FL Studio
How to Sidechain in FL Studio (3 Ways, From Easy to Pro)
Sidechain makes the whole mix duck when the kick hits — it's the pump in house music and the glue that keeps 808s and kicks out of each other's way. Three FL-native ways:
Method 1: Fruity Limiter (classic compression)
- Route the kick's mixer track to the bass/music track: select kick track, right-click the target track's routing arrow → Sidechain to this track.
- On the target track, add Fruity Limiter, switch to COMP, and set Sidechain to input 1.
- Ratio ~4:1, fast attack, release ~100–200 ms, lower the threshold until it pumps.
Method 2: Peak Controller (volume ducking)
Drop Fruity Peak Controller on the kick track. Right-click the target channel's volume knob → Link to controller → pick Peak Ctrl, then set Mapping formula to inverted. Cleaner than compression — it ducks volume without changing tone. The go-to for melodic trap.
Method 3: Manual automation
Create a volume automation clip shaped like a dip on every kick. Total control, zero surprises, tempo-synced — and how a lot of EDM pros actually do it.
Which one?
Pumping house/EDM: Limiter or automation. Trap 808 + kick coexistence: Peak Controller with a fast dip. Vocals over a busy beat: gentle Limiter sidechain (2–3 dB) keyed from the vocal. Combine with proper low-end EQ and your kick will never fight the bass again.
See sidechain set up in real FLPs →Open full FL Studio projects and study the routing — member downloads.Frequently asked questions
What does sidechain do?
It automatically lowers one sound's volume when another plays — most commonly ducking the bass or whole mix when the kick hits, keeping the low end clean and adding rhythmic pump.
What's the easiest way to sidechain in FL Studio?
Fruity Peak Controller on the kick, linked (inverted) to the bass channel's volume — two minutes to set up and it doesn't color the sound.
How much sidechain should I use?
For clean low end, 2–4 dB of ducking is enough. The obvious pumping effect in EDM uses much more — taste and genre decide.