Compressor Side Chain (How Soon is Now)

[cob666]

I found a youtube vid that explained how to use a compressor side chain with a click track to get a tremolo sound like Marr's How Soon is Now sound.

I tried using a synth square wave with a low frequency into a compressor side chain (SCSEL) and as soon as I select the line the synth is on I get a CPU utilization error.

Is this even doable with the Axe-fx Ultra? Of course I can get a somewhat realistic sound using just a tremolo but this approach sounded interesting.

 

[javajunkie]

You should be able to do that (assuming you are using the synth as a metronome now). Are you sure you just don't have too many other effects going and are overloading the processor.

However, unless you are sidechaining to input2 and have the drum signal plugged into that, there is really no advantage to doing it that way oppose to using a trem,volume, or filter block using an lfo or sequence sync'd to a tempo.

 

[cob666]

Yeah, I know. I have a pretty close sound now using just a twin with tremolo after the cab.

The compressor side chain method looked interesting though and I wanted to give it a try. No other effects. I'll recreate the patch and post it to see if I'm doing something wrong.

Thanks

 

[Scott Peterson]

You should be able to do that (assuming you are using the synth as a metronome now). Are you sure you just don't have too many other effects going and are overloading the processor.

However, unless you are sidechaining to input2 and have the drum signal plugged into that, there is really no advantage to doing it that way oppose to using a trem,volume, or filter block using an lfo or sequence sync'd to a tempo.

Tis indeed a fascinating (and very effective way) of recreating that sound as shown in the video. That guy did it VERY well there; but man, what a convoluted and complicated (IMHO) way to do what would essentially be as simple as Java points out.

 

[tgunn]

Very interesting technique. It could be used to create all sorts of different tremolo like effects with varying shapes and patterns. Thanks for sharing.