Setting up a compressor to "duck" other tracks in a mix

[Simmons]

In the quote below, how does one set up a compressor for a track (like vocal, kick, or cymbals) to duck the other tracks as they suggest?

"For the insistent guitar army, a good trick is to take all the extra non-essential parts out on the same bus and have a compressor keyed by the vocal squash the living sh*t out of them, some serious gain reduction. Usually a close mic'ed rhythm track is the one to mostly leave alone. Similar strategies can help other elements cut through, like having bass and/or kick duck the guitars. I hear the Smashing Pumpkins sound is the kick ducking the guitars, but on Siamese Dream, it might have helped if the cymbals ducked a few layers of fuzzed out guitar a few dB, 'cause you can hardly make them out."

 

[Son of Mixerman]

Here, read this. It explains it more clearly than I can.

http://www.dbxpro.com/ftp_mirror/PDFs/WhitePapers/Compression 101.pdf


SoMm

 

[Simmons]

well....I read that....and thanks...but I have to admit I'm still a little lost. Do you have two inputs from the source....one triggering the compressor and one actually printing the track?

Also, what do they mean in the second paragraph by "plug the source into the inputs and plug the trigger into the sidechain"? What trigger? They didn't use the sidechain in the example, so I'm not sure why they even mentioned it.

 

[TexRoadkill]

You have two tracks. Bass and Kick. You want the bass to duck when the kick comes in.

Run the bass through the compressor as normal.

Run the kick into the sidechain (use an Aux send or a duplicate track). The kick is the 'trigger'.

When the kick triggers the sidechain on the compressor it will drop the volume on the bass according to the compressor settings.

 

[Jamal Bucket]

You have two tracks. Bass and Kick. You want the bass to duck when the kick comes in.

Run the bass through the compressor as normal.

Run the kick into the sidechain (use an Aux send or a duplicate track). The kick is the 'trigger'.

When the kick triggers the sidechain on the compressor it will drop the volume on the bass according to the compressor settings.

sweeeet that same question has been buggin me for a while now too....I NOW HAVE THE POWER!!!....i am soooooo GONNA SOUND LIKE A PROFESHHHINUL NOW!!!!!..


..well except for the crappy dry tracks to begin with......damn.

 

[malcolm123]

You have two tracks. Bass and Kick. You want the bass to duck when the kick comes in.

Run the bass through the compressor as normal.

Run the kick into the sidechain (use an Aux send or a duplicate track). The kick is the 'trigger'.

When the kick triggers the sidechain on the compressor it will drop the volume on the bass according to the compressor settings.

TEX, just a quick question. Wouldnt something like this be best done during the mix? Also why would someone want to do something like this with the Bass and Kick. My genre is Hip Hop / R&B, so I dont think I would ever need this,, but im just curious.
Just to store the answer in my memory bank.

I guess I could imagine this being done in the mastering stage though. If the mix is that drastic.

Thanks
Malcolm

 

[TexRoadkill]

TEX, just a quick question. Wouldnt something like this be best done during the mix? Also why would someone want to do something like this with the Bass and Kick. My genre is Hip Hop / R&B, so I dont think I would ever need this,, but im just curious.
Just to store the answer in my memory bank.

I guess I could imagine this being done in the mastering stage though. If the mix is that drastic.

You would definately only do it in the mix and it would be impossible to do during mastering (you need the seperate tracks). In all honesty I've never done it on kick/bass or felt the need to do it. I'll probably try it one of these days.

It might be usefull if the kick just isn't cutting through and you don't want to EQ the hell out of your kick and bass to make them work together. By ducking you can have each track be a little more of a frequency hog and still work together.

There are other cool ways to use the trick. You could have effects on a vocal and have the vocal trigger a ducking compressor on the effects so you only get a prominent delay or reverb when the dry vocals cut out. It would also work well on guitar solo delays.

A cool trick I read in the Bitch Slap diaries is to use a Time Code signal from the recorder to trigger a gate on the Talk Back mic. That opens up the TB mic anytime the tape is stopped and cuts it off any time the tape is rolling.

 

[Simmons]

malcolm123...here the reason I'm asking:

I have multiple layers of big loud ass distorted guitars that sound good, but are dominating the mix. I'm going to try to put those guitars in a bus and get the kick or bass to duck those tracks to bring out more of the rhythm section without altering the tonality of the guitar tracks. I read somewhere that the Smashing Pumpkins did that on Siamese Dream...although I still think the guitars overpower the kit on that record.

Simmons

 

[Simmons]

OK..last question about ducking...

I think I've got it but....

Does the side chain override the normal input of a compressor once it's engaged? For example if I insert a compressor on a bass track (sending the kick as a trigger in the side chain) will that compressor affect the bass track in any way without the kick drum triggering the gain reduction?

Simmons