Sidechaining is a production technique where an effect on one audio track is controlled by another audio track. It’s commonly used to create space in mixes, enhance rhythm, and achieve pumping effects. This article will explain what is sidechaining, how it works, and show practical examples of its usage in music production.

Understanding Sidechaining

Sidechaining is a production technique where an effect is activated by an audio track. The term ‘sidechain’ refers to ‘side signal chain,’ indicating a different input source for the compressor. This process allows one sound to control the volume of another sound, making it a powerful tool in music production.

Sidechain compression, in particular, is used to create space in a mix, unmask competing sounds, add groove, and create interesting effects for vocals. It enhances the relationship between kick and bass tracks, making the low end of the mix sound more cohesive. This technique helps different audio signals fit various instruments together and reduces muddiness through gain manipulation.

Commonly used in genres like dance music, house, and techno, sidechaining is pivotal in creating those characteristic pumping effects that define the rhythmic feel of these genres. But its applications go beyond just rhythm; it can highlight elements like vocals and kick drums, ensuring they are clear and prominent in the mix.

How Sidechain Compression Works

Sidechain compression works by adjusting a track’s volume based on another track’s levels. Essentially, a compressor modifies the output volume of one track depending on the input signal from another track. This technique is particularly useful in ensuring that certain elements of a mix do not overshadow others.

Understanding how sidechain compression operates involves grasping a few key concepts. The compressor, triggered by a sidechain input, reduces the volume of the target track, creating space in the mix. This process can be fine-tuned using various sidechain settings to achieve the desired effect.

The Role of Compressors

Compressors play a crucial role in audio production by managing the dynamic range to create impactful audio transformations. The sidechain input provides the compressor with the necessary signal to determine how much to reduce the volume of the audio.

Dynamic range in audio refers to the difference in volume levels between the quietest and loudest parts, measured in decibels (dB), which compressors help to control efficiently. By using sidechain compression, producers can make room for melodies and balance elements in the mix, ensuring keys sit well alongside kick and bass without overpowering the mix.

What is a Sidechain Input?

A sidechain input serves as a distinct key input that influences the main output of the compressor. This input signal determines how the compressor reacts and applies its effect.

The sidechain input allows one track to control the dynamics of another. For example, a kick drum can trigger compression on a bass track, ensuring that the bass ducks in volume every time the kick hits, creating a more defined low end.

Internal vs. External Sidechain Inputs

Internal sidechain filters can selectively ignore certain frequencies during compression, making them ideal for situations requiring precise control over specific frequency ranges. On the other hand, external sidechain inputs can utilize any audio signal to trigger compression, offering more versatile control over mixing elements.

The choice between internal and external sidechain inputs depends on the desired outcome in the mix. Internal sidechain filters are perfect for sculpting specific frequencies, while external sidechain inputs offer broader audio interactions, making them suitable for more creative applications.

Practical Applications of Sidechaining

Sidechain compression enables one sound to modulate the volume of another to create rhythmic patterns. This technique helps in making different elements in a mix support each other rather than clash. When used correctly, sidechain compression can enhance the cohesiveness of a mix by ensuring elements fit well together.

Sidechain compression can also be creatively employed to give vocals presence without overpowering other elements. Creating space in mixes allows one sound to breathe during the presence of another, adding dynamic contrasts within a mix.

Kick Drum and Bass

Sidechain compression is primarily used in electronic music to create space for the kick drum and enhance the energetic vibe of the mix. When the kick drum plays, it triggers a reduction in the volume of the bass track, allowing it to duck and preventing muddiness in the low end.

Setting up sidechain compression involves selecting the kick channel as input and adjusting the threshold, attack, and ratio for the bass track. However, challenges in sidechain compression include dealing with imperfect kick waveforms, which can cause inaccurate sidechain responses and effects.

Vocals

Sidechain compression ducks instruments to give more space and volume to vocals. This technique helps vocals cut through reverb and blend with other elements. By ducking backing tracks like guitars, sidechain compression increases the prominence of vocals.

Sidechaining reverb is a common technique in music production. This method removes the reverb from the mix whenever the dry vocal signal plays. This creates a cleaner vocal track by fading out the reverb, ensuring the vocal fits well in the mix.

Synths and Pads

Using sidechain compression on pads can enhance the rhythmic feel in genres like house and techno. By creatively applying sidechain compression, producers can create lush, evolving sound textures with pads and synths.

Producers can effectively utilize Submerge in various music genres to create unique sound profiles, making it an invaluable tool for music production.

Creative Uses of Sidechaining

Sidechain compression is frequently used for rhythmic enhancement in music production. The rhythmic quality often comes from a kick drum triggering compression on sustained sounds.

Sidechain compression can be creatively used to enhance loudness, transparency, and power; create vocal ducking; and improve rhythmic cohesion. Submerge is designed to facilitate creative ducking and pumping effects without the need for traditional compressor sidechain setups.

Pumping Effects

The pumping sound effect is often achieved in electronic music by linking the kick drum’s output to the compressor controlling the bass. This effect gives tracks an energetic and dynamic feel, making the music more engaging.

Rhythmic Variations

Sidechain compression can be creatively employed to emphasize specific rhythmic elements by using signals from percussion instruments. By employing sidechain techniques, producers can craft unique rhythmic patterns that enhance listener engagement.

Layered sidechaining involves applying multiple sidechain effects across various elements to create intricate rhythmic patterns, enhancing the overall dynamics of a track.

Atmospheric Textures

Layering multiple sidechain effects can create a more intricate and evolving sound once more textures. Using sidechain compression creatively allows for the development of unique sonic textures and atmospheres.

These layered effects can contribute to unique soundscapes, enhancing the overall listening experience. Musicians and producers can experiment with various combinations of sidechain effects to create depth and movement within their tracks. This mix sounds great.

Introducing Slate Digital’s Submerge

Designed to create innovative ducking and pumping effects, Slate Digital’s Submerge enhances control over sound shape and depth, offering a streamlined approach to achieving these effects.

What is Submerge?

Submerge is an advanced automatic sidechain plugin created by Slate Digital that facilitates unique ducking and pumping effects. It is compatible with PCs running Windows 10 or 11 and Macs running macOS 10.15 or later. Submerge requires an Intel or Apple silicon processor for Mac users and is authorized using PACE’s iLok system.

Submerge does not require a subscription, making it easily accessible for users.

Key Features of Submerge

Submerge offers three different Trigger modes: auto sync, MIDI, and audio, enhancing flexibility in sound manipulation. Customizable control curves in Submerge allow for more precise adjustments to the ducking effect through Morph and Depth controls.

The plugin includes eight distinct onboard effects that expand its versatility, including High and Low Duck modes, Gain M/S option, and filtering options. Submerge is designed to enhance sound shaping and control, streamlining the process of achieving sidechain effects.

Benefits of Using Submerge

Submerge simplifies using a compressor’s side-chain input for creative ducking and pumping effects. Unlike traditional sidechain compression, Submerge provides more control over the shape and depth of the affected sound without the need to set up a compressor sidechain in a DAW.

With eight effect types, including high and low shelf EQs, high and low pass filters, and sample rate reduction, Submerge allows for versatile sound shaping.

How to Use Submerge in Your Mix

A variable threshold can enhance the responsiveness of sidechain effects. Reference tracks offer perspective and guidance, helping mix engineers compare their work to professionally mixed songs.

Setting Up Submerge

Use the threshold slider in Submerge to determine the activation level of the control curve. Adjust the speed slider in Submerge to modify the timing of the control curve’s response.

Select the appropriate trigger mode in Submerge to fit your mix style, considering options like auto sync, MIDI, or audio triggers. After setting up Submerge, play your kick and bass to ensure the sidechain effect is functioning as desired.

Fine-Tuning Your Sound

Submerge is an innovative automatic sidechain plugin that facilitates unique ducking and pumping effects without the complexity of traditional compressor setups. The Morph knob in Submerge modifies the release and hold time for control curves.

The Depth knob affects the intensity of the control curve on the selected effect, while the Tweak knob interacts with different effects to create unique sound alterations.

Real-World Examples

Submerge is Slate Digital’s automatic sidechain plugin designed to simplify the process of creative ducking and pumping effects. Key features of Submerge include three trigger modes (auto sync, MIDI, audio), customizable control curves, and onboard effects that enhance the user experience.

In kick drum and bass interactions, Submerge allows for cleaner low-end mixes by effectively ducking the bass track in response to kick hits. When applied to vocal tracks, Submerge can duck other elements, making the vocals stand out more prominently in the mix.

Submerge can also be utilized on synths and pads to create rhythmic dynamics and spatial effects within electronic dance music.

Advanced Sidechaining Techniques

Bass ducking is frequently used in music production to lower bass levels in response to kick drum hits. Submerge provides greater flexibility in sound design compared to traditional sidechain compression, allowing for more creative and complex audio effects.

The plugin’s customizable control curves enable a wide range of effects, from subtle to extreme, simplifying the process of achieving detailed and imaginative sound shaping with a reverb plugin. Let’s dive into some of these advanced techniques.

Multi-Band Sidechaining

Submerge includes sample rate reduction effects that can be used for frequency-selective ducking. Multi-band sidechaining allows for precise control of dynamics across different frequency ranges.

Frequency-selective ducking enables audio engineers to apply compression to specific frequency bands without affecting the entire signal, enhancing mix clarity by allowing different elements to coexist without masking each other in the frequency range of the frequency spectrum.

Parallel Compression

Parallel compression is a mixing technique used to enhance the sound and dynamic range of instruments without overwhelming the mix. It works by blending a heavily compressed version of a track with the original signal, allowing for greater control over dynamics while preserving the natural sound.

Combining sidechaining with parallel compression allows for dynamic control, ducking certain elements while still maintaining the presence of the original signal. This blend creates a powerful mixing tool that can add depth and punch to the mix, making it particularly beneficial in genres like electronic dance music and hip hop.

Layered Sidechaining

Layered sidechaining is the technique of applying multiple sidechain effects, allowing for greater depth and complexity in mixes. This technique can be utilized to duck different elements in a mix, such as vocals, drums, and synths, creating a more dynamic sound field.

Using different attack and release times on layered elements can create a vibrant sonic interaction that enhances the overall energy. Mastering layered sidechaining unlocks countless creative possibilities in music production, inviting experimentation and innovation.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Using a compressor on poorly recorded tracks can amplify their flaws, making it crucial to ensure source quality before applying compression. Overcompressing or applying compression improperly to a busy track can lead to undesirable results, and using sidechain EQ can help target specific frequencies.

Improper attack and release settings can lead to muffled sounds or unwanted pumping effects, requiring careful adjustments for clarity. Setting the compressor’s ratio too high can result in distortion or a lack of dynamics in the mix, demanding a balanced approach to compression.

Employing a high-pass filter can mitigate low-frequency muddiness and resonances that cause erratic compressor behavior.

Summary

In summary, sidechaining is an indispensable technique for modern music production, providing a method to create space, enhance rhythmic elements, and add dynamic contrasts to your mixes. From understanding the basics of sidechain compression to exploring advanced techniques and creative applications, mastering this skill can transform your productions.

Slate Digital’s Submerge plugin simplifies the sidechaining process, offering innovative tools and effects that make achieving professional-sounding results easier than ever. By incorporating these techniques and tools into your workflow, you can create more impactful and polished mixes, setting your music apart from the rest. Ready to take your mixes to the next level? Dive into sidechaining and let your creativity shine.