Is sidechain compression really different from volume ducking?

VortX

New member
Hey!
I've been producing music for a while now but, this is one of the things that bothers me. Is sidechain compression any different from volume ducking. I've seen people use volume automations instead of sidechaining a certain instrument. I mean, they both sound kinda similar to my ears but still, are they really different from each other?

P.S: I'm new to this forum. Hope you guys don't mind the silly questions I ask... :D
 
Feeding a sidechain with a signal A to compress a signal B is the technique. You can call it ducking or sidechain. Ducking sound's 80's ;-)
 
There's differences.. depends on the compressor you use and how you set it.
If your compressor colors the sound in some way, that's obviously gonna sound a little different from simply ducking the volume, or if you use very relaxed times the ducking won't happen precisely on time anymore.
Not that it's gonna make a huge difference to many ears.. but there is a difference.

IMO, it's the tackiest technique in dance music.... don't be tacky.
And dumb. There's both easier ways and better ways to do what sidechain compression supposedly accomplishes.
 
Feeding a sidechain with a signal A to compress a signal B is the technique. You can call it ducking or sidechain. Ducking sound's 80's ;-)

Well, he did say "ducking" (which, to clear things up to other people as well, is a term used about, well, sidechain compression) but actually meant "volume automation" as the other technique. The latter is what some popular plugins like Kickstart and Volumeshaper utilize as opposed to actually compressing anything (or even needing a trigger signal) - and of course you can just manually make volume curves to "simulate" sidechain compression.
 
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