This Ableton Live tutorial, via DubSpot, takes an in-depth look at sidechain compression in Ableton Live:
Dubspot instructor and Ableton Live expert Steve Nalepa shows how to use the Compressor-Sidechain audio effect in Ableton Live.
Put simply, Sidechain Compression allows “different elements of your songs to essentially dance together.” Professor Nalepa starts by creating a simple dubstep drum pattern (kick and snare), adds a couple of synths which overpowered the drums, basically drowning the kick and snare. To remedy this imbalance, Nalepa select the synth tracks and grouped them together, and worked on the tracks/elements individually, reducing volume and adding effects.
The popular effect has been used by a number of unique electronic and dance music producers from Daft Punk and Justice to newer artists like Baths and Nosaj Thing extraordinary results.
Parts 2 & 3 of the sidechain compression tutorial below.
Sidechain Compression in Ableton Live P2
Ableton Live Tutorial: Sidechain Compression Pt 3/3
Another expert who needs to emphase he's an "Ableton Live expert" yet immediately demonstrates the opposite somewhat. "There's 3 audio effects in Live which have the side chain feature: auto filter, compressor and the gate".
Bzzzzzt.
There's 4. Corpus also has the side chain feature. Yes, I know it features midi and not audio, that wasn't the point here; we were talking side chaining.
Maybe I'm oversensitive; but if someone easily calls himself an expert yet doesn't seem to know his facts then well….
2nd. This doesnt even bother explaining the REAL concept behind sidechain compression. Every child can click the "sidechain" tab on abletons compressor. Learning to sidechain in FL Studio was more interesting imho…at least then I could actually see what was happening.
Sidechaining is by far the easiest and the funnest in Renoise using the signal follower tool.
Im still confused as to why there is a new 'here is how to sidechain in ableton' video every freaking 2 weeks. It has to be one of the easiest things to do in ableton, why dont they just have a video with the page and line number in the manual to where they explain the sidechain tab and be done with it. If you cant figure it out from hitting the sidechain popout and choosing an input, your a freaking retard and really have a lot more to learn before you start using any daw
I feel that I have actually yet to find a useful Ableton tutorial by and "expert". The only person I've seen doing more advance things is Tom Cosm.
I think most "successful" musicians today would probably hide their secrets to prevent people from coping them. We really don't need 5 Nosaj Things and Baths. Not that Side Chaining is a secret or anything.
fuckin sidechains.. HOW DO THEY WORK?
Pure motherfucking magic.
Look at the rest of you guys hatin! haha, well I enjoyed the post, wish you would've put all 3 parts in the post but it works.
In this case;; Sidechaining uses an audio signal (i.e.: kick)l to trigger the compressor instead of the input gain from the signal itself…
The guy is just trying to be helpful. He doesn't have to waste his time doing any of these videos. Also, since I'm guessing none of you motherfuckers are consistently in the Beatport top 10, stop looking up tutorial videos if you are only going to rant!