So, I need help creating a certain effect with Ableton Suite 8. It’s definitely a compression effect, but when a certain sound plays, EVERY other sound playing drops out completely, i have an example of what I speak of on the song “household goods” by Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs;
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Household Goods [Official Video] - YouTube
It’s a “PEW PEW”, high frequency, laser gun kind of sound, but just 1 PEW. It happens at 0:45, 0:52, 1:00, 1:07, 1:53, (sort of at 2:00, not everything drops out), 2:30, 2:37, 2:45, and 2:52.
Now, I understand how to use the compressor on a single track to create the pumping and breathing effect, but I don’t know how to use it to drop out everything.
Also, whenever I compress something so much that the sound drops out completely, I can’t make it come back fast enough without a very dominant “click” that I don’t want in there.
Any advice?
Thanks,
Tisdale
Hey tisdale!
It isn’t exactly using a compressor, but it might get the same effect you are describing here: Try using a gate set on “flip” and side chain it to a silent kick.
So, place the gate on the sound you want to cut out (or the track you have routed several sounds to) and activate the flip button. Click the triangle at the top of the gate plug to access the side chain area. Create a MIDI track with a simpler, and place a loud sound in there, like a kick or something. Since you probably don’t want to hear the kick, set the audio in the track controls to “Sends only” as opposed to the default “master.” Now go back to the original track and select that kick track as your side chain input. Now the gate cuts out everything when the kick is sounded on the other track. So, just set a rhythm you’d like on the kick, and control the sound length itself from the gate controls, namely the attack, hold and release knobs.
Hope this helps!
J