Best Way to Pulse bass/textures/lines

[Bdurf590]

Any thoughts? specifically I'm using logic 8. I've done primarily hip/hop down tempo but have recently started producing, or attempting to produce more techno/edm music. So far i've used automations and i've cut lines on the 1/4 and adjusted the attack time for different parameters, but i feel like there must be a better way to pulse and swell. thanks

[OTG]

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[Ian Fondue]

^^^ this is the classic way to do it

Typically you should set up a sidechain kick track that is present throughout the track (So you can pump the pads if your regular kick track isn't playing at that point) and then just route to your compressor as the sidechain input.

I don't know if Logic has an equivalent, but in Ableton Live you can simulate the same effect with more control using a dummy audio clip that just contains audio volume automation.

One other alternative I know is used in d'n'b cirlces is to use CamelPhat on a track with a rising ramp shaped LFO assigned to volume and synced to tempo at rate 1/4 - this basically makes the volume start quiet and get louder every beat which is basically what a kick driven sidechain compression approach is doing.