how do I use the sidechain compressor effect?

[abcde111]

i understand that a compressor is supposed to "compress" the volume of the target,
and it is often used to created the ducking effect.

but i am completely lost at how to tweak the controls and what they're supposed to do.
i tried out a few things but i'm still clueless.

a little help please?

[diiz]

It's best to just use a regular compressor, and use a peak controller for the sidechaining. Here's how it works:

- Put eg. Calf compressor or SC4 compressor on fx channel 1.
- Set the treshold and ratio so that the volume keeps about level.
- put a peak controller fx on fx channel 2.
- connect the peak controller to the treshold knob on the compressor, and set the peak controller's amt setting negative, so that everytime there's sound in channel 2, it will turn the treshold on channel 1 down, reducing the volume.

Play around with the settings until it sounds right.

[Sti-Jay]

I do not know what a sidechain compressor is, I have never used one. I do as diiz said, use compressors for compression and peak controllers for sidechaining.

I think a sidechain compressor is a compressor which use the level of an output to compress. Higher level would mean higher compression. This would not necessarily sound like the ducking effect (in my head). Have never tried one and don't know how either

[diiz]

I do not know what a sidechain compressor is, I have never used one. I do as diiz said, use compressors for compression and peak controllers for sidechaining.

I think a sidechain compressor is a compressor which use the level of an output to compress. Higher level would mean higher compression. This would not necessarily sound like the ducking effect (in my head). Have never tried one and don't know how either

From the looks of it, Calf Sidechain compressor is a compressor designed for sidechaining. It seems it has a knob on it which is meant for connecting a sidechain to, so it can compress based on the sidechain. In LMMS, you'd attach the peak controller to that knob (S/C level if I'm not mistaken). I'm going to have to try it out the next time I have a need for sidechaining, seems interesting... not sure what exactly it benefits vs. using a regular compressor, but you never know.

[brandystarbrite]

Good thing I found this post again.
Really good info.
I was trying to re-learn sidechaining in Lmms this morning.
And was recently watching some Lmms tutorials, based on that topic too.

[StakeoutPunch]

From the looks of it, Calf Sidechain compressor is a compressor designed for sidechaining. It seems it has a knob on it which is meant for connecting a sidechain to, so it can compress based on the sidechain. In LMMS, you'd attach the peak controller to that knob (S/C level if I'm not mistaken). I'm going to have to try it out the next time I have a need for sidechaining, seems interesting... not sure what exactly it benefits vs. using a regular compressor, but you never know.

Just to answer this, Diiz is correct in that you connect the peak controller to the S/C level knob on the sidechain compressor. I use the sidechain compressor almost exclusively in my projects that require sidechaining.

[brandystarbrite]

Just to answer this, Diiz is correct in that you connect the peak controller to the S/C level knob on the sidechain compressor. I use the sidechain compressor almost exclusively in my projects that require sidechaining.

Wow! Thanks.
I'll check it out again tonight, as soon as I finish relax.