Using a short drum sample, like a cowbell (everything needs more cowbell), you can make your original sound duck according to your cowbell rhythm.Īnd the best part is that because sidechaining depends on the signal and not perceived volume, you can silence the cowbell track and only use sidechaining for the rhythms themselves. Because sidechaining is dependent on the output signal from another track, you can use this to your advantage. Sidechaining For RhythmĪnother great use of sidechaining is for creating fascinating rhythms and grooves.

In that case, a quick and easy way to achieve this is by using a sidechain. There are also other times when you want a particular sound or effect to get heard in a mix. Producers often use sidechaining to make their kick pop through in their mix, rather than get buried from their deep basslines. The most obvious reason is, of course, for straight-up mixing purposes, as previously mentioned. While many mainly use the effect to enhance their kick and bass relationship, there are many other areas where you can apply sidechaining. Sidechaining is an essential music production technique that every producer needs in their toolbox. You can also use it with effects like reverb or delay. And most importantly – without sidechaining, your kick can lose a lot of its impact.įurthermore, sidechaining can also be used as an effect or to create or enhance the rhythm. Because the lower frequencies are having a constant battle for space in the mix, not using sidechain can cause rough phasing issues and muddiness. As the kick and bassline dominate the lower frequency spectrum, sidechaining gives your kick room to breathe by temporarily lowering your bass’s volume. Most commonly used for the kick and bass, the sidechaining technique is used to lower the volume of the bass every time a kick drum hits. In other words: apply sidechain to your sound, choose another it should react to, and the volume lowers when your desired sound plays.

Sidechaining is a compression technique to make your sound “duck” the output signal of another channel. While it's mostly used to make your kick pop in your track, it's often used on other instruments and effects as well, for both rhythmic and creative purposes. You have most likely encountered sidechaining while listening to your favorite music. But how do you sidechain in Ableton, and what exactly is sidechaining? Sidechaining is a prevalent technique responsible for the ducking basslines and sounds you hear in your favorite house, techno, and – tracks in pretty much every genre out there.

Fl studio 12 how to sidechain