Ringmod uses two interacting waveforms, one of which modulates the amplitude of the other. This process creates sidebands that are generally inharmonic although predictable enough, but the main point here is that ring modulation effectively removes the fundamental frequency of the carrier. Hence you get the crunchy "distortion " sound and gain reduction, the latter of which is the reason for doing this. It carves out space and theoretically that space is any spectral content being shared by two signals.3lu5iv3 wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 9:09 am I tried it on a supersaw sidechained to kick and snare and the compress mode works wonderfully well so i like it but ringmod mode doesn't seem to do anything to the supersaw. i have zero idea what ringmod sidechain is even after watching VR's video. I hope someone can ELI5.
Thanks for the detailed explanation.swilow11 wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 1:20 amRingmod uses two interacting waveforms, one of which modulates the amplitude of the other. This process creates sidebands that are generally inharmonic although predictable enough, but the main point here is that ring modulation effectively removes the fundamental frequency of the carrier. Hence you get the crunchy "distortion " sound and gain reduction, the latter of which is the reason for doing this. It carves out space and theoretically that space is any spectral content being shared by two signals.3lu5iv3 wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 9:09 am I tried it on a supersaw sidechained to kick and snare and the compress mode works wonderfully well so i like it but ringmod mode doesn't seem to do anything to the supersaw. i have zero idea what ringmod sidechain is even after watching VR's video. I hope someone can ELI5.
Personally I don't like the sound very much. Fine for heavy bass, terrible for more clean psytrance style material. Standard volume ducking is better imo.
I should have added that my criticism isn't based on this plugin which I haven't actually used. I've set this up in Bitiwg by using an audio rate modulator on the carrier/bass sound with the source for audio rate being the the kick. Apply the modulation to the gain of a tool device on the sub and rectify it. Because the side bands aren't harmonic (with Ringmod, the sidebands are the sum and difference of the carrier/modulator- a 200hz sine ringmodded by a 100hz sine would see sidebands at 300hz and 100hz and the absence of the initial 200hz fundamental) you'll get inharmonicity which can be swallowed up by an overall distorted sound but not pleasant if you want something clean. Obviously the sidebands with complex sounds like kick and sub will be more numerous but the principle is the same.3lu5iv3 wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 4:18 amThanks for the detailed explanation.swilow11 wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 1:20 amRingmod uses two interacting waveforms, one of which modulates the amplitude of the other. This process creates sidebands that are generally inharmonic although predictable enough, but the main point here is that ring modulation effectively removes the fundamental frequency of the carrier. Hence you get the crunchy "distortion " sound and gain reduction, the latter of which is the reason for doing this. It carves out space and theoretically that space is any spectral content being shared by two signals.3lu5iv3 wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 9:09 am I tried it on a supersaw sidechained to kick and snare and the compress mode works wonderfully well so i like it but ringmod mode doesn't seem to do anything to the supersaw. i have zero idea what ringmod sidechain is even after watching VR's video. I hope someone can ELI5.
Personally I don't like the sound very much. Fine for heavy bass, terrible for more clean psytrance style material. Standard volume ducking is better imo.
Compress mode FTW!
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