Sidechains, another way ?

PipelineAudio wrote on 4/22/2002, 5:38 PM
Im getting a lot more rap bizzness nowadays, and they like that effect where every time the kick drum fires, it pulls down the whole mix.
I used to do this by sending the kick into the sidechgain input of an analog hardware compressor.
Using the DB or TC sidechain dx fx internally always makes the effect happen at the wrong time.

SF has explained why it would be difficult to get a good workable dx sidechain plug going.
Is it possible that it could just be an internal effect proprietary only to vegas itself?
Didnt SAW apps do this ?

Comments

pwppch wrote on 4/22/2002, 8:39 PM
Yes, Saw did have this. There are actually a number of third party plugs that have this capability. They all do it differently.

It does need to be seriously looked at for the next rev.

Peter
decrink wrote on 4/23/2002, 12:52 AM
Could one of you knowledgeable ones explain 'sidechaining' even though it appears I can't do it in Vegas? I'd like to know what it is for future reference if I need to complain about missing features!
PipelineAudio wrote on 4/23/2002, 1:43 AM
A sidechain input on a dynamic device, like a compressor or noise gate, allows a controlling signal to determine the behaviour of the device, while the audio to be controlled, goes thru the regular ins and outs of the device...
probably a bad explanation

Say you got a bass guitar that no matter how you eq it, makes " mud city" every time the kick drum hits at the same time as the bass is strummed.

using a compressor with a sidechain input you can get out of this predicament.

run the bass guitar signal thru the normal compressor inputs and outputs

send a split of the kick drum into the compressors sidechain input and set the compressor detection circuit to read ONLY the sidechain

turn the compressor's threshold down so that every time the kick drum gets kicked, gain reduction is applied

set the attack and release controls REALLY fast

now if you listen to the bass track, you should hear the bass guitar getting " ducked" or turning down while the kick drum hits
decrink wrote on 4/23/2002, 2:09 AM
Got it. So sidechain is a input on outboard gear but doesn't exist in the digital realm? The only outboard gear I really use is mixing board and mike pre-amps. I do wish Vegas could compress input. That would be a nice asset for us mostly digital guys. Do any other DAW setups allow that?
Thanks for the explanation of sidechaining. Do people use it to trigger other effects or just compression?
PipelineAudio wrote on 4/23/2002, 2:15 AM
the radio station does the same sort of thing, notice when the dj talks the music gets quiet but when he stops you hear it mpumping back up?

I guess SAW did it, and there are some dx plugs that will, but the effect seems to happen at the wrong time for fast stuff

As for other fx that use sidechaining:
Noise gates can be WAY fun.
Put a guiitar thru a noise gate while the kick and or snare is going to the sidechain input. You can adjust the release control to make the drums " play " the guitar!
stumacQ wrote on 4/23/2002, 5:41 PM
"Put a guiitar thru a noise gate while the kick and or snare is going to the sidechain input. You can adjust the release control to make the drums 'play' the guitar!"

This effect is also use (to death) in a lot of dance records to rhythmically gate the vocal or a pad to a percussion element. Set the noise gate up with a hihat or something on the side-chain input and run the vocal/pad through the noise gate. Instant stuttering!

I'd love to have the ability to do this reliably in software (the side-chain compression, that is) as my bass levels are often very difficult to tame ...

(stu.macQ)
PipelineAudio wrote on 4/23/2002, 7:17 PM
stu.macQ that is some cool stuff! now the big question, how can I get rock/emo bands to let me get away with this :)