Sidechaining stereo signals in SX2

[danielmarshall]

Just wondering how you people go about sidechaining stereo signals. I split the signal to be ducked into left and right mono signals, then into two separate Waves c1 comp-sc plugins using the same key and finally route them (panned hard left and right) to a stereo group for mixing. This works, but it seems very clumsy. Is it the only way to do this, or am I missing something?

[TechMouse]

Get the TC Native plugins.

Much easier + will do it in stereo for you.

[loopdon]

this might be a cool alternative:

http://www.twistedlemon.nl/site/images/stories/VSTpics/sidekickv3site.jpg

Description
The SideKick is a sidechain emulator for the VST platform.

This is the 1st release candidate of version 3. If you find a bug please report this to me by email.
emailantibotspam.gif


What's new?
The SideKickV3 is stereo and has it's own routing system to select sidechain(s). Now you just have to load 2 Sidekick's in 2 seperate channels and link them together. The goal was to make quick an easy solution for stereo sidechaining in VST hosts.

What does it do?
As said before this plugin acts as a sidechain emulator. 'Sidechaining' is useing one audio stream to influence the amplitude of another audio stream. For instance a basskick track/channel that pushes the amplitude down of another channel/track every time the basskick sounds. Named 'ducking'.

Usage

Routing

Sending audio input to virtual channel
The selection to which channel the audio is send, is done automaticly. Each time a instance of the plugin is created it will send it's stereo audio-input to a different virtual channel. When there are no virtual channels left a red X is displayed. You can see to which virtual channel the audio is send under the SidekKickV3 logo in the plugin GUI.

The virtual channels stereo and are accessible by all other instances of the SideKickV3 plugin. (There are max. 4 channels available namely; Alpa, Beta, Gamma & Delta).

Receiveing audio (sidechaining your audio)
To receive audio from the virtual channels Alpha, Beta, Gamma and/or Delta, do the following:
Open a SideKickV3 on the (stereo)channel you want to sidechain and select the virtual channels (Alpha, Beta, Gamma and/or Delta) under 'use virtual channel' to use the audio on those virtual channels as sidechain input.

Note: This plugin needs to be loaded twice into 2 seperate channels in your VST host to be able to work. Because the plugins can 'see' eachother and use each others audio input.

Bypass
Is turned on by default... don't forget to turn it off, if you want to sidechain your audio ;-)

Ducking/Keying (invert the effect)
Ducking only lets audio though when theres NO audio on the sidechain. When keying does the opposite.

Attack
The attack of the keying or ducking effect. (0 to 2000 miliseconds)

Release
The release of the keying or ducking effect. (0 to 1000 miliseconds)

Note: when both attack and release are set really low its possible to heart a crackle. This is normal and I left it in because I think it is musically effective. (it sounds cool...)

Threshold
The threshold selects the minimum level (in dB) where the effect can detect audio on the sidechain for the effect.

Effect strenght
Gives a visual representation of the current strenght of the effect.


Restrictions / Limitations
The 1st restriction is not to have 2 projects opened at the same time which both use the SideKickV3.
The SideKickV3 is not tested for useage with 2 or more openend projects that both simultaniously use the SideKickV3 at the same time. This could cause the plugin not to function. Especially if both projects want to use the same virtual channels.
Also, the SideKickV3 can not function across 2 seperate hosts. In theory it should work if both hosts are useing the same buffersize. But the SideKickV3 is not designed for this purpose and is therefore not recommended.
In Ableton live (maybe in other host's too): When you have a project open that uses the SideKickV3 and then directly open another saved project that also used the SideKickV3, can cause the effect not to function.
- A remedy is to 'first close' the 1st project and then open the 2nd project

http://www.twistedlemon.nl/

http://www.twistedlemon.nl/site/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid= 1&Itemid=28

[eyeswithoutaface]

yep Sidekick is a sweet little plugin, i use it occasionally and it does the job quite nicely

[danielmarshall]

Thanks guys, that answered my question very nicely :)