Mackie Stereo and Mono Side chain Compressor User Manual

USER’S GUIDE

Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressor plug-ins

For Tracktion 2

Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressors for Tracktion

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User’s Guide

Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressors for Tracktion

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User’s Guide

Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressors for Tracktion

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User’s Guide

Contents

Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressors for Tracktion

Mackie Software License------------------------- 2

Introduction ----------------------------------------6

Main Features -------------------------------------- 6

A brief word about Compressors--------------- 7

Standard vs. Sidechain Compressors ---------- 7

Adding the Sidechain Compressor in Tracktion --------------------------------------------8

Setting up a new Rack Filter--------------------- 8

Example 1: Compressor triggering from another track -------------------------------------- 9

Setting up the Key Input ------------------------- 9 Setting up the Main Input----------------------- 10 Adding an EQ to the Key Input------------------ 11

Example 2: Compressor triggering from the same track ------------------------------------ 12

Setting up the Key Input to be the same as the main input, but with an EQ ----------------------12

Using the EQ to drop off the lows------------- 14

Examples -------------------------------------------21

Expansion--------------------------------------------21 Leveling ----------------------------------------------21 Limiting ----------------------------------------------21 Hard Knee and Soft Knee Compression ------ 22 Snare Track Compression------------------------ 22

Speciﬁ cations--------------------------------------23

Need Help?----------------------------------------- 23

Appendix: Using Compressors ---------------- 24

Dynamic Range------------------------------------24

What a Compressor does -----------------------24

Stereo or “Program” Compressors------------ 25

Compressor Artifacts ---------------------------- 25

Breathing ------------------------------------------- 25 Pumping--------------------------------------------- 25

Working the Knobs-------------------------------26

The Compressor as a Tone Modiﬁ er-----------26

Sidechain Compressor Features----------------15

Global Controls ----------------------------------- 16

The Contour Edit Screen ------------------------ 17

Threshold--------------------------------------------17 End Point---------------------------------------------17 Compression Ratio-------------------------------- 18 Gain Makeup and Auto Makeup --------------- 18 Attack and Release ------------------------------- 18 Soft Clip On and Threshold--------------------- 19 Node Editing --------------------------------------- 19 Node Selector Knob ------------------------------ 19 Reduction Meter----------------------------------20 Input and Output Meters -----------------------20 Input and Output OL LEDs ----------------------20

The Bottom Line ----------------------------------26

User Presets -------------------------------------- 27

User’s Guide

Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressors for Tracktion

Introduction

Thank you for choosing Mackie software products for your computer-based audio recording system.

The Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressor plug-ins come with Tracktion, our easy-to-use music production software application. When you install Tracktion, the plug-ins are automatically installed in Tracktion's plug-ins folder.

Note: These plug-ins only work with Tracktion, and will not work with any other VST host applications you may have on your computer.

Typically, these plug-ins are used as compressors, so that's why we call them that. However, depending on the settings of the graphical interface, they can act as compressors, limiters, expanders, or a combination of all three.

The Sidechain allows the compressor to take its cue from a separate input, and apply its action to another. For example, a vocal track can drop the level of a music track (ducking), such as when an announcement is made over background music, or where your vocals are a bit lost in the mix.

The Sidechain Compressor can also take its trigger input from a copy (or EQ'd copy) of itself. For example, it can be used as a basic De-Esser, to compress the higher "Sssss" sounds, or you can apply compression to a guitar's mid or higher frequency range, leaving the lower-frequency range uncompressed.

Main Features

• Stereo and mono compressor plug-in for Tracktion

• Key Input

• Key Solo engage/disengage

• Full stereo (or mono) operation

• Rather fetching graphic display

• Node edit selector

• Global enable button

• Favorite settings can be saved as presets

• Memories A and B for quick comparisons

• Input, output, and gain reduction metering

• Release control

• Attack control

• Threshold control

• End point control

• Input level control

• Output level control

• Compression Ratio readout

• Soft clip threshold control and indicator

• Soft clip engage/disengage

• Gain makeup control

• Auto gain makeup engage/disengage

• Rugby ball inﬂ ator

• The imaginary audio friend you always wanted to come to life so everyone could see that you were just not imagining things

The features of the Mono Sidechain Compressor and the Stereo version are identical, so this manual applies to both plug-ins. The Mono version works for one key input and the main input, and the Stereo version works its magic for the key input and the stereo inputs, stereo.wav, or after another stereo plug-in.

User’s Guide

Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressors for Tracktion

A brief word about Compressors

As an example of how to use a compressor, supposing you have a track with a wide dynamic range. This may have some exquisitely detailed and quiet passages, played before breaking into the ﬁ nal crescendo of Heavy Metal ﬁ nalcrecendo-ings.

This track may overpower the other tracks during the loud passages, and yet if we drop the track's overall level, the quiet passages may be lost in the mix.

The compressor allows us to drop (compress) the level of the higher passages, once they get louder than a threshold level. When the music is quieter than the threshold, it is not affected. This decreases the dynamic range of the track, and allows it to be a better ﬁ t in the mix.

Loud

Wide

Dynamic

Range

Quiet

Loud

Less

Dynamic

Range

Quiet

Standard vs. Sidechain Compressors

A standard compressor detects the level of the input signals from the main (host) track, and applies the math to this track to produce the processed output signals.

LEVEL DETECTOR AND CONTROLS

INPUT OUTPUT

A Sidechain compressor has an extra (Key) input compared to a standard compressor. The sidechain compressor can detect the level of input signals from the main track OR the signal level from an alternate source. The alternate source can be a processed version of the main track, or the output of a different track.

LEVEL DETECTOR

KEY INPUT

AND CONTROLS

The overall level of the track can be adjusted using the makeup gain, or automatic makeup gain. This compensates for the reduced output once the compressor has been at work, and lets you place your track's level relative to the other tracks.

The features and controls of this compressor plug-in are similar to what you might ﬁ nd on a real-life beer-stained electronic compressor.

INPUT OUTPUT

The math or processing applied to the main track reﬂ ects the signal fed into the sidechain. In this way, we can have one track triggering the compression of another.

If the key input signal goes above the threshold, the plug-in will compute the amount of compression and apply it to the main input (even if it has not gone over the threshold).

If you add an EQ plug-in to the Key Input line, you can narrow in on a desired frequency range for your compressor to work from.

To make the connections in Tracktion, you must use the Rack Filters option, and assign which track will be connected to the Key Input. An example of this is shown on the next page, so fear not.

User’s Guide

Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressors for Tracktion

Adding the Sidechain Compressor in Tracktion

The ﬁ rst thing to do is to open up Tracktion and open your project.

Tracktion uses the term “ﬁ lter” to refer to a plug-in, be it native to Tracktion, or a 3rd party plug-in such as a VST plug-in.

To add the plug-in to your tracks, simply drag the icon labelled “new ﬁ lter...” located just above the ﬁ lter section, and drop it where you want the new ﬁ lter to be placed. The ﬁ gure below shows a ﬁ lter being added to track one.

Top Right of Tracktion Screen

Notice that the area in front of the volume/pan ﬁ lter is glowing red; this is how you can tell where the ﬁ lter will be placed. If there is no illumination, then you are not currently over a valid target area.

Setting up a new Rack Filter

The Sidechain Compressors have an extra input (the Key Input), and you must use the Rack Filters feature of Tracktion to make this work. This is really exciting and wonderful, so we hope you will bear with us here.

Right-click on the ﬁ lter you just added, and select "wrap this ﬁ lter in a new rack ﬁ lter" from the drop down menu.

The rack ﬁ lter section will appear, with the Sidechain Compressor in place and its inputs, key input, midi, and output lines shown connected.

Once the “new ﬁ lter” icon has been dropped, a list of available ﬁ lters will appear, as if by magic. Choose the ﬁ lter you wish to add to the track from this list. The Sidechain Compressors and other plug-ins are available in the "Mackie Plugins" folder of this drop down menu.

User’s Guide

The ﬁ lter is now shown as a Stereo Sidechain Comp Wrapper.

The next pages show some examples, with steps showing how to set up the Key Input and Main Input(s) to the Sidechain Compressor.

Stereo and Mono Sidechain Compressors for Tracktion

Example 1: Compressor triggering from another track

Suppose you want to use the Sidechain Compressor as a "ducker," i.e., to reduce a music program when you make an announcement. We can set up the Sidechain Compressor to take its Key Input from a vocal track, and its main inputs from a music track.

Setting up the Key Input

1. Set up the Rack Filter on track 1 (for example), as shown on the previous page.

2. Click on the ﬁ lter icon at the right of track 1, to bring up the rack ﬁ lter details area.

–INF dB WET

0.0 dB DRY

3. In the rack ﬁ lter details area, change the input destinations to be the Key Input. So now, the sidechain compressor will get its Key Input from track 1.

4. If we were to play this track, there would be no output, because it is just feeding the Key Input. If we set the Rack Filter to +0.0 dB DRY and -INF dB WET for track 1, then we will still be able to hear its original form and beauty.

5. So here we are. Track 1 is set up to be the Key Input of the Sidechain Compressor, and yet it can still be heard if you play it back. Its output is not affected by any Compressor settings.

Note: If you MUTE this track, it also mutes the Key Input.

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User’s Guide

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