.
To make a particular concept of the sound order or ranking (who ducks whom), for certain songs, turned out quite rewarding.
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- KVRAF
- 1560 posts since 3 Jan, 2019 from Holland
Smart:Comp. But i have to admit i prefer Trackspacer because it's just so quick and easy to set up. Wait for a sale and buy it, worth the money.
More BPM please
