hey,
was wondering if there was a way to do a sidechain compression effect you hear typically in commercial dance tracks without audio inputs, automation or buying a filter plugin.
is there a way for me to control it with midi? ive tried but it doesnt seem possible.
thanks,
D.S
Why would you want to do it without audio?
Sidechaining as provided bij VST3, needs audio input, so you will need to make a kick track of some sorts.
Just load up an instance of Groove Agent One, add a midi-track with the pattern you need for the sidecahining and route the output of GAO to whichever effect of your choice.
Yes there is! Check out the “MIDI Gate” plugin that comes free with Cubase (plugin reference guide, page 19)
/FD
Leaving the fact aside, that a gate is not a compressor, and doesn´t act like one, but does rather the opposite when sidechained and not in ducker mode…
The “MIDI gate” plugin is not like a normal gate. It can be configured to either reduce the sound, or to allow sound through when it receives a MIDI signal. There is no need to sidechain it with anything.
what i meant is if there’s a method in achieving the same effect without routing it to an audio track for trigger but with something inaudible like midi or, using your example, without hearing the kick.
If you don´t want to hear the Kick, simply send sidechain prefader and turn the channel fader down, or set the output routing to “not connected”…?
Can you explain? If the MIDI gate does not receive MIDI data, it will stay closed = no sound, just like any other gate, that doesn´t receive data above its threshold, or what am I overseeing…?
Nevertheless, a gate will not act as a compressor.
My thought exactly…
i was looking exactly for a prefader but never needed to use it till now 
.
all these years using cubase and i just now found the prefader button…FACEPALM! 
smfh…
Another simpler way of achieving a “Sidechained” effect!!! please read effect not behavior! so no diving in an saying it doesnt act like a compressor please 
Basically the Sidechained effect widely used in Electronica is mainly a “gating” effect, in relation to the downbeat of the Kick drum.
To achieve a similiar effect, create a Audio track, and insert automation of the volume fader, at 1/4 note intervals, whereby the automation envelope is ramping up to full volume after each 1/4 note (when the Kick drum usually occurs)
then drag any audio part onto the track,… as the automation of the track will go from Lo to Hi, you cant use the fader volume for the track to adjust the volume for the audio part!>…So create a group track and send it to that, and adjust the level of the effect from there.
ps (drown it with reverb & white noise then send it to Beatport, just as many others do daily! 
StormGate1 is pretty neat for sidechaining without using an actual compressor or an external audio input.
this is pretty sick! thanks!
i can use long effects, pads or drones and make some really cool effects, thanks!
Just set the output of the kick track to ‘No Bus’ - as in, so the sound doesnt actually… sound