side chain compression -with plug ins

[fuzzface777]

What exactly is sidechain compression? I notice my rtas plugs have a button for siden chain compression..... Before I had the rtas compressor plug, I thought that side chain compression was basically a submix bussed out to an aux compressor.... So I guess I don't know.... help

What is side chain compression work best on ? or which situations?

Last, the digi dynamics III suite, has dyn III limiter/compressor. I now have the Massey L2007 so I guess using this as a limiter has been mad obsolete. However, how do I use it as a compressor???? I always figured it to be more of a limiter. My Massey compressor is a compressor, sounds like a compressor.... so what of the dyn III lim/comp plug? useless?

[emeline-rec]

this means you can use a different source which the compressor with react to (the side chain). so for instance if you side chained a vocal track into a compressor over guitar bus then the compressor would react when the vocal goes over the threshold but the compression will pull down on the guitars if you get my meaning.

it means you are sending a source other than the source you are compressing to the compressor units level detection circuit (this is the side chain or key input)

hope this helps and is correct

typical uses are in radio where the compressor is on the music and is side chained to the DJ, so when he or she speaks the music lowers. this is called ducking. you can use this technique to make the kick pull down on the bass guitar or other elements so they pump with the kick, i think daft punk use this alot and dance stuff maybe.

another use might be if you have one frequency that is too loud. so you would duplicate the track you wish to compress, then EQ one track so the problem frequency is identified and prominent. then send this signal to the compressors side chain on the untreated track. the compressor will now only react to the problem frequency.

[luctellier]

You can sidechain the bass with the kick. The kick will activate the compressor on the bass so when the kick is hit, the bass will be attenuated. This can help in hardrock music to glue together the kick/bass and give you a more solid low-end. You just have to put a compressor on the bass channel, setup the key to the kick track, use fastest attack, fast release.

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by fuzzface777

Last, the digi dynamics III suite, has dyn III limiter/compressor. I now have the Massey L2007 so I guess using this as a limiter has been mad obsolete. However, how do I use it as a compressor???? I always figured it to be more of a limiter. My Massey compressor is a compressor, sounds like a compressor.... so what of the dyn III lim/comp plug? useless?

It's a very good compressor. I do prefer the Massey, though, for mixbus limiting.

The Dyn III has a sidechain EQ section so you can tailor the input to the detector. This is a very useful thing in case you want to do something like have the compressor react to a particular frequency more or less.

One thing about the Dyn III is that it seems more hardware-like with regard to the ratios. In other words, 2:1 is totally different than 4:1, etc. whereas with a lot of plugin compressors, it doesn't seem like the ratios are what they say they are.

Also, Dyn III has a lot of gain for a compressor plugin.

[fuzzface777]

wow thanks for quick answers!
Max: how can I indentify when the lim/comp III is being used as a compressor and not a limiter? In other words, are the presets in this RTAS limiter presets or compressor presets?

Could I insert on the master fader, along with my EQ, L2007 and dither ?

To the other guys: In protools, I just need to insert a compressor on the BASS audio track and click on sidechain to the kick drum? Or do I need an aux track?
Sorry for not knowing, but I am trying to learn the tools and THIS is not in my Protools 101 handbook.

[jdjustice]

Originally Posted by fuzzface777

how can I indentify when the lim/comp III is being used as a compressor and not a limiter? In other words, are the presets in this RTAS limiter presets or compressor presets?

compression and 'limiting' occurs on a continuum.
although there is not a definitive point at which compression becomes limiting, most people agree that a compression ratio of 10:1 or greater can be considered limiting.
this is because at a ratio of 10:1, you would need to have input 10dB above the threshold to raise the signal by 1dB.
this, in effect, 'limits' the output signal to make it stay very close to the threshold.

i believe some of the presets in Digi DynIII are 'compression' presets with ratios of 4:1, 2.5:1, etc... and some are 'limiting', with ratios of 10:1 or above.


cheers.
~j.d.

[fuzzface777]

jd thanks for that. It helps !

[Recycled_Brains]

Originally Posted by luctellier

You can sidechain the bass with the kick. The kick will activate the compressor on the bass so when the kick is hit, the bass will be attenuated. This can help in hardrock music to glue together the kick/bass and give you a more solid low-end. You just have to put a compressor on the bass channel, setup the key to the kick track, use fastest attack, fast release.

when you say "setup the key to the kick track", are you using a send on the kick track that's routed to the key input? or are you multing the kick and setting the output of the kick to the key input? or something entirely different....

thanks.

-ryan

[robot gigante]

Originally Posted by Recycled_Brains

when you say "setup the key to the kick track", are you using a send on the kick track that's routed to the key input? or are you multing the kick and setting the output of the kick to the key input?

Either way.

[djui5]

Originally Posted by Recycled_Brains

when you say "setup the key to the kick track", are you using a send on the kick track that's routed to the key input? or are you multing the kick and setting the output of the kick to the key input? or something entirely different....

thanks.

-ryan

Sometimes it's best to use a copy of the kick, so you can nudge it back and forth when needed. You can also eq it differently

[JohnyTheOne]

Originally Posted by luctellier

You can sidechain the bass with the kick. The kick will activate the compressor on the bass so when the kick is hit, the bass will be attenuated. This can help in hardrock music to glue together the kick/bass and give you a more solid low-end. You just have to put a compressor on the bass channel, setup the key to the kick track, use fastest attack, fast release.

I tried this and i got distorted bass. When the kick hits the bass get low but after it becomes distorted.
I use kontakt for drums. So i printed the kick track on an audio track and set the audio track to bus 7-8, on the bass track instantiated an ssl compresor. On the key input i set bus 7 because because i couldn't choose 7-8.

What to do ?

Thanks !

[nikjem]

Well, If you think thenActually, this process can be shortened a lot! You can simply drag the plugin files on the OpenMPT window to register them in the tracker.