Waves SSL channel strip - gating?

[joninc]

hi there - i am mixing a project that requires a bit of an 80's touch to things and i am trying to gate the snare with the SSL channel strip.

there's no way to really key it to the note of the drum is there?

my problem is that i am getting a lot of kick bleed through one of the snare mics and trying to isolate it with the gate but the attack of the kick keeps opening it up...

i do have other plugs that i can tune the gate with but i am curious how this would be handled with the SSL?

[SpencerMartin]

Maybe it's just me, but I've always found the SSL gates to be really difficult to dial in and I'll basically use any other option first. Honestly, the default Pro Tools expander/gate plug-in works for me every time.

There's not a keyed/triggered input setting that I'm aware of, but have you tried activating the EQ send button to sidechain the dynamic section? That may help, but I'm guessing you've already messed with that since you specified it's the attack of the kick and not the body that keeps opening it.

Anyways, I feel your pain when it comes to SSL gates. I'm not a fan. Here's something you might like though - a cool trick I used recently to 80's things up a bit with snare sounds:

1. Place snare sample or clap sample on separate track (I used claps).

2. Insert any old verb with preferably a medium long-ish decay, maybe 1-3 seconds

3. Insert a gate with a fast release, but time the hold to taste by ear (I made it roughly a dotted 8th). Don't bother with triggered gating.

4. Insert something (or maybe 2 somethings) to drastically compress and saturate the signal.

5. Blend with regular dry snare source.

Once step 4 is included in the chain, setting the hold time in step 3 should be much easier. The end result should be that rather than a naturally fading decay, the reverb should have a fattened, steadily whooshing waveform that cuts off abruptly with whatever length fits the groove.

[Injured Ear]

Not familiar with the plugin version, but on the hardware version on the G series consoles, during mixdown you could hit the Split button which would send the filters to the monitor side of the channel. Then on the dynamics you hit Ch In or Ch Out (depending if you wanted your dynamics pre/post eq) AND the Mon (dynamics to monitor section) button. It would then listen to the monitor side of the channel (which had the Split filters assigned) for its sidechain source.

The only drawback was that the filters on the G series were still pretty limited range.

[Nick Sevilla]

Do you need the low end of that snare mic?

If not, filter the phuck out of that kick.

Like, past 150 Hz.

Use the other snare mic for the lower end of the snare.

And that gate, well, once you filter the kick, you "should" be able to make it work. Maybe... LOL.

Cheers