Sidechain compression without audible key source

[Giannis]

How do I set up a compressor and then side chain it to a, for example, kick - without having to have the kick sounding?

If I use a bus as the input to the compressor the bus must be sounding - I can't leave it muted.

[drumdandrum]

I've never done this but....

Try setting up a send on the "kick" channel. Rename the send "kick key". Turn the "kick" VOLUME fader all the way down. On the "kick key" SEND fader check the PFL button (Pre Fader Level). Activate side chaining on your desired compressor with the side chain assigned to the corresponding bus, "kick key", you set up on the send of the "kick" track. Set up your compressor with you desired settings and you should see a gain reduction whenever the "kick" channel triggers, no matter the fader level.

Hope this helps.....
Hope this is right......

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by drumdandrum

I've never done this but....

Try setting up a send on the "kick" channel. Rename the send "kick key". Turn the "kick" VOLUME fader all the way down. On the "kick key" SEND fader check the PFL button (Pre Fader Level). Activate side chaining on your desired compressor with the side chain assigned to the corresponding bus, "kick key", you set up on the send of the "kick" track. Set up your compressor with you desired settings and you should see a gain reduction whenever the "kick" channel triggers, no matter the fader level.

Hope this helps.....
Hope this is right......

That should work fine. As an alternative, just set the Kick track output to an open bus. Then use that same bus as the sidechain input to your compressor.

[Greg Malcangi]

Originally Posted by Giannis

How do I set up a compressor and then side chain it to a, for example, kick - without having to have the kick sounding?

Set the "output" of the kick track to say "bus 1", set the sidechain of the compressor to "bus 1". Done!

G

EDIT: I didn't see Albee's post, we must have posted and nearly the same time.

[Max H.]

Somehow I've never noticed the PFL button on sends, thanks for that. Also- why do sidechains only accept a mono key input?

[Giannis]

Thanks for helping out!

[jrgillam]

I have typically used the method of creating a send, setting it to pre-fader, and muting the trigger signal. Lately I decided to try the method of setting the output of the kick trigger track to the sidechain bus, but when I do this I notice that my compressor makes clicking noises that don't occur when I use a send rather than the actual output of the track. I have tried the BF76 and the Avid Channel Strip and both yield clicking at the attack.

Shouldn't both methods yield identical results? Why the clicking noise?

[groundcontrol]

Feed your key buss from a pre-fade send.

[jrgillam]

As I described, that's what I do. But i want to know why the other way doesn't work the same! Sheer curiosity.

[groundcontrol]

Bypassing a pan stage changes you're gain structure. Have you tried dropping the level by whatever your pan gain-law is (for ex.: -2.5 dB and -3.5 dB are some typical pan laws).

Just thinking aloud here...