What is it and why would I want to do it?
-Scott
Please forgive me, but what exactly is side-chaining ?
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- KVRAF
- 4908 posts since 10 Aug, 2004 from Colorado Springs
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- KVRAF
- 4644 posts since 28 Nov, 2002 from Chicago
"sidechain" just refers to a device that takes input from two different sources. Typically sidechaining is used by de-essers and compressors.
In the case of a side chain compressor, the level of one signal is being compressed in response to another. IE a bassline being squashed to make way for kick drums.
In the case of a side chain compressor, the level of one signal is being compressed in response to another. IE a bassline being squashed to make way for kick drums.
Someone shot the food. Remember: don't shoot food!
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- KVRAF
- 6740 posts since 25 Mar, 2002 from sheffield, england
Whenever you have a processor that acts according to the dynamics of a signal (compressor, noise gate etc..) you will have some circuitry / code which measures the signal level. This is known as the side-chain. Hardware compressors often provide inserts for the side-chain to allow the insertion of equalisers or filters for things like frequency concious compression, or de-essing. A VST version is more likely to have a third input, giving the user free choice as to what to feed it. This could be a filtered version of the same signal that is being processed, or a totally different signal.
Classic examples of "side-chaining" include feeding the bass compressor side-chain with the kick drum channel to create rhythmic pumping, and prevent the two fighting for the same bass region, or feeding the sidechain of a noise gate with a percussive pattern in order to chop up the signal (the original "tarnce-gate")
Ducking is just a way to describe the gain-reduction of a compressor, in this case in response to the seperate signal rather than its own dynamics. eg: a radio presenter's mic is often fed to the side-chain of a compressor which is used to "duck" the music to make his inane babble more audible, with a long release to fade the music back up when he finally shuts the f*ck up..
Classic examples of "side-chaining" include feeding the bass compressor side-chain with the kick drum channel to create rhythmic pumping, and prevent the two fighting for the same bass region, or feeding the sidechain of a noise gate with a percussive pattern in order to chop up the signal (the original "tarnce-gate")
Ducking is just a way to describe the gain-reduction of a compressor, in this case in response to the seperate signal rather than its own dynamics. eg: a radio presenter's mic is often fed to the side-chain of a compressor which is used to "duck" the music to make his inane babble more audible, with a long release to fade the music back up when he finally shuts the f*ck up..