Hello, i'm working with Fabfilter Pro Q 3, i was wondering if using the sidechain mode i could control e.g taming a specific frequency of the bass channel (using the dynamic eq), every time a specific frequency from another channel (e.g. the kick) hits.

 

Yes, you can.

 

Havent used Fab ProQ3 yet, but I am pretty sure it would be working like in the older versions (here an great example for Pro MB)

If you find time, I can really recommend all of Dan Worralls videos about fabfilter, not just for their plugins, but his insights on mixing music is just great!

 

Not 100% sure but on ProQ3 the sidechain option is only to visualise, dynamic eq doesn't react to the selected sidechain channel, somebody pls correct me if wrong! However those new "red lines" are great to see what is clashing when sidechain selected.

 

That would be quiet unusual...

 

@6ixcore is right!
Sidechain input of Pro Q3 is only used for visualisation... You cannot "connect" a sidechain to any of the bands, there is no option for it.
Instead use Pro MB to do this like @Karlsplatz suggested.

 

External spectrum visualization from any other Pro-Q 3 instance, including collision detection

External side chaining

FabFilter Pro-Q 3 offers the possibility of feeding an external signal to its side chain, so that you can visualize the signal in the Analyzer, comparing it with the pre-EQ and post-EQ spectrums. Also, you can use the SC input to let Pro-Q 3 match its spectrum, using EQ Match.

Feeding a signal to a plug-in's side-chain inputs works slightly different in various hosts. This topic describes the procedure for some of the most popular hosts around: Cubase, Logic Pro, Ableton Live and Pro Tools. To explain how it works, we use a scenario with two tracks. The first one contains the audio that we want to process with Pro-Q 3, which we'll call the main track from now. The second track contains the audio that we want to route to Pro-Q 3's external side-chain input. We'll call this track the side chain track.

After setting up everything according to the instructions below for your host, you can check whether everything is routed correctly. Play the audio and make sure you've chosen the 'Side Chain' item from the external spectrum list in the Analyzer panel. Confirm that FabFilter Pro-Q 3 shows the side-chain spectrum now.

Cubase

• 
  
  • Open Cubase and create a new empty project.
  • Add two audio tracks that we'll use as main track and side chain track.
  • Add audio files on both the main track and the side chain track. You can simply drag audio files from a Finder/Explorer window onto a track.
  • Open the Mixer. In the main track, click on an empty insert slot and select the VST 3 version of FabFilter Pro-Q 3 in the EQ menu (note the VST 3 icon which looks like ///).
  • In the plug-in header, click on the Activate Side-Chain button (right of the R/W buttons) to enable the external side chain in Cubase.
  • At the top of the Mixer, set the output for the side chain track to the side-chain input of FabFilter Pro-Q 3.

Logic Pro

• 
  
  • Open Logic Pro and create a new empty project via File > New...
  • Add two audio tracks (via Track > New...) that we'll use as main track and side chain track.
  • Add audio files on both the main track and the side chain track. You can simply drag audio files from a Finder/Explorer window onto a track.
  • Select the main track and add Pro-Q 3 in the first Insert effect slot.
  • In the right top corner of the plug-in interface header, in the 'Side Chain' menu, choose the side chain track. Now, the signal from the side chain track is sent to FabFilter Pro-Q 3's external side-chain input.
    

Ableton Live

• 
  
  • Open Ableton Live and start with an empty arrangement. We'll use Track 1 as the side chain track and Track 2 as the main track.
  • From the folder menu's on at the left top of Ableton Live's interface, drag different audio clips to the first empty slots of Track 1 and Track 2.
  • From the VST (or Audio Units) plug-in menu, also at the left top of Ableton Live's interface, drag FabFilter Pro-Q 3 onto Track 2, the main track.
  • In Track 1 (the side chain track) in the 'Audio To' menu select 'Track 2' instead of the default 'Master'. Now, an extra menu appears right below: choose 'FF Pro-Q 3 3/4' instead of the default 'Track In' to route the track's signal to FabFilter Pro-Q 3's external side chain inputs.
    

Pro Tools

• 
  
• 
  
  
  • Open Pro Tools and start a new empty session.
  • Create two audio tracks that we'll use as main track and side chain track. Add audio files to both track.
  • Open the Mix window to display the tracks with their Insert slots and Sends slots.
  • In the first 'Sends' slot of the side chain track, choose 'Bus 1'. The track view for Bus 1 will open: set its level slider to 0.0 dB so the bus actually produces audio!
  • In the first 'Inserts' slot of the main track, choose EQ > FabFilter Pro-Q 3.
  • Now, in the 'Key Input' menu of the plug-in interface (just above the FabFilter logo), choose bus > Bus 1 instead of the default 'no key input'. Now, the audio from the side chain track is routed to Pro-Q 3's external side chain input via Bus 1.
    
  • 
    
  • Source https://www.fabfilter.com/help/pro-q/support/externalsidechaining

 

Last edited by a moderator: Dec 18, 2018

So sidechain works as usual, no?

 

no it can't (yet):
https://www.fabfilter.com/forum/3380/new-pro-q3-without-sidechain-in-dynamic-mode?replies=1
https://www.fabfilter.com/forum/3340/pro-q-3-external-key-for-dynamics

you need to use Fabfilter Pro MB for now

 

it sucks that it doesnt function as a sidechain signal yet. they could easily have included that feature. i feel like they chose to leave that out for now.

 

Thanks for the answers guys!

 

No.
It makes the dyneq useless. But whatever. Best eqs in the world.

Well short of other dyneqs. MCdsp (AE600), Ozone, Neutron , etc...Lol.
Who do obviously all have sidechain for triggering.

 

Thanks for the answer.. I'm very surprised in 2019 almost, still with this sort of problem ... Specialty from this brand which seems very serious.

 

to be honest I still don't understand why Fabs adeed the dynamics stuff into EQ,
they obviously must have thought about that a lot before deciding, especially regarding the MB they already have,
I feel like the dynamics part of Q3 is more of just an enhancement to EQ, not an attempt to make truly dynamic EQ,
I can imagine Fab guys will come up with MB2 in future which might work as true dynamic EQ, but then will they remove such functionality from Q3 again? ....so difficult they made it to themselves

 

Nope, mb compression and dynamic eq are different tools. Same concept, but different like amp vs preamp, tube vs solid vs tape, compressor vs clipper, reverb vs delay vs chorus vs other spatial tools...
Crossovered bands (band-depended compression) vs eq curves (surgical eq with surgical compression).

It sounds like.... Fuck that tape machine saturation, i already have a tube preamp. Or, i dont need tube eq because i have pro-q... Different tasks, different color, different workflow, different results...

 

mild pump milk very interesting, as to be honest I'm not close to understand this. I'm much more into composing and playing than mixing.
Thank you for the explanation.