Setting up the Drawmer SDX100 for ducking
The Drawmer SDX100 compressor plug-in can be used for ducking. This tutorial provides a detailed example of setting up the SDX100 for ducking.
NOTE: For the purpose of this tutorial, it is assumed that you are familiar with building mixer columns in the Soundscape Mixer, and the concepts of mono, stereo and multiple input mixer channels as they are described in the Soundscape Editor and SSL Soundscape Mixer manuals.
NOTE: While this example relates to the Soundscape Mixer included with the Soundscape Editor, it can equally be applied to the SSL Soundscape Mixer, dealing with signals from a third party application (sequencer, etc…).
The Arrangement pictured below is a typical radio jingle that comprises of a stereo music track and a mono voice-over track. Our aim is to make the music drop in level automatically whenever the voice is heard:
 This is the mixer we are going to use:
Mixer column 1 has a mono input (which was used to record the voice) and a mono to stereo output.
The “TRK1” mono track insert element plays back the recorded voice-over (the “Voice” Part in the Arrangement).
Just below the track insert, a mono to stereo send is set up to transmit the voice to mixer column 3 (which has four input channels) via busses 3 and 4.
The output element sends the voice to an external mixing console channel pair via TDIF outputs 7 and 8.
Please note that it is only through this output that the voice will be heard! While it is also sent to mixer column 3, it will be used as a key signal by the Drawmer SDX100 but will not be heard through it.
Mixer column 2 has a stereo input (which was used to record the music) and a stereo output.
The “TRK3 TRK4” stereo track insert element plays back the recorded music (the stereo “Music” Part in the Arrangement).
The output element sends the music to mixer column 3 (which has four input channels) via busses 1 and 2.
Mixer column 3 has a four channel input and a stereo output.
The input is assigned to busses 1-4. It receives the music via its inputs 1 and 2, and the voice signal via its inputs 3 and 4.
The Drawmer SDX100 plug-in element has been inserted just below the input. The “Stereo + ext trig” version has been selected because the processed signal (the music) is stereo:
The output element sends the music, appropriately ducked, to an external mixing console channel pair via TDIF outputs 7 and 8.
SDX100 settings
Ducking is performed by the Noise Gate section (bottom, right) of the Drawmer SDX100, taking into account the settings made in the Key section (bottom, left) of the plug-in.
Key settings
The Key Source parameter has to be set to “Ext” for the SDX100 to use the signal received via its inputs 3 and 4 as the trigger (key) signal.
Since the stereo version of the SDX100 has a pair of inputs for the key signal, you can select the left, right or combined signal as the trigger. In our example, any of these settings will work (because the same mono Voice signal reaches both trigger inputs of the SDX100). This setting is not available in the mono version of the plug-in, which has only one input for its main signal and one input for its key signal.
The key filter settings are not relevant for ducking. They could be used to define a frequency range for ducking, thus acting as a de-esser, for instance. In this example they are set to their least effective values, so that the key signal passes through the filters unaffected.
Noise Gate settings
Duck mode: The Noise Gate must be set to “Duck” (when the “Duck” button is clicked, the Duck LED turns yellow to indicate that Ducking mode is selected).
Threshold: Lowering the Threshold cursor (or turning the Threshold pot clockwise) means that a lower level of the key signal is required to trigger the ducking effect.
Attack: The shorter the attack time, the quicker the main signal will drop in level when ducking is triggered. Extremely short attack times can sound very unnatural. However, excessively long attack times may mean that the main signal in the compressor (in this example: the music) will not duck in time to allow the other signal (in this example: the Voice played back through mixer column 1) to be heard clearly. The ideal setting is somewhere in between.
Hold: The Hold setting determines the minumum amount of time that the main signal will be kept down once the ducking effect has been triggered. If the Hold time is too short, the main signal (in this example: the music) may appear to “jump” up and down in a fast and uncontrolled way. If it is set too long, the main signal will not rise in level quickly enough to fill gaps in the other signal (in this example: the Voice played back through mixer column 1). As for the Attack parameter, the ideal setting is somewhere in between.
Decay: The Decay setting determines the amount of time that the main signal will take to return to its normal level after the key signal has returned below the Threshold level. In this example, if the decay time is too short the main signal (music) will seem to jump back “brutally” to its original level. A 629ms setting was appropriate but this is dependent on the material being processed… adjust to taste!
Range: The greater the range, the greater the intensity of the ducking effect will be (turn the pot counterclockwise to increase the amount of ducking). If the value is set too high the effect will be unnatural. As for the Decay setting, adjust to taste according to the material you are mixing.
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