Ducking

[snowdoguk]

do any of you Mix Meisters ever use the Ducking technique (one track to control level of another or sub-mix/group) and if so in what situations is it advantageous compared to other ways of making a track stand out? Just reading about it and curious if it's ever used...  a typical use would be if a radio presenter starts to talk then the level of the background music is automatically lowered until he stops when it is raised back up again...

Mike

probably should've posted this in production tips

[Argle]

do any of you Mix Meisters ever use the Ducking technique (one track to control level of another or sub-mix/group) and if so in what situations is it advantageous compared to other ways of making a track stand out? Just reading about it and curious if it's ever used...  a typical use would be if a radio presenter starts to talk then the level of the background music is automatically lowered until he stops when it is raised back up again...

Mike

probably should've posted this in production tips

the classic use is in radio, to duck the music when the announcer talks.  in music production it's mainly used in modern electronic dance music, to make the kick affect other things like pads for a pumping and jumping sound.  can't say I've ever used it in acoustic music, though everything is permitted.

[snowdoguk]

do any of you Mix Meisters ever use the Ducking technique (one track to control level of another or sub-mix/group) and if so in what situations is it advantageous compared to other ways of making a track stand out? Just reading about it and curious if it's ever used...  a typical use would be if a radio presenter starts to talk then the level of the background music is automatically lowered until he stops when it is raised back up again...

Mike

probably should've posted this in production tips

the classic use is in radio, to duck the music when the announcer talks.  in music production it's mainly used in modern electronic dance music, to make the kick affect other things like pads for a pumping and jumping sound.  can't say I've ever used it in acoustic music, though everything is permitted.

I read about the kick being the most likely to be used.. or the snare... interesting stuff...thanks Adam

[Gerk]

I use ducking all the time. One awesome thing to do with it is use a vocal track to duck a big reverb that's on the vocal.  You cake keep lots of that big verb woosh but still keep clarity on the vocal and with a bit of tweaking you can set a nice decay on the duck to give it a pre-delay sort of feel and the thickening that comes with short delays (without actually adding more effect to it). Queensryche over used this type of vocal treatment many times LOL.

Good for anything from subtle to over the top too.

[stoman]

I sometimes use ducking (via side-chaining) if the kick and the bass collide with each other. 

I know that ducking/side-chaining is often used on vocal effects (reverb) too, but I haven't yet actively done that myself. I usually don't use big reverbs on vocals, so there was no need for it yet. But I think in some music styles/genres it might be a very nice trick. Maybe if/when someday I return to my roots and write new age songs again.

Regards,
  Steffen

[Stoney]

Is this what you had in mind Mike 

[snowdoguk]

Is this what you had in mind Mike 

    I've seen that picture before actually... very cute and honourable of you to save it... no fattening it up for Peking though 

[snowdoguk]

thanks for the answers Steffen and Gerk... interesting to hear how some of you apply it..   I guess there are many other applications for it too, just need to be creative, bit like what Adam said .. everything is permitted..

[Gerk]

thanks for the answers Steffen and Gerk... interesting to hear how some of you apply it..   I guess there are many other applications for it too, just need to be creative, bit like what Adam said .. everything is permitted..

Exactly!  The sky is the limit.  You can also probably find many places to use it as an alternative to compression or automation.

[Argle]

oh, I forgot, I did use it on a song here, Atlantis, sort of pseudo ducking.  Used it for the flange on the vox, to make it low during loud spots but louder during quiet spots.  The reasoning was to fill out the quiet vox with flange, to make them stand up better to the dense instrumentation.  End result is the loud vocals are drier, the soft vocals are wetter.  Not true sidechain compression but done in that spirit.

[CosmicDolphin]

I keep meaning to try it but I never have 

CD