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User profile for user: FrankyEight
FrankyEight Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

'Ducking' Synths in Garageband

Hi guys,


I'm currently producing a dance track in Garageband and am curious to know if Garageband can produce a particular effect for me.


I'm describing this effect as 'ducking' although I'm not looking for the ducking effect you might use if you're in radio — I'm looking more for a ducking effect on my synth, my lead melody, and I want this lead melody to duck on each beat so it can only be fully heard on the off beat. This has been used in many dance tracks including Dash Berlin's Man on the Run: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-ShGTjUNo8) You can hear the effect I'm after at around 3.00 minutes when the track 'drops'.


If possible can anyone direct me as to how I might achieve this effect using Garageband?


Hopw this is clear, thanks all.


FrankyEight.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Nov 13, 2012 3:55 AM

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User profile for user: Christoph Drösser
Christoph Drösser
User level: Level 6
11,318 points

Posted on Nov 13, 2012 6:20 AM

You can actually use GB's ducking to achieve an effect like this, you'll have to edit it in the track info under the Master Track to make the attack and decay faster. The problem is, you have no control over when the effect appears. So if you want it to be exactly on the offbeat like in your example, I suggest a different route: draw a zig-zag volume curve under the synth track. Sounds tedious, but as soon as you have drawn a couple of dots, you can drag-copy them to mulitply them. Here's an example that I did in 10 minutes:


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/108918/Ducking%20Test.mp3


To get an even better effect, you might do the same automation on some sound parameters like the VisualEQ.

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User profile for user: Christoph Drösser
Christoph Drösser
User level: Level 6
11,318 points

Nov 13, 2012 6:20 AM in response to FrankyEight

You can actually use GB's ducking to achieve an effect like this, you'll have to edit it in the track info under the Master Track to make the attack and decay faster. The problem is, you have no control over when the effect appears. So if you want it to be exactly on the offbeat like in your example, I suggest a different route: draw a zig-zag volume curve under the synth track. Sounds tedious, but as soon as you have drawn a couple of dots, you can drag-copy them to mulitply them. Here's an example that I did in 10 minutes:


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/108918/Ducking%20Test.mp3


To get an even better effect, you might do the same automation on some sound parameters like the VisualEQ.

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User profile for user: FrankyEight
FrankyEight Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Nov 13, 2012 6:31 AM in response to Christoph Drösser

Hi Cristoph,


Thank you so much for understanding my question as I wasn't sure I'd worded it correctly.


Using the volume to achive the desired effect sounds so simple, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Your example sounds great also and is exactly what I'm looking for so thank you for taking the trouble to do that.


Thanks again.

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'Ducking' Synths in Garageband

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