Sidechain Compression Cheatsheet

To achieve an EDM-style pumping bass sound, start with these settings:

● Attack: As fast as possible

● Release: Time to the tempo of the song (gain reduction meter should return to zero right

before the next kick drum hits)

● Threshold: Adjust to taste (lower threshold = more aggressive effect)

● Ratio: Adjust to taste (higher ratio = more aggressive effect. 4:1 is a good place to start.)

Things to watch out for:

● Distortion: This can creep in when your compressor’s release time is set too fast. To

resolve this issue, slow down the release time.

● Distracting Dynamics: Sidechain compression will punch holes in sounds. This can

sometimes sound unmusical and pull listeners away from important focal points in your

mix. If you hear this, try:

○ Backing off on the ratio or threshold to make the effect less aggressive

○ Slowing down the release time, so the compression sounds more subtle

○ Ditching sidechain compression and using another tool instead (like EQ)

Helpful tips:

1. Enable The “Pre-Fader” Control

When sending a track to a bus for sidechain compression, enable the “pre-fader”

control on the track’s send. This way, the level going into the sidechain

compressor will not change when you adjust the track’s volume within the mix.

2. Don’t Get Distracted By “Color” or “Character”

Too many mixers get caught up in choosing compressors solely for the color or character they

add. They hear their favorite mixer gush over a certain compressor’s warm, analog sound, and

they think that this is all they should focus on.

Remember that a compressor’s main purpose is to do one (or both) of the following things:

● Even out the dynamics of a performance

● Change the envelope, or “shape” of a sound (i.e., add more punch)

While a compressor’s color or character can be important to consider, it’s a side effect. Focus

on function first—especially when applying sidechain compression.

And if you’re just starting out, don’t worry about color or character at all. Find one compressor

that gives you independent control over the attack, release, ratio, and threshold (your DAW’s

stock compressor is a great place to start). Master the theory behind compression, and then

start exploring analog emulations and more “colorful” alternatives.

3. Be Skeptical Of Presets

While presets can provide useful starting points, they can just as often work against what you’re

trying to achieve. You’re better off learning how to get what you want out of a compressor. Then

you can determine the settings that work best for each individual scenario, instead of relying on

presets that may take you in the wrong direction.

4. Avoid The Solo Button

This is so important, I wrote a whole article about it.

When you solo a track, you remove all the context you need to make the right decisions.

Remember—mixing is all about making a group of sounds blend together as a cohesive unit. It

doesn’t matter how each track sounds by itself, because the end listener is never going to hear

the individual tracks.

Don’t make adjustments to your compressors while tracks are in solo. Instead, make them while

all the tracks are playing together.

When you do this, you’ll often find you apply much more compression than you would in solo. If

you solo the track, it might sound over-compressed. Don’t worry about this. If the track sounds

great in context with the rest of the mix, that’s all that matters.

5. Do No Harm

Ever wonder how many times you’ve compressed a track and made it sound worse?

Probably more often than you think.

Doctors have a guiding principle called “do no harm.” As mixers, we should follow this principle

too.

Don’t forget to compare the compressed track with the original. This is the only way to make

sure you’re actually improving a track.

But just remember—if your compressor is making the track louder, it will always sound better.

But Jason—compressors turn things down, right? So how can a compressed track sound louder than the original?

Check this out…

Below is a screenshot of the Logic 9’s compressor default preset. This is the preset that loads

up automatically when you open the compressor, before you do anything.

Notice anything interesting (hint…I circled it)?

The output gain is boosted by 4 dB!

What does this mean? If you put this compressor on any track, don’t change a thing, and then

bypass it, there’s a good chance you’ll think the “compressed” version sounds better. In fact, it

hasn’t been compressed at all. It’s just 4 dB louder!

To make a fair comparison, it’s absolutely crucial to level match the compressed and

uncompressed sounds. The best way to do to this is by ear.

Flip the bypass switch on and off, and adjust the compressor’s output gain until there’s no

difference in level between the two signals.

Then, with the track playing, toggle between the original and compressed sound. You can even

close your eyes, click the button a bunch of times, and then compare to make this a true blind

test.

Which really sounds better? Follow this advice, and you’ll never be fooled again.

My favorite compressor plugins:

1. Sonnox’s Oxford Dynamics

Sporting an algorithm originally designed by

world-renowned engineer Paul Frindle (known for

creating the legendary SSL G-series bus

compressor), the Oxford can nail nearly any

compression task with grace and musicality. It’s

got an incredibly transparent sound that enhances

tracks without adding any color or tonal shift. I

rarely reach for anything else.

2. FabFilter’s Pro-C 2

Known for its gorgeous interface, flexible sidechain

filtering, and wide variety of compression styles,

FabFilter’s Pro-C 2 is the compressor of choice for

many modern mixers. While I don’t find it to be as

musical as the Oxford, its auto-release function

can deliver better results on tracks with complex

dynamics (like acoustic piano).

3. McDSP’s 6030 Ultimate Compressor

The 6030 features 10 (yes…10!) compressor modules in a single interface! The modules range

from emulations of studio classics like the 1176 and LA-2A, to custom creations like the FRG

444 and iComp. The 1176 and LA-2A are spot on, and a bit more hi-fi than those in Waves’ CLA

Classic Compressors bundle. Also, nothing beats the Over EZ on drums!

4. FabFilter’s Pro-MB

For multiband sidechain compression, nothing

beats FabFilter’s Pro-MB. Instead of using a fixed

number of bands like many other multiband

compressors, the Pro-MB allows you to create

bands at whatever frequency ranges you want to

work on. This makes it more flexible than most

other multiband compressors – especially for more

complex processing. In addition, the Pro-MB’s

dynamic phase mode sounds more transparent

than any other multiband compressor I’ve tried.

More information about FabFilter’s Pro-MB is available on their website. I highly recommend

watching their tutorial videos, which are incredibly educational and informative (regardless of

whether you use their plugins or not).

For more mixing tips and tricks, visit BehindTheSpeakers.com.

Mix By Design is an online training course that will teach you how to mix like a pro. You’ll discover a simple, step-by-step system you can use to break through overwhelm, sink into

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