SIMPLE GATE SIDECHAIN

So that the topic „sidechaining“ won’t become too abstract and complicated we’ll get to the ACTION and show You with a typical example, how the Simple Gate Sidechain will ease Your work.

Let’s start with a Kick and a Bass. Both follow a simple pattern – so in a recurring sequence. The kick hits the typical 4/4 rhythm. The bass plays a simple 1/8 pattern. Now we want to combine both sounds in a way, so that this simple groove will get a cool dynamic and more pressure. Let’s go…

STEP 1 – Programming Kick & Bass

Kick – 4/4 tact pattern

Bass – 8/8 tact pattern

RESULT – Step 1

We receive the following result by running Kick and Bass together. You can see and hear, that both signals fight with each other, but none of them is punching through the mix – no trace of dynamic yet!

Kick + Bass with Simple Gate Sidechain

STEP 2 – Bass with Simple Gate Sidechain

Now we put our Simple Gate Sidechain Ableton Live Plug-in on the Bass and choose the Kick as Sidechain Trigger signal to create more space for the Kick in the playback.

Bass with Simple Gate Sidechain

RESULT – Step 2

When You combine both signals again, You’ll notice quickly, that the head starts to bob back and forth slightly. Now Kick and Bass found their right spot in the sequence. We’re on the right track! However we’ll visually notice, that a transient is generated in the transition from „Kick-Tail“ to „Bass impact“, which is harder/louder/higher than the „Pick“ of the Kick. It is our goal to put the impact of the Kick as dominant element into the foreground!

Kick & ONLY Bass with Simple Gate Sidechain

STEP 3 – Kick with Reverse Simple Gate Sidechain

How do we get rid of the unwanted transients now. It’s fairly easy – just like this. We put a new instance of the Simple Gate Sidechain Plug-In on the Kick. Now we apply the flip, in other words the Reverse Sidechain. We again use the Kick as a Trigger – in this case through the reversal, to be more exact, the reversed envelope of the Kick. Now we shorten the swinging phase of the Kick-Tail until the unwanted transient disappears.

Kick with Reverse Simple Gate Sidechain

RESULT – Step 3

In the result of step 3 You can finally see and hear, that the kick and bass perfectly interlock. Through balancing of the wave form of kick and bass, the groove instantly achieves a healthy average volume (RMS Level) for a DYNAMIC and LOUD Banger.

Kick + Bass mit Simple Gate Sidechain

This is to be contained in the download:

You’ll receive a .rar archive with the download

The unpacked folder of the .rar-file contains following files

Technical requirements:

You need the current release of the Ableton Live (Version 9.6 or higher) and Your computer should have the following technical requirements:

Intel® Mac with Mac OS X 10.7 or higher, or PC with Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10; Multicore Prozessor; 4 GB RAM; 1024×768 Display