Yeah, highpass on the sidechain works as well (or a highpass on the send before it hits the sidechain). You don't want the low and sustained energy to trigger the compressor.

 

volume automation

 

i am not going to discuss "how to make a compressor faster" by turnign a knob here (most compressors can go up to 0ms), but one thing is clear: even with no latency between channels in a digital enviroment, the peak or power analysis in a sidechain will always have a form of delay, namely around half its analysis window.

so if you think a sidechain compressor is "not fast enough", you should try to use it/one with external key input, because then you can put a predelay on the key input (probably by delaying the music signal, and have the modulation happen "immediateley" - or even earlier.

i´ve a build a 16x16 channel mixer with delay and predelay (computer aided hardware) for exactly that purpose. it delays the 16 music signals for both music and key, so that i can put predelay onto the key inputs in realtime.

 

1. the simplest way to do it is just draw an volume automation, zoom to however detail you want, draw it however short you want, adjust the curve until you get the desired effect. You just have to draw for 1 or 2 bar, then paste till end.

2. If plugin, I could think of 3 plugins, Xfer LFO Tools, Cableguy Shaperbox or Volumeshaper, Devious Machine Duck.

3. If it needs to be a compressor ducking, then create a ghost kick send only track then sidechain. Set the detector signal to bandpass and allow around 4kHz or something where the "clicks" of the kick lies so the compressor react super quick when paired with hardest knee and faster attack possible. Slow release. Muted pulse as suggested by others also work. It doesn't have to be a kick really, just anything, snare also work.

4. Not advanced stuff at all, if I remember correctly, side-chain is like Topic 1 in "Producer 101".

5. Please, don't do it.

 

You send a sidechain from the kick to a compressor on a buss where all the other instruments are going to.

To set the release time you use 60,000 ms / BPM / 4 * 80%. This gets you ms for quarter note, multiply or divide to get the pump to last what ever note value you want.

I factor in the 80% because a compressors release time is defined by how long it takes for it to return to 80% original level and this sounds better to me.

In practice, I use the simplified version of 12000/BPM.

 

interesting to see so many people having a low opinion on this effect.
i must admit i don't like the effect in the video that is posted in the OP, it's fairly long and exaggerated. but generally speaking, some genres or tracks use it as a signature part of the sound. it just wouldn't be the same without it.

also nice tips in this thread, thank you to everyone who posted.