No, I'm pretty sure I understand how a compressor and it's sidechain work; I've been repairing them for 35+ years now.
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Sidechain on comp pedal
- Thread starter Raman
- Start date
You may have missed my previous post. You stated that you’ve used studio compressors that work the way you’ve describe, which I maintain is not possible unless they were already a multiband compressor. I’m happy to be proven wrong, so please indicate which compressors you’ve used or worked on that you believe have the functionality as you’ve described.
I never said anything about multiband compression. The gain reduction element will reduce the gain on anything the detector circuit threshold is triggered by. If a steep rolloff HPF is used, the low frequency fundamentals will be attenuated so greatly that the detector will not produce any gain reduction voltage for varying the gain reduction element, and the signal will pass unaffected, full spectrum. Anything above the HPF corner frequency will indeed trigger the detector and initiate gain reduction.
So again, I don't see how this is very useful.
The comps I have serviced are Orban, DBX, UREI, Allison / Valley, SSL, McCurdy, Ward Beck, and others.
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Quick very basic question here. (Again, very new with this and still at the unboxing and reading the manual step.)
For some reason, I expected the line out would be mono. The fact that it's stereo suggests I should split it into 2 different channels of the mixer so I can pan them left and right in a recording. Is that correct?
Likewise, this suggests I could eventually out one mono to the mixer and then one to the sidechain. But then, I would want the DM to not play stereo and instead send the same signal to each (so as not to have only 1/2 of the audio output coming out of the speakers). But I haven't yet seen if that's possible. Does anybody know theses units enough to confirm?
I'll be going downtown in about 1 hour and will look for a stereo-to-double-mono jack. Just want to make sure that's all I'll need...
For some reason, I expected the line out would be mono. The fact that it's stereo suggests I should split it into 2 different channels of the mixer so I can pan them left and right in a recording. Is that correct?
Likewise, this suggests I could eventually out one mono to the mixer and then one to the sidechain. But then, I would want the DM to not play stereo and instead send the same signal to each (so as not to have only 1/2 of the audio output coming out of the speakers). But I haven't yet seen if that's possible. Does anybody know theses units enough to confirm?
I'll be going downtown in about 1 hour and will look for a stereo-to-double-mono jack. Just want to make sure that's all I'll need...
Correct, I did because your previous posts, as-written, could not be done using a single band compressor. Only a multiband compressor could do what you were describing. This post that I'm quoting is now stating very different things than the previous ones, so perhaps you misspoke previously or you've rethought what's being discussed.
Agreed
Agreed, but to be clear what gets attenuated from a frequency perspective is entirely within the external sidechain feeding the detector circuit. The entire bandwidth will be compressed with no difference to the frequencies occuring above or below the high pass filter's knee frequency with respect to the signal coming out of the output jack, amplitude differences due to the full bandwidth singleband compression notwithstanding. In other words, the compression will not be omitted from anything below the HPF's knee frequency. It can't be. No single band compressor works that way.
@byacey ,
Sure, in a scenario in which the side chain is brick-wall high-pass filtered at 100 Hz and you feed in a 90 Hz sine wave, it won't be compressed.
However, feed in the 90 Hz sine wave and add a 110 Hz sine wave then both the 90 Hz and 110 Hz will be equally compressed based on the 110 Hz content. The 90 Hz sine wave will not pass through unaffected while the 110 Hz sine wave is compressed.
Signals from a bass have significant energy above 100 Hz even if playing a low B. That energy will still trigger compression (depending on settings, of course) and the full spectrum signal will be compressed.
The compressor does NOT compress only the portion of the signal above 100 Hz while not compressing the portion below 100 Hz as you implied.
Sure, in a scenario in which the side chain is brick-wall high-pass filtered at 100 Hz and you feed in a 90 Hz sine wave, it won't be compressed.
However, feed in the 90 Hz sine wave and add a 110 Hz sine wave then both the 90 Hz and 110 Hz will be equally compressed based on the 110 Hz content. The 90 Hz sine wave will not pass through unaffected while the 110 Hz sine wave is compressed.
Signals from a bass have significant energy above 100 Hz even if playing a low B. That energy will still trigger compression (depending on settings, of course) and the full spectrum signal will be compressed.
The compressor does NOT compress only the portion of the signal above 100 Hz while not compressing the portion below 100 Hz as you implied.
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I think the stereo operation of these units is simply two parallel mono signals. You can plug it into a mono input or split to a stereo input and get essentially the same result (possibly a minor volume difference). It isn’t like there’s any panning of instruments, through some built-in effects might actually pan, but I’m not sure.
Finally plugged it in. I do need to plug both mono outs to the mixer lest I have the drum in only one ear. I guess this means I'll have to go the DI option, or maybe that Splix thing.
What mixer do you have and which input are you using?
If you have it plugged into one side of a stereo input, then, yes, it will only come out of one side. If plugged into a general channel, use the pan control to put it in the middle.
Same question. I run a Mackie that’s set to treat the “L” input as mono if there is no “R” input source on the same channel, effectively converting a mono input to a stereo output.
Edit - OP posted above me just as I posted my question
Update
Got to fiddle with the DM about 30min. Starting to figure it out. It's obviously limited but still quite fun!
I'll need an extension to hook it to the sidechain, but I have a fair bit of learning before.
Anyways, left it to go get the kids from school. As soon as we arrived home, my 9 year old saw the DM and jumped on it. He spent the whole evening creating patterns. Pretty groovy ones too!
I think I need to buy another one now...
Got to fiddle with the DM about 30min. Starting to figure it out. It's obviously limited but still quite fun!
I'll need an extension to hook it to the sidechain, but I have a fair bit of learning before.
Anyways, left it to go get the kids from school. As soon as we arrived home, my 9 year old saw the DM and jumped on it. He spent the whole evening creating patterns. Pretty groovy ones too!
I think I need to buy another one now...
It was poor choice of wording on my part.
I still don't see this as anything useful, though.
The tone of the bass is going to flip flop back and forth dependent upon if the compressor starts clamping down on the signal or not.
Years ago, We tried experimenting in the studio with gating the rhythm guitar keyed by the snare, in an attempt to try and tighten things up between the snare and guitar; it was a distinct fail.
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Had a bit of fun to get myself going with this new gadget.
I created a pattern to mimic the drum of a song I felt like playing. Went with something rather simple and linear to keep it simple. So I chose The Cure's Other Voices. It's very electronic in comparison to the original, but it's like a metronome on steroids.
Dialed in a bit of flanger on my bass and I was in business!
Lots of possibilities ahead.
I created a pattern to mimic the drum of a song I felt like playing. Went with something rather simple and linear to keep it simple. So I chose The Cure's Other Voices. It's very electronic in comparison to the original, but it's like a metronome on steroids.
Dialed in a bit of flanger on my bass and I was in business!
Lots of possibilities ahead.
bongomania
Commercial User
In EDM/house/techno dance music it's absolutely standard practice, has been for decades, and is considered not just "useful" but "necessary". Outside of that type of club beat, though, it has not been popular.
bongomania
Commercial User
I should also note: Years ago, I experimented with routing a new neck pocket and control cavity in a project bass body. It was a distinct fail. I did not go onto Talkbass and tell everyone about how useless it is to make a bass.
