Sidechain Compression

C

cortexx

Member
Hi Guys

Need some pointers in how to use sidechain compression.

my setup is various synths playing audio out into a MOTU 828 mkII , I have a lexicon MX200 effects rack with VST in cubase , behringer rack mount multiband compressor and NI battery.

I want my drum tracks to compress 2 of the synth tracks using sidechain through the behringer unit.

Whats the best way to achieve this ? :cool:
 
cortexx said:
Hi Guys

Need some pointers in how to use sidechain compression.

my setup is various synths playing audio out into a MOTU 828 mkII , I have a lexicon MX200 effects rack with VST in cubase , behringer rack mount multiband compressor and NI battery.

I want my drum tracks to compress 2 of the synth tracks using sidechain through the behringer unit.

Whats the best way to achieve this ? :cool:
Click to expand...

Assign your 2 compressors to an output of the MOTU, then connect that to the input of your compressor (if your compressor has stereo ins, you can use two channels). Then connect the output of the compressor to a new input on the MOTU. Bus the tracks you want to use to trigger the compressor to a MOTU output and connect that to the Sidechain input.

But wait, which Behringer compressor do you have? I'm scoping out their site, and don't see any dynamic equalizers (multiband compressor) at all, and the regular compressor/limiters I looked at don't have sidechain inputs.
So I guess I'm the one who's confused. They do have a "frequency-selective expander/gate" but I didn't see sidechain I/O on that either, and it's not a compressor.
 
Assign your 2 compressors to an output of the MOTU, then connect that to the input of your compressor (if your compressor has stereo ins, you can use two channels).
Click to expand...

I know i'm old and particulary dumb but roughly speaking does that mean i plug 2 outs of my MOTU into the 2 inputs of my compressor and then plug the 2 outpus of my compressor into 2 other inputs of my motu ?
 
Bus the tracks you want to use to trigger the compressor to a MOTU output and connect that to the Sidechain input.
Click to expand...

so i bus the bass drum out to the MOTU outputs that are inputting signal to the compressor ?
 
Ahhh ok i thought sidechain compression was achieved by using a specific hookup and didn't have to have a certain feature included ....

... see how dumb i can be? ;)
 
cortexx said:
Ahhh ok i thought sidechain compression was achieved by using a specific hookup and didn't have to have a certain feature included ....

... see how dumb i can be? ;)
Click to expand...

http://www.dbxpro.com/1066.htm
Take a look at the back of something like this, and you'll see the Sidechain Send/Return. They probably explain about it in the manual.

Also, most software compressors probably hvae sidechain capabilities, so you could set that up if you wanted.

My other question is, what are you actually trying to achieve? Because I wasn't sure why you'd want your drum tracks to trigger a compressor on a synth track
 
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I set a sc compressor up on Mackie Tracktion..
I had a single song where I found it darn near impossible to get the kick and the bass to play nice together, and the sc did the trick.
 
Reaper, IMHO, is fantastically cool! Routing is a key element to that (setting up sidechains is stupidly easy), and there are tons of software based Fx goodness in that little program as well (including a utility to use another, or several other computers as network based FX slaves ... lol!) so cool!

Reacomp, reafir, and the RGB cookbook plugs (Eqs + compressors) are some that I would be pained to not be able to use ... crazy!
 
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