I'm a modular noob, but I'm looking for effective and cost-efficient ways to "sidechain compress" / volume duck my line-level synthesisers to a kick drum and get that classic pumping sound.
I want to keep my synths multi-tracked and either mix them inside the Totalmix software inside my audio interface or feed them into different inputs on a DJ mixer
a mate sent me this to look at, and it looks pretty fkn sweet
https://www.st-modular.de/modules/duck
I was wondering, could I get a Duck module and some multi channel VCA modules,
Feed the L-R outputs from synths into the VCA's Feed some kind of trigger input into the duck And duck a voltage, through the duck, that splits out into all the VCA CV inputs
Would this work?
or does the Duck module only duck audio signals? (is it DC-decoupled?) Alternatively, can I modify it to send out a CV signal that tracks the ducking curve as it happens?
And the other question I have, would I run into issues with line level vs modular level signals? (or would I need to run into a preamp, run through this stuff and then attenuate it back down to line level?) Basically, would just yolo-ing it, if I'm only ducking a line level signal and not doing other processing be fine or would it ruin my signal to noise ratio or do other weirdness?
Open to tips, advice, wisdom!
Cheers legends
Hey there,
So, if you're looking for a straightforward method to achieve this with stereo signals, here's what you can do: First, you'll need an ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) or a Decay Envelope that produces an inverted output, which means it goes into negative voltages. The STM ADSR is a good option for this purpose. Additionally, you would need at least one stereo VCA with level offset or a stereo Low Pass Filter. With a filter, you achieve a more subtle ducking effect, since it suppresses high frequencies first.
How does it work? Trigger the ADSR using a trigger signal from your synth, like the trig output on the TR8-S, for instance. A longer gate signal would be even better to get the attack stage of the ADSR going. Then, take the inverted envelope output and patch it into the CV input of a stereo VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) that has a positive offset, such as the STM SVCA or a stereo low-pass filter, like the STM KARL. This setup will cause your stereo signals to "duck" whenever the negative voltage from the ADSR lowers the VCA's level or the filter's cutoff frequency.
Keep in mind that you might need to raise the levels of your line signals to match the levels that modular gear uses. In my experience, using line levels with modules does not necessarily cause problems. On the STM SVCA, for example, you can use the gain trimmers on the back of the board to raise your line levels to modular levels.
To sum it up, while DUCK might not be the best option for processing stereo signals, I'd personally suggest using a single ADSR along with multiple stereo filters. Alternatively, you can use a submixer to combine several stereo signals you want to duck into a single stereo mix. This mix can then be ducked by other synths, just like how you can do it with the external inputs on devices like the Elektron Syntakt or Roland TR8-S.
Hope this helps clarify things!