5 Minutes To A Better Mix III: Kick And Bass Sidechain

Part 11 of 31 – Struggling to get your kick drum and bass guitar to both be heard in the mix? Here’s a little compression trick you can use to free up a bit of space for both to live peacefully.

Time To Sidechain

By strategically using a key input and sidechain you can have your kick drum triggering a compressor on the bass guitar, turning it down just a hair every time the kick drum hits. The result? You always hear the kick drum instead of it getting lost under the bass. It’s easier than it sounds.