What Is Sidechain Compression? And How To Use It

by Nick Messitte, iZotope Contributor August 20, 2021

In mixing, you may have come across a form of compression called “sidechain compression” and had no idea what it meant. What is it and why is it useful? In this piece, we’re going to define sidechain compression for you in simple terms. We’ll show you some common uses, and point you to some examples of sidechain compression in the wild, so you can train your ears to recognize sidechain compression in action.

This discussion points out the detection circuits for the compressor in Neutron. Recently posted about the detection circuit in Ozone 9 as well.

Good things to know.

11 Creative Sidechain Compression Techniques

My friend and fellow contributor Phillip Nichols has already covered some common applications for sidechain compression. In this article, we’re going to explore some esoteric, creative, and all-around fun uses for the practice. Many of these tactics will involve the use of a dummy track, so let’s define that term quickly:

Nick Messitte wrote this for iZotope in 2018.

Are We Being Conned By Mixing Tricks? We Look At The Most Popular Ones | Production Expert

Some people refer to “mixing tricks” but are they really tricks? When is a technique just a technique? Julian looks at some common examples and decides.

I put an EQ as the first insert on my reverb AUX channels. When I insert reverbs I try to make sure that I adjust the filters that are built in to most of my reverbs. I think it’s better to be able to “see” the filter on the AUX channels.

7 Sidechaining Techniques Worth Checking Out | Production Expert

Sidechaining was once regarded as a purely functional mixing tool, now sidechain compression has become a key weapon in the creative arsenal of producers across all genres. Here are 7 tips to help you get more from it.

The iZotope tools allow for sidechaining dynamic EQs. This is similar to using a compressor to change dynamics of a frequency band based on external levels.

How to sidechain in Logic Pro X

The sidechaining process has become a popular and essential tool for many professional mix engineers, but how can we apply the technique in Logic Pro X? Here’s a sideways look…

By Mark Cousins — 23rd July 2019

ES2 side chaining sounds like fun. Noise Gate and Auto Filter are also interesting.