← Mixing & Routing
Mission 33 · World 5
Sidechain Compression
The pump.
Use one signal to duck another. The pump is dance music's heartbeat.
+90 XP🏅 Sidechain Sniper
// WHAT IT DOES
Sidechain compression: the kick triggers a compressor on the bass, ducking the bass each time the kick hits.
Open Compressor → enable Sidechain → set Audio From: Kick → set Threshold + Ratio. Bass pumps in time.
Think of it like → Like crouching every time someone throws a ball at you. The ball (kick) passes; you (bass) come back up.
▸ WHY YOU CARE
- • Bass gets out of the way of the kick — both sound bigger.
- • Same trick on pads/synths creates the iconic 'EDM pump'.
// SEE & HEAR IT
● KICKBig breathing motion — the classic dance pump.
PAD VOLUME (kick ducks it)
Gain reduction: -0.0 dB
PAD LEVEL — last 2s scrolling
▸ Toggle sidechain off → kick & pad fight. On → pad ducks under each kick. That's the pump.
▸ HOW IT WORKS
External signal → detector → gain reduction calculator (threshold, ratio) → applied to main audio path.
▸ Signal flow — watch the dot
▸ SIGNAL FLOW
Glowing dot = your signal travelling through Live.
▸ LISTEN FOR
- • Bass audibly ducks each kick hit, then recovers.
▸ WALKTHROUGH (3 steps)
- 1. DO: On bass: Compressor → Sidechain on → Audio From: Kick.▸ LISTEN: Bass pumps when kick hits.
- 2. DO: Enable Sidechain EQ → high-pass at 100 Hz.▸ LISTEN: Compression triggers only on the kick beater click.
- 3. DO: Increase ratio to 8:1.▸ LISTEN: Pump becomes more dramatic.
▸ COMMON MISTAKES
- ✗ Threshold too low → bass barely moves.
- ✗ Forgetting to enable External Sidechain — compressor uses bass's own signal.
// QUIZ (QUICK)
Question 1 / 30 correct
Sidechain ducks…