RING MODULATION SIDECHAIN - WHAT IT IS AND WHY IS IT BETTER?

Summary

In this episode, Academy Yo de Lon dives into the world of ring modulators, focusing on their use in side chaining for music production. He explains how ring modulators differ from traditional compressors, offering faster and more precise volume modulation. This technique allows for cleaner sounds by preserving important audio elements while reducing unnecessary ones. He demonstrates setting up a ring modulator side chain for kick and snare drums, showcasing its effectiveness in creating punchy and dynamic bass sounds. Additionally, he highlights special bundles on his Academy platform, offering significant discounts.

Takeaways

• 😀 A Ring Modulator (RM) is a great tool for creating unique and interesting sounds by manipulating the original signal and its modulator.
• 😀 RM behaves similarly to amplitude modulation, often used in synthesizing sounds, by keeping the original signal along with its modulated version and their sums and differences.
• 😀 The Shifter device has a built-in ring modulator that can create effects like volume sliders being moved up and down.
• 😀 A Ring Modulator is especially useful in side chaining because it can act much faster than traditional compressors, providing a more precise and quick response.
• 😀 Multiband side chaining is preferable for maintaining the low-end information in bass sounds without cutting out too much detail.
• 😀 To set up a basic multiband side chain, a utility tool can be used with a crossover to preserve crucial elements of the sound while still applying sidechain compression.
• 😀 Ring modulator side chaining involves moving the 'volume slider' based on the waveforms of the kick and snare, thus ensuring the original signal stays intact while reducing unnecessary information.
• 😀 Using a Ring Modulator allows you to sidechain sounds without losing as much vital audio data as traditional volume envelopes or regular compressors would.
• 😀 Ring modulator side chaining is an excellent method for fast and effective sound manipulation, especially for genres requiring quick modulation effects.
• 😀 The provided project and educational bundles on the Patreon offer access to this technique, along with other valuable resources for sound design.

Q & A

What is a Ring Modulator (RM) and how does it work?

A Ring Modulator (RM) combines two signals, the carrier and the modulator, producing their sum and difference frequencies. It can create complex and unusual sounds, especially when modulating the original signal with a sine wave. The effect can result in sounds that vary in intensity depending on the modulator frequency.

How is a Ring Modulator different from amplitude modulation?

While both Ring Modulation and amplitude modulation involve manipulating a signal’s volume, Ring Modulation is more complex. It retains the original signal, along with the modulated sum and difference, producing a more intricate sound compared to simple amplitude modulation, which generally only alters the volume of the signal.

What is the benefit of using a Ring Modulator for side chaining?

A Ring Modulator is beneficial for side chaining because it can quickly modulate the volume based on the kick and snare's waveform without cutting out too much information. This allows for more detailed control of the sound compared to traditional methods like volume envelopes or multi-band side chaining.

What are the typical issues with traditional side chaining methods?

Traditional side chaining methods, like using a volume envelope or a multi-band compressor, can often cut out too much low-end information or important frequencies, leading to a loss of depth and clarity in the mix, especially in bass-heavy tracks.

How does multi-band side chaining differ from a standard side chain?

Multi-band side chaining allows for side chaining specific frequency bands separately, which preserves more of the original sound while still managing to control certain elements (like kick and snare) without affecting the entire signal. This method ensures that low-end frequencies aren’t lost in the mix.

What are the practical advantages of using a Ring Modulator for side chaining over a compressor?

A Ring Modulator can react faster than a compressor, allowing for quicker modulation of the volume based on the kick and snare’s waveform. This fast response results in a cleaner side chain effect without losing too much important audio information, which can happen with compressors.

What does it mean to 'drag the volume slider up and down' in the context of Ring Modulation?

In Ring Modulation, 'dragging the volume slider up and down' refers to the way the volume level fluctuates based on the modulating signal (kick and snare in this case). The modulator rapidly changes the volume, affecting the signal's intensity in sync with the waveform, resulting in rhythmic changes.

What is the importance of keeping the low-end in a side chain setup?

Maintaining the low-end in a side chain setup is crucial for preserving the fullness and punch of the bass and kick drum. If the low-end is cut out too aggressively, the track can sound thin or lack energy. Using methods like multi-band side chaining helps to control only the necessary frequencies without losing the low-end power.

How does the 'crossover' setting in multi-band side chaining affect the sound?

The 'crossover' setting in multi-band side chaining determines the frequency ranges that will be processed together. By adjusting the crossover, you can find the right balance of side chain compression that retains more of the important sound frequencies while still achieving the desired effect on the bass or kick.

How do the visualizations of the kick and snare waveforms help in setting up a Ring Modulator side chain?

The visualizations of the kick and snare waveforms allow the user to precisely align the Ring Modulator with the rhythm of the drums. By observing the waveforms, you can ensure that the modulation happens in sync with the kick and snare, giving the side chain effect a natural, musical feel.