Side chaining against the lead vocal

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In modern mixing, sidechaining instruments to the lead vocal is very common, but it is usually done much more subtly than the “pumping” kick/bass sidechain you hear in EDM.

The goal isn’t to make the instruments “pump,” but to unmask the vocal so it sits comfortably on top of a dense arrangement without you having to crank the vocal volume to 11.

1. The Common Problem: Frequency Masking

Guitars, piano, and strings all live in the 200Hz to 3kHz range—exactly where the human voice lives. When your clean guitars or piano are playing at the same time as the vocal, they compete for the listener’s attention.

2. Standard Practice: Ducking vs. Dynamic EQ

There are two main ways professionals do this in Cubase:

Option A: Wide-Band Sidechain (The “Ducker”)

  • Method: You put a standard compressor on your “ALL MUSIC” group or specific instrument groups (Guitars, Piano). You sidechain it to the Lead Vocal.

  • The Goal: Every time the vocal is present, the instruments drop by a tiny amount—usually only 1dB to 2dB.

  • Pros: Very easy to set up.

  • Cons: If you push it too hard (more than 3dB), the whole mix starts to sound “unstable” or “breathing” in an unnatural way.

Option B: Sidechain Dynamic EQ (The “Modern Pro” Choice)

  • Method: Use a Dynamic EQ (like the one built into Cubase Pro’s Frequency 2 or Squasher) on your instrument group.

  • The Goal: Instead of turning down the entire guitar or piano volume, it only ducks the specific frequencies where the vocal is (e.g., a wide dip around 1.5kHz to 3kHz).

  • Pros: Extremely transparent. The instruments still feel loud and full, but the “clarity pocket” for the vocal opens up only when the singer is active.

3. Which instruments should you sidechain?

You don’t need to sidechain everything. Focus on the “space eaters”:

  • Distorted Guitars: YES. They are broad and “wall-like.” Ducking them 1–2dB makes the vocal pop instantly.

  • Piano/Pads: YES. These are “thick” instruments that can easily swallow the lower-mids of a vocal.

  • Strings: YES for pads; MAYBE for staccato. If strings are just providing atmosphere, a light ducking helps.

  • Drums: NO. Never sidechain your drums to your vocal. You need the drums to stay consistent to drive the rhythm.

  • Bass: USUALLY NO. The bass and vocal rarely compete for the same frequencies.

4. Professional Setup in Cubase

If you want to try this, here are the settings to start with:

  1. Threshold: Set so you see -1.5dB to -2dB of reduction.

  2. Ratio: Low (1.5:1 or 2:1). You want a gentle “nudge,” not a “clamp.”

  3. Attack: Medium-Fast (10ms – 30ms). You don’t want the instruments to disappear the millisecond a vocal starts, or it sounds glitchy.

  4. Release: Medium (100ms – 300ms). You want the instruments to “swell” back in naturally during the pauses between vocal phrases.

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