Plugin "Side Chain" help?

Cubase
1

So I noticed that every plugin has a side chain option now (or in 7+?) but I can’t seem to figure out how it works exactly?

I have it routed like I used to do so with the standard cubase compressor with a “send effect” for a kickdrum for instance sent into the compressor (using fabfilter pro-c, for example), but it does not seem to be getting any signal from the kick.

I have the compressor slammed & all its doing is slamming the compression, no side chain at all. Would someone mind helping me figure out what I am doing wrong?

2

In Pro-C, click on “Expert”, make sure “Ext” is checked and not “In”.

3

I take it you want to send the kick drum to a compressor’s sidechain.

So you have your compressor that you want to send the key signal to. Activate its sidechain.

Then you select it as a send from the kick drum track’s Sends:

Then send an amount to it:

(In my example, the Compressor was inserted on my FX1 - Doubler FX Channel)

It’ll work!

I find the most intuitive results come from sending 0dB, pre-fader. That way, you’re sending the full volume of the audio file the whole time—even if you turn down the track’s fader.

4

Yes, this is how I currently do it. However, I am trying to side chain other, non-steinberg instruments

That worked, thank you!

Now what I’m curious about is if it is possible to side chain an external EQ plugin. Using fabfilter pro-q2 this time, can I side chain using that same side chain button on this eq, for example? Or does pro-c only work because it has that “external side chain” option?

5

The only thing Pro-Q 2 uses a sidechain for is EQ matching, but yes, you would do it the same way.

6

To be clear, most EQs don’t have any sort of sidechain functionality. You just happened to pick a rare one that does.