Add Drama to Gated Sounds

Using triggered gates on sustained sounds like pads is a great way to get them moving. Pads often feature slow attack and long release times and, while great for thickening mixes, they tend to dominate, making a mix flabby. One way to lessen their sustained effect is to insert a gate into the instrument’s signal chain and feed a percussive source to the gate’s sidechain input. As the gate opens and closes, this will bring a dynamic rhythm to your pads. However, you can go further; by automating the decay or release time from the gate, you can control how quickly it closes. Experiment and your pads will come to life.