Forget Sidechain Compression, Do THIS Instead 🤯 (MORE Track Separation!)
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- Sidechain compression is a great method of creating separation between sounds, but there's a better way....Multiband Sidechain Compression.
In this video, Toronto music producer and mixer 5PiECE overviews how he uses multiband sidechain compression on competing sounds to achieve better separation between them.
This includes common applications such as sidechain compresion on the kick and bass, but also other sidechain compression techniques for mixing over 2-track beats - great if you're a DIY artist that doesn't have access to track-outs all the time.
If you are looking to learn how to use sidechain compression in Pro Tools, or really any DAW, then this is the video for you. This technique will help you achieve more transparent results than the standard sidechain compression we're all used to using.
🔊 PLUGINS USED IN THIS VIDEO 🔊
FabFilter Pro-MB - bit.ly/3gE7QN7
FabFilter Pro Q3 - bit.ly/3q5B6k2
🎸SONGS USED IN THIS VIDEO 🎹
"AWE" by SRE - open.spotify.com/track/6YphNz...
📲 SOCIAL MEDIA 📲
WEBSITE - www.5piecemusic.com
SPOTIFY - spoti.fi/3xq3C2q
INSTAGRAM - / 5piece
FACEBOOK - / 5piece
TWITTER - / 5piecemusic
RUclips - / 5piece
🎞️STOCK FOOTAGE & SOUND EFFECTS 🎞️
Sound Effects from Gfx Sounds - gfxsounds.com
Stock Video from Pexels - www.pexels.com
CHAPTERS
0:00 A Better Way To Sidechain Compress Tracks
0:24 What Is Sidechain Compression?
0:58 How Is Multiband Sidechain Compression Better?
1:42 Example Session Explained
2:15 Identifying Competing Sounds
2:43 Inserting Send on Key
3:10 Put Compressor on Sound To Be Reduced
3:45 Where Should I Put Compressor in Plugin Chain?
4:39 Set Up Compressor To Recognize Key
4:57 Identify Key Frequency Range
6:47 Set Up Multiband Sidechain Compressor
7:26 Multiband Compressor Starter Settings
7:33 Set The Ratio
8:04 Set The Range
8:22 Set The Attack & Release
8:33 Set The Threshold
9:59 Pumping & Ducking Considerations
10:14 Revise The Attack & Release
10:20 Revising The Attack
11:36 Revising The Release
13:36 Other Use Cases
15:24 Applying This To Vocal & Instrumental Subgroups
16:07 Setting Everything Up (Again)
16:34 Identifying Vocal (Key) Frequency Range
18:23 Multiband Sidechain Compression Settings
18:59 Setting Threshold
20:21 Identifying Exactly What We're Losing
20:59 Alternative Ways To Apply Multiband Sidechain Compression
21:23 Revising The Attack & Release
22:54 Should I Add Make-Up Gain?
23:17 Using The Dry/Wet Mix Function
24:45 Alternative Ways To Create Separation Between Sounds
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Copyright 5PiECE Music 2024
There’s a few items I decided to leave out of this video to prevent it from being crazy long, but I wanted to address them in this pinned comment 📌
I may also update this from time to time based on the comments to clarify any potential confusion.
1) YOU CAN USE A MULTIBAND COMPRESSOR LIKE A NORMAL SIDECHAIN COMPRESSOR. I didn’t explicitly say this, but you can see I actually use the Pro-MB like a normal sidechain compressor in the demonstration at 1:04. Simply select the entire frequency range, from the lowest to highest frequency, and you are effectively achieving the same thing as any other sidechain comperssor. It’s a bit pointless as it doesn’t take advantage of the benefits of multiband, but at least you know its an option.
2) YOU CAN USE THE DRY/WET MIX ON INDIVIDUAL SOUNDS TOO.
I actually cut this part out of the video for length purposes - but just like how I adjusted the DRY/WET mix on the Vocal & Instrumental example at 23:29, you can do the same on individual sounds that utilize multiband sidechain compression to achieve more transparent results.
3) WHAT TO DO IF THE SIDECHAIN COMPRESSOR IS DOING TOO MUCH, OR NOT ENOUGH?
In these scenarios, I typically explore a few strategies:
A) Adjust the THRESHOLD to achieve a different gain reaction - reducing it or making it weaker if the compression is too much, or increasing it or making it more noticeable if the compression isn’t enough.
B) Adjust the RANGE to increase or decrease the maximum amount of gain reduction to take place. If -3db of gain reduction is too much/not enough, then you can adjust it to be higher or lower. Doing this may require you to re-address your threshold as mentioned in option A.
C) Use the DRY/WET mix knob. This is usually best for situations where the compression is too much and you want to make it more transparent, or less noticeable as mentioned in my previous point.
What else do you want to know about multiband sidechain compression that wasn’t clear in the video?
Leave your comments down below and I’ll update this pinned comment to answer where appropriate.
5 with another great video dropping gems!
Appreciate you! 🙏🏼
BRAVO!
Thank you 🙏🏼
🔥🔥🔥
Thank you slick!! 🙏🏼
Good lesson 5! What are your thoughts using Soothe2 instead of Pro-MB for same technique?
Could work just as well if shaped correctly! I will have to experiment with it myself to fully confirm but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work 🚀
How about soothe2 here 5piece since it also have attack and release knob? Great explanation btw.
If you want to get fancy and use Soothe2, you absolutely can! I’m just a big Pro MB fan and user as you can tell 😁
Excellent. If there is no sidechain input in a DAW can you use channel sends/busses to trigger the conpressor? Thsnk you.
Yup, you should be able to. I know Ableton for example would have all the routing set up already, you just need to select your key trigger from the sidechain menu of the compressor (or whatever tool) you’re using.
Pro Tools does things in a more manual step-by-step way as it’s for all aspects of audio (such as music production, and audio post production for film) which requires different approaches depending on what you’re doing. This makes it great due to workflow customizability depending on the project, but also can be clunky and tedious as you can imagine 🫠
Hi there. Thanks for replying. So if there are only buss sends & returns, what are the steps to trigger a psuedo side chain? I assume the 'trigger" would be the mastsr sound ex' a kick drum fed to a compressor which is inserted on the target track (bass). An automation lane could be used to switch the compressor in/out as desired. Or you could insert a volume keyframe or gain automation lane on the desired target track to cut by increments of .5dB to 3dB until you achieve the desired 'ducking'.
@@SouthYarraManif I understand correctly, you could also create something like a ghost trigger.
This is essentially a copy of a sound you want to trigger compression, but with its own unique arrangement. This sound is muted and cannot be heard in the track itself, but it is there for this exclusive purpose. People do this with ghost kicks for example.
This is helpful if you don’t want your normal kick to always/perpetually trigger compression and don’t want to mess with automation. A ghost kick can be a simple copy of your existing kick with some arrangement adjustments to achieve the intended effect - but typically this is done more for sound design (ducking) purposes than mix separation purposes like I’m showcasing here in this vid.
You can see how there a few ways to do this AND different reasons why you’d use it, so I definitely recommend experimenting and seeing what suits your track’s needs
@@SouthYarraManI realize I entirely misunderstood your question LOL. What DAW are you using? That may be more helpful to steer this convo.
@@5piece My DAW has no side chain in or out but does have the usual channel sends & returns. So my question is how to use those as faux triggers. In theory you are using one signal, ex' a kick drum, to trigger a compressor, & then compress another sound on a unique track. So a send ought to do this? A simpler way would be to add an automation lane & either add keyframe gain reduction or make on-clip adjustments. Probably there are other ways, but that is what springs to mind. I haven't tried this as yet so just airing the questiob. Thanks for the respinses!
With respect to sidechaining, is there ever a situation where you would reach for a dynamic EQ over a MB compressor?
These days they’re becoming very interchangeable. I give multiband the leg up because it usually gives you control of more parameters like attack, release and more (typically) than a dynamic EQ does (although some offer the same functionality). Despite that, it really boils down to you, your preference and if one is suited better to a situation in your workflow. Maybe dialling in a dynamic EQ is easier for you and therefore preferred. I don’t think there’s a wrong answer
@5piece Thank you for the insight, I really appreciate it. I wasn't sure if there could be a difference in the perceived loudness of the affected track; with the EQ simply turning down the gain of the frequencies, and the MB compressing those frequencies.
I've also heard of people arguing for one over the other due to their diffetences in how they affect phase relationships. It's never been enough for me to be able to notice, but wasn't sure if that was simply due to my novice ear haha.
Thanks again! Your content is incredibly informative and helpful.
@@cody538happy to help and totally hear you.
A lot of debates in audio tend to be pointless and ego based. I’ve certainly suffered of that myself in the past 🫠 but older, wiser me knows better and understands that whatever sounds best or is easiest to execute is the winning method.
Listeners/fans don’t care about how it was executed, they just care if it sounds good!