← Mixing Fundamentals
🔗 Sidechain Compression
Use one sound to duck another — the secret behind that pumping kick & bass.
Kick / Bass Sidechain
Kick50%
Bass (ducked)90%
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What is Sidechain Compression?
Sidechain compression turns one sound's volume down whenever another sound plays. It's the secret to that pumping dance-music feel.
- A normal compressor reacts to its own input. A sidechained compressor reacts to a different input.
- Common setup: kick triggers a compressor on the bass. Every kick hit, the bass dips.
- The result: kick and bass don't fight for low-frequency space.
- Watch the meter pump in time with the kick — that rhythmic motion is the sidechain effect.
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