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Sidechain Modulation

CHAKRABOOST has an optional stereo sidechain input. Its level can push any modulatable knob up or down, so a kick can open the phaser on the upper bands, or a vocal can pull the pan depth in while it sings.

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Routing a signal to the sidechain

The sidechain input is off until your host sends something to it:
  • Logic Pro: choose the source track from the Side Chain menu in the plugin window’s header.
  • Ableton Live: open the device’s sidechain section and choose the source under Audio From.
  • Reaper: send the source track to channels 3 and 4 of the track holding CHAKRABOOST, and check that those channels feed the plugin’s sidechain inputs in its pin connector.
The SC readout at the top right of the MIX tab shows the sidechain level in dB, and a dash when no signal arrives. CHAKRABOOST follows the level of the left and right sidechain channels together, with a 5 ms attack and a 100 ms release.

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Assigning a knob

  1. Right-click the knob you want to modulate.
  2. Choose Assign sidechain modulation….
  3. In the pop-up (Source: Sidechain), set Depth between -1.00 and +1.00 (it starts at 0.30). Positive depths raise the knob as the sidechain gets louder; negative depths lower it. Depth is a share of the knob’s travel, the same on every knob: at +1.00 a full-scale sidechain can sweep the knob from its set position all the way to the top, at 0.30 it moves the knob up to 30% of its travel. The knob never goes past either end of its range.
  4. Tick Invert polarity to flip the direction without changing the depth.
  5. Click Assign.
The knob then shows an amber rim with a dot, and a faint tick marks its set position while the sidechain moves it. To change a routing, right-click the knob and choose Edit modulation… (then Apply); Remove modulation deletes it.

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Which knobs can be modulated

Switches and menus (Stages, INV, S, M, BYPASS, PHASE, MODE and the automation-only choices) cannot be modulated, and neither can SPREAD, XOVER or the LISTENER controls. Each knob takes one routing. Routings are saved with the DAW session and in presets. Copying band settings does not copy the band’s routings.

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Ideas

  • Kick-driven sweep. Route the kick to Depth on the Pres and Brill bands with a positive depth, so the phaser opens on each hit and relaxes between them.
  • Ducking motion. Route a vocal to INTENSITY with a negative depth, so the whole effect recedes while the vocal plays.
  • Groove-locked width. Route a hi-hat to Depth X on the upper bands, so the stereo movement follows the hat pattern.