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Sidechain
Use of the SIDECHAIN inputs expands the possibilities for controlling
compression. A typical application is frequency-selective compression,
whereby an external equalizer is used to raise the frequencies at which the
compressor should respond or to filter out the frequency band you wish the
compressor to ignore.
If a summed signal has a lot of bass for example that you want to preserve,
you often run into the problem that the compressor responds strongly to these
frequency ranges, making it difficult to process mid- and high frequencies.
By using the equalizer to reduce bass frequencies, the Kultube will no longer
respond to them as intensely and you can address the other ranges with no
difficulty.
Yet another typical application is de-essing: The corresponding frequency
range (around 6-8kHz) is raised so that the compressor engages precisely
there to reduce the sibilance. To monitor the filtered signal (i.e. the signal
supplied by the EQ), press the KEY LISTEN switch on the front panel. Now you
can easily monitor the EQ setting without any additional measures. As soon as
you need to use the signal in the sidechain, simply press the KEY ON switch.
Another interesting and useful feature is ducking, whereby the sidechain
is fed for example with a microphone signal. The music volume is reduced
whenever speech is introduced (great for DJs). Other very interesting effects
can be obtained by turning on decompression mode with the ducking appli-
cation. To do this, turn the MAKE UP GAIN controller to full clockwise (means
lower in this mode!) and use the Threshold and Ration controllers to deter-
mine the desired processing point. Now the loudness of the music signal is
controlled by the sidechain, i.e. the louder the sidechain, the louder the music
signal becomes. This technique allows you to create totally new sounds! Here
is just one example: feed a synthpad to the audio input of the Kultube and a
drum loop to the sidechain. The synthpad now gets the same rhythm as the
drum loop!
Note on the VU meter: if the meter indicates output level, pressing the KEY
LISTEN switch will show the signal from the sidechain input
Applications
Using and enjoying the Kultube
External
compression control
Frequency-selective
Compression
De-Essing
Ducking:
Automatically a desired
level relation between two
signals (e.g. music and
microphone)
Ducking &
De-Compression:
Transferring rhythmic
structures to any signal
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