Feature request: Audio Send of a single pad from Slate
Sometimes I want sidechain compression with only a kick, and I can't properly isolate that kick using eq. Is there no way of sending the audio of a single pad to a compressor for example?
Sometimes I want sidechain compression with only a kick, and I can't properly isolate that kick using eq. Is there no way of sending the audio of a single pad to a compressor for example?
Comments
Needs this.
@blueveek @flockz Have you tried the sidechain filter in the compressor?
Setting to around 80hz usually gives good results, isolating the kick thump, depending on the content of the track you are sending from.
Yep, the compressor's SC FILTER knob works on both internal and external side chains. Low pass in one direction, high pass in the other. So you should be able to isolate the kick fairly easily.
If you're bored you could wire a side chain mix through a dedicated track with an entire FX chain on it by using sends, but that's probably overkill!
I literally said in the original post that I can’t always isolate drum kicks using the filter knob
Please read my post again.
If I’m reading this correctly, you’re saying that I might be able to better isolate drum kicks using loads of processing on the sidechain itself.
I think this misses the point: it’s not just about drum kick sidechain compression, it’s about sending audio from single pads, for endless kinds of possible scenarios. What’s the reasoning for this limitation?
I guess on a finished track you could duplicate the kick sequence to another slate and use that. Clunky solution though. Pads should each have their own routing options, would be useful for a bunch of other scenarios besides sidechain.
Thats BM3 talk, boy!
Sorry for wanting nice things!
Hehe, yah I ran into it too.
You said e.q, not the sidechain filter knob, so I thought you may not have seen it. Anyway I find it useful for my needs.
The problem with using the filter to isolate is that if you have a shorter kick and longer toms or a triggered impact hit, then you start to bleed over in the freq range and you start struggling on getting a fast release. Then you are kind of forced to have a long pump instead of a quick duck.
I like to duck based on my “sound” I want to hear clearly (like a specific kick) then a “freq range” which could be a whole bunch of different sounds.
@drez it won’t work in every case, but can be useful in others.
I just use a separate channel to do my routing to the sidechain generally anyway
That was the whole point of the OP. You can’t DO a separate channel out of Slate.
@drez no, not currently, I was just offering an alternative.
I just use a separate track for the kick. I mean a separate Slate, the 1 pad layout is perfect for that. Then I group the beat-related tracks and process them together.
Feels a bit dark ages to be doing that though...If you want to hear the sidechain during composition stage you gotta flick between two instances while programming beats. Kinda kills the point of a multiple pads layout..
I always find it easier to just make a separate track for the kicks, copy the midi over and delete the midi for all the other drums and the kick midi in the other.
Even if I don’t do this to start with, I always make sure some drums have their own track before I send the audio for mixing later.
I didn't even realize what the LP knob did in the SC for quite some time. Now I mostly use that.
Otherwise, I simply loaded up the same Slate instance (or similar), took the kick and duplicated it to that track.
May seem wasteful, but that's probably mainly in track space as the samples are all in memory from the first instance.
Also, made some synth only kicks. Sometimes I just load up one of those in Obsidian. A benefit is I can maybe add some sub from that kick into the mix and beef up whatever kick sample I may be using.
You can also use a midi send from your main Slate to another Slate with just the kick. Then use that as the sidechain source. That way you don’t have to switch between two slates while working on the beat.
Just to make sure people don’t misunderstand, I have logged a feature request for this same thing in the beta stage and it is well in Matt’s knowledge. So I’m not in opposition to it in any way and I understand your feeling, but because this is not happening very soon, there are several good workarounds available which you can use to make music now rather than some time in the undefined future.
Midi send’s a good workaround
@Stiksi This has actually been a pretty sweet workaround! I’m using a combination of a slate on a dedicated Sidechain channel that is triggered by two different Slate channels via MIDI on specific pads, but also I am feeding a lead track to the sidechain as audio at a lower volume to have it cut through just slightly when it comes in. This app is just amazing. Thank you for the suggestion!
Also worth noting in case it's not obvious: you can copy and paste a Slate pad between kits. Makes very short work of setting up a second Slate instance when you need different routing options.
Yeah I didn’t realize that at first! I’m using a white noise sample on each pad that are set to Sustain Trigger Mode so I can control exactly how long I want the trigger to last...exactly as long as the kick or snare hit that I’m feeding it. It’s great because then it doesn’t matter how long the tail is of the actual sound triggering it, its just midi data and I keep all my midi hits short in the sequencer.
Wow, very cool, I’m going to steal that trick with the lead 👍🙂