Does anyone know how to achieve this sound where the volume of the track decreases when the bass drum hits and quickly goes back to normal volume? Here is an example of what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oUx6wGCekM

Is it compression? Because I've tried this and sometimes it slightly works but sometimes it doesn't. Can the 404 do this on its own or do I need something else?

Thanks.

Sidechain compression or "ducking". Say you want the kick to duck the synth. Put a compressor on the synth put copy of the kick into the "Key In" on the compressor. Now adjust the threshold and ratio settings to taste for more or less ducking. This is really easy if you have ableton as the built in compressor has a key in. Also using heavy compression you may get a similar sound as the kick is loud and since you only has such a small dynamic range(if you're crushing it) everything else gets quiter to make room for the kick. I would suggest doing a search on gearlsutz for more info.

quote for Bridge
plus
that's how to do it on ableton:
above all>be sure to have a compressor vst wich accept sidchain, not all do that.
"stupid" example:
all audio tracks (but it's ok also with midi tracks)
1)track 1 (synth)
2)track 2 (drums)
3)track 3 (side chain compressor vst)

put track2 out to sc vst>track in
// // 1 out to sc vst (not track in)
put track 3 to "IN" (not auto, not off)
in this case the synth will "follow" breathing the drum rythm...

then tweak as Bridge said...
i remember there were a thread about it a year ago by Hurlingderwishes...

Thanks for the replies. Found this on the internet and will see how well it works with audacity.

http://sonictransfer.com/sss-side-chain ... dows.shtml

Will let you guys know how it goes.

i use this vst a lot

Or if you dont have the luxury of sidechain compressor, just setup a looping emvelope/ramp shaped LFO/ride the gain and record it

Do you use it with audacity? I can't seem to figure out how to channel tracks through it (although I havn't had too much time to work on it)?

i use it with ableton live 6.
i don't know very well audacity, but if it accepts in/out on the tracks, it shouldn't have to be very difficult; http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=12980
don't know if it's really helpful but http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoIjykHURE4

maybe audacity is conceived like cubase? in that case try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKQRghpA3kc

or
try a search on the forum, like i said we discussed this argument some time ago...

in any case, the concept is always to make an audio part "be driven" by another. drums (out)>sc compressor insert+synth (out)>sc compressor in

here some examples of sidechain hardware (to see/touch the thing real)
i got an alesis 3630 http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/3630/ wich can do sidechain (or ducking)
on the back it has 2 kind of imput
1)imput 2)sidechain dedicated imput
in this hardware situtation you put our synth out on 1) the drums out on 2).

good luck!

if you don't have a daw, a way to do this is on the sp-404 etc. is to applyan effect that can reduce the volume of a sample, such as the isolator effect, and set that to a consistent lower volume. Assign the effect to all of the things you want to reduce and when playing your music together, use the effect grab whenever you want to drop the volume down. For best results, I recommend recording the output and resampling into the box so you won't have to do it ad nauseum.

It doesn't look like audacity can support that vst...idk But figured out I can get similiar results by using the envelope tool and decreasing the volume at certian parts.

With the hardware compressor, is there a way to sidechain using only my 404? Or would I have to use two output sorces (like a computer and a 404). If I do it like this, would I be able to record the output of the compressor back into the same computer or the same 404?

Sorry for so many questions, don't have much production knowledge.

i think audacity got something called "autoduck", an effect similar to sidechain compression...(read that in the links i posted before)

to obtain sidechain from hardware compressor, this compressor has to have 2 in: one "normal" in(in wich you put the audio of the out you want to be sidechained: for ex.:a synth out, a sampler out etc)and one to trigger the "normal" one (in wich you put the audio that makes breathing -or ducking or sidechanig- the other audio: for ex.: drummachine out, sampler -drums samples- out);

this is sidechain in Reason, interesting because this software show almost "how physically" you can do it (like on hardware)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0SE2AnEdaE

i repeat, check on the "search" optionon the forum, try t ofind this discussion we had about on eyear ago