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Faking Sidechain Compression (Accidental Discovery)
Hi Folks
I'm sure this has already been explored more fully, but I discovered something quite handy recently. I was sending a bass and drum track into the same Mix Bus in AUM, and realised I was hearing a pumping/ducking effect which the source sounds themselves were not responsible for.
Mix Bus A had a compressor (Korvpressor) and because the kick gain was quite high, it exceeded the compressor threshold and so it was in effect, acting as a kind of sidechain for the whole submix, and was causing the bass sound to duck, even though this is clearly not how sidechain compression routing is meant to work (and I do it often in Ableton).
The only catch is that I don't think I can get a track to act as sidechain input and cause this effect without it being audible (unless there is some clever trick with Pre/Post) and the whole submix will "duck" not just the bass sound in this case.
In the absence of true sidechain compression, has anyone else experimented with this or another workaround, and found a workflow\settings which create a reasonably faked sidechain compression effect?
Comments
Groove Rider has a fake 'Sidechainer' IFX you can choose on each track individually. Basically a rising sawtooth synced to every 1/4 note. Does its job
Another way using good ol' Filterstation 2:
Set the LFO to produce rising shark fins, set filters to VCA mode and modulate them by LFO.
Sending the Kick to FAC Envolver, then automating a volume control with the cc that it outputs will do this too.
There’s also Bram Bos Perforator and Audio Damage Pumphouse that let you fake sidechain compression without even sending a kick.
Also mentioned in another current thread: the mighty ‘Kuvert’ by Klevgrand: sidechain emulation via volume, low cut, high cut or all combined With completely customizable independent drawn automation. There’s even an automatable delay in there too.
Tres tres tres bien.
This is my favorite way to “sidechain” in AUM:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bleass-sidekick-auv3-plugin/id1462418779
Ok thanks I’ll look into those. I knew about AD Pumphouse and Filterstation but not the others.
+1
There are some true side-chain AUv3 options.
4Pockets Compressor is one... there may be others.
I like to use Perforator for this effect
Had to +1 this. Bought the app on a sale and I didn't know how powerful it was until I used it.
Ah, I'd read somewhere that there was some iOS limitation (or maybe it was AUM) that made true sidechain compression impossible, but maybe I've got the wrong idea?
The 4Pockets Compressor for sidechain ducker effect is OK-ish. For a more exaggerated effect I would recommend (non-AUv3) AUFX:Push.
The limitation is on the hosts’ side. IOS provides the mechanism but no hosts have implemented support for it yet.
However, some apps have hacked a way around that by streaming between instances of themselves. I’m going from memory of what I’ve read here, so I can’t say which apps do this.
Yes that does ring a bell.
AUM properly hosts 4pockets Comp for true sidechaining between 2 instances last I checked... not sure what the limitations are
Yes, this is one that works by sending between two instances of itself. I think WoodPressor is another. That, however, is a bit trickery to get around the lack of support in hosts for the IOS sidechain feature that doesn’t require sending between two instances.
Pro Q is an example of an app that implemented side-chaining in the standard way and subsequently can’t actually do side-chaining until hosts support it. https://www.fabfilter.com/forum/5850/sidechain-aum?replies=6
Gadget 2 allows you to side chain inside the app.
Can you explain briefly how I would use Perforator to do this please? In AUM, I mean. Thanks 😊
By the way, sidechain is built into MixBox CS also, so no extras needed.
Sure, it's an oversimplification, but side chain compression effectively lowers the volume of a sound in proportion to the volume of the side-chained sound as it comes in. So, if you're sending a rhythmic kick on the side chain, the compressor "ducks" the sound of whatever it's affecting according to the transient of the kick as it comes in.
With Perforator, you have a pattern of bars that you can use to reduce the volume of a sound put through it. You also have envelope controls to affect the shape of the volume reduction. If you lower bars in the same rhythm that you would be sending with a side chained kick, you can do much the same thing a compressor would do.
Here's a simple four on the floor pattern that would be like sending a side-chained kick on each beat. It's ducking the sound of a pad sent from Sunrizer.
This isn't as useful for ducking the sound of an actual kick in the mix since you'd have to replicate the kick pattern in Perforator, but if all you're going for is a rhythmically ducked sound then it's actually easier to set up and far more flexible than side chain compression. The key word is "fake" here.
I hope that makes sense. If not, then let me know.
AUFX Push has been able to side chain since before AU existed too.
Bought Audio Damage Pumphouse yesterday for €0,99. Awesome for fake side chaining. The thing is, the live visual input makes it very clear what you are doing. Perforator seems cool for this job as well.