Sidechain

Many compressors, gates and dynamic EQs have a sidechain input: a second input that tells them when to work. In Shadow Rack you feed it from any other channel with two clicks - the kick keying the bass compressor, the lead vocal ducking a guitar bus, a dynamic EQ on the keys listening to the vocal.

Setting it up#

12

1. 1SIDECHAIN: pick the channel that keys this plugin
2. 2The selected plugin in the chain: once keyed, its row shows an SC pill

The SIDECHAIN button only appears on plugins that actually have a sidechain input. If you pick a channel and the plugin still refuses, the message says Pro-C 2 won't take a sidechain.

A message confirms the choice - Kick keys Pro-C 2 - with an UNDO button. To stop, choose Off in the same menu (Pro-C 2: sidechain off).

What the plugin hears#

The sidechain gets the source channel's sound as it comes in from the desk or interface - before that channel's plugins. So the bass compressor reacts to the kick's microphone, not to the kick after its own EQ and gate.

It arrives in time to the sample with what reaches the plugin: if the plugins before the bass compressor delay the bass, the kick is delayed by exactly as much, so the keying stays tight.

Where you see it#

• The plugin's header button reads SC: KICK in the kick's colour.
• The plugin's row in the chain has an SC KICK pill in the same colour, so you see it without opening the plugin.

Good to know#

• New York buses can't be a source - their sound is made in the rack, not taken from the desk.
• A sidechain follows its source channel: move the kick to another input and the compressor still listens to the kick.
• If you delete the source channel, the sidechain goes silent; undo the delete and it's back.
• It's saved in the session, and you can undo it like any other change.
• Kept when you duplicate the channel, or copy or paste the plugin.
• Not kept in chain presets: a preset has no idea which channels the next show has. Set the source again after loading a preset.