SAMPLED

Mixing and mastering · updated 2026-08-16

SIDECHAIN

Using one signal to control processing on another — most famously ducking a bass or pad every time the kick hits.

A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.
Mixing and mastering — A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.

Photo: Solid State Logic (SSL) Matrix Mixing Console at Audio Mix House, Studio C (opens in a new tab) by Audio Mix House (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • Using one signal to control processing on another — most famously ducking a bass or pad every time the kick hits.
  • In dance music it is the pumping kick-driven duck on bass and pads; in mixing it is a surgical tool that only ducks the bass when the kick actually hits.
  • Route the kick to a compressor's sidechain input on the bass channel with a fast attack and a release timed to the tempo.
  • Watch out: ducking the whole bass with a long release at fast tempos.
  • Sits under mixing and mastering in this glossary, with 2 primary sources below.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define sidechain in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at sidechain in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

SIDECHAIN IN DEPTH

Sidechaining triggers a processor from a signal other than the one it is treating. In dance music it is the pumping kick-driven duck on bass and pads; in mixing it is a surgical tool that only ducks the bass when the kick actually hits.

How it works in practice

Route the kick to a compressor's sidechain input on the bass channel with a fast attack and a release timed to the tempo.

The mistake people make

Ducking the whole bass with a long release at fast tempos. The bass never recovers between kicks and the low end disappears.

WHERE SIDECHAIN SITS

Sidechain belongs to mixing and mastering in the Sampled music glossary. The processing vocabulary, plus the loudness standards streaming services actually measure you against.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on sidechain. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes sidechain?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with sidechain?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to sidechain?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for sidechain — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • Ableton Live manual — compressor (opens in a new tab)

    Manufacturer learning resource · Ableton

    “Using one signal to control processing on another — most famously ducking a bass or pad every time the kick hits.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: A free, hands-on explainer from a DAW maker — useful for hearing the concept rather than only reading it.

  • Apple — Logic Pro User Guide (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · support.apple.com

    “Sidechaining triggers a processor from a signal other than the one it is treating.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

RELATED TERMS IN MIXING AND MASTERING

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