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Old 04-28-2017, 06:37 PM   #13
Lokasenna
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
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I never use parameter modulation for this; TDR Nova just makes too easy to do whatever I need. However, a basic parameter modulation setup wouldn't involve any processing of the sidechain signal - unless you want to, Reaper will just look at the overall signal level for its control value.

A dynamic EQ detects the signal similarly to how a multiband comp does it - for each dynamic band you add, it filters the signal down to just that region. The advantage is that, unlike a multiband comp, the main signal is never touched and so there are never any phase issues, etc.

Because a dynamic band is only looking at the area you specify, there's no real need to process the sidechain signal. For instance, using my kick -> bass example above:
  • Put TDR Nova on the bass track
  • Set one of the bands to:
    - High Shelf
    - 100Hz or so
    - Q of... I don't know, 2?
  • Click the "Threshold" button
  • Set the Attack as low as it'll go
  • Set the Release to... maybe 50ms? Longer will make the kick stand out more.
  • Above the frequency analyzer, change "INT SC" to "EXT SC", and set the Analyzer to "SC".
  • Create a send from the kick to the bass track, using channels 3+4 on the bass track.
  • If you press Play, you should see (but not hear) each kick hit on Nova's analyzer.
  • Adjust the EQ band's Threshold knob so that each kick ducks the level by, say, 3db.

You certainly COULD process the sidechain signal, maybe if the particular content you want to detect doesn't stand out enough. I've done it a few times so that I could have a dynamic EQ on my guitars that gets controlled by both the kick and snare - the kick in the low end and the snare in the highs. The two sidechain sends ran through some EQ just to remove the kick's click and the snare's boom.

Ended up being more effort than it was worth IMO though.
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