I am not having any Reaper problems at the moment...
- Thread starter Armistice
- Start date
mjbphotos
Moderator
There's a ton of shortcuts and different ways to do things, but as long as you find what works best for you, that's what counts.
Things like using a sidechain compression tied to the lead vocal to bring the guitar volume down during phrases - yeah, I can see the advantage to it, but if I just automate volume a little bit I get the same sound (to my ears, anyway!)
Things like using a sidechain compression tied to the lead vocal to bring the guitar volume down during phrases - yeah, I can see the advantage to it, but if I just automate volume a little bit I get the same sound (to my ears, anyway!)
jiff 41
An Ex Tractor Fan
Agree, I don't understand the difference but there must be, otherwise peeps wouldn't do it?
If somebody does answer this question,can you keep it simple,,,,,that old hippie's understand wot didn't know jack-s--- about computers before he joined this site a year ago!! ,,thank you ,ta
DM60
Well-known member
Agree, I don't understand the difference but there must be, otherwise peeps wouldn't do it?
If somebody does answer this question,can you keep it simple,,,,,that old hippie's understand wot didn't know jack-s--- about computers before he joined this site a year ago!! ,,thank you ,ta
The use this a lot in EDM, that is where I learned it from (No, I don't do EDM, but have learned a lot from that genre). Here is what I understand. Side chaining was/is commonly used by DJs on the radio. When the announcer would cut in, the music would get lower (compressed down), he would stop and the music would come back up.
I use side chaining for giving a bass a little more pulse by taking the bass and side chaining the bass drum, Bass drum kicks, bass goes down and then back up. Bass drum driving the pulse of the bass.
I use it with synths to let the cymbals work with higher ends, I don't use it a lot, but if you have something that just isn't groovin' side chaining can help. Pick a good source with some rhythm. It can also be away to push something down, say a lead guitar when the vocals kick in. Side chaining can be good when playing live.
That is about all I know about the topic.
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
jiff 41
An Ex Tractor Fan
I use a lappy with XP & it's an old one, but one day & all that, but I certainly don't do video on it, I drive it hard doing audio!
jiff 41
An Ex Tractor Fan
DM60
Well-known member
Aha,,, I understand now, nicely explained David,,, EDM???
In case that was a question, Electronic Dance Music. Some of these guys are really doing some cool stuff with sound. But, you have to remember, they focus on moving a$$es. So, they have a whole different objective than other forms of music.
jiff 41
An Ex Tractor Fan
EDM,,was a question,,but now has been answered! thanks again 
Right I think I might know the answer to this now?
Side chain comp is when you use it to (lower?) volume to accent a particular instrument/sound,,(as DM60 explained!).
parallel comp is when you leave the original signal there,but duplicate it & comp the the hell outa the duplicate & run alongside,,mixed to taste so you got original & compressed signal! (to help fatten/balance sound?)
OK so now we'll get the REAL explanations from peeps wot know betterer than wot I do!!
Right I think I might know the answer to this now?
Side chain comp is when you use it to (lower?) volume to accent a particular instrument/sound,,(as DM60 explained!).
parallel comp is when you leave the original signal there,but duplicate it & comp the the hell outa the duplicate & run alongside,,mixed to taste so you got original & compressed signal! (to help fatten/balance sound?)
OK so now we'll get the REAL explanations from peeps wot know betterer than wot I do!!
DM60
Well-known member
EDM,,was a question,,but now has been answered! thanks again
Right I think I might know the answer to this now?
Side chain comp is when you use it to (lower?) volume to accent a particular instrument/sound,,(as DM60 explained!).
parallel comp is when you leave the original signal there,but duplicate it & comp the the hell outa the duplicate & run alongside,,mixed to taste so you got original & compressed signal! (to help fatten/balance sound?)
OK so now we'll get the REAL explanations from peeps wot know betterer than wot I do!!
I think side chaining compression is more than just volume accent like compression just isn't push down peaks. It can add flavor to the sound. I used the DJ term as one early use called "ducking", but I think side chaining can be much more than just volume control.
DrewPeterson7
Sage of the Order
Yeah, it's a little more than volume automation - effectively, it's volume automation applied selectively to just the peaks of a signal. You can adjust it so the whole thing gets reduced, true, but you can also keep the sustain more or less unchanged while killing off the peaks to push something back in the mix without really making it softer, which could potentially be useful.
jonny deep
Disappointing Member
I believe parallel compression is where the original signal is sent to a channel which has compression as an insert (i.e. the whole sound out of that channel is the compressed sound), then the original channel and the compressed one are blended.
Side chain compression is where the signal from one channel is used to activate the compressor on another channel, e.g. you can have a compressor on a guitar track that only kicks in and reduces the guitar volume when the vocal track is producing sound.