How to sidechain in FL Studio (3 ways)
Sidechaining ducks one sound out of the way of another — classically, pulling the bass and pads down every time the kick hits so the low end stays clean and the track breathes. FL Studio gives you a few routes to it.
Method 1 — Fruity Limiter (compressor mode)
Right-click the kick's mixer track → 'Sidechain to this track' → choose the bass track's mixer slot. On the bass track, add Fruity Limiter, switch to the COMP tab, and set the SIDECHAIN dropdown to the kick's sidechain number. Now the kick triggers the compression. Set a fast attack, tune the release to the tempo, and dial the ratio for depth.
Method 2 — Fruity Peak Controller (volume LFO)
Put Fruity Peak Controller on the kick, then link its peak/LFO output to the bass track's volume (right-click the volume knob → Link to controller). This ducks by volume rather than compression — very controllable, and it works even on sounds a compressor struggles with.
Method 3 — a dedicated ducker
The fastest, most repeatable route is a ducking plugin where you draw the pump curve directly and sync it to the grid — no routing, no sidechain bus. You see the shape, tweak the depth, and A/B it instantly. It's why most house producers keep one on every bus. Our guide to free sidechain plugins compares a few.
- Draw the duck curve instead of chasing attack/release by ear.
- Tempo-synced 1/4 or 1/8 shapes for four-on-the-floor.
- Multiband: duck the sub under the kick while the hats stay forward.
Or get the pump free with COLONY
Prefer presets to drawing? COLONY's PUMP ducks with six ready-made styles, locked to your project's tempo with no routing, or triggered by your kick on its sidechain input. It's one of six effects in COLONY, the free multi-effect plugin from 13x Audio.
What's the best sidechain method in FL Studio?
For control and speed, a dedicated ducker where you draw the curve is hard to beat. For classic compression pump, the Fruity Limiter sidechain route is built-in and free. Peak Controller is great when you want pure volume ducking.
Why isn't my sidechain working in FL Studio?
The most common cause is skipping the 'Sidechain to this track' step in the mixer — the compressor's sidechain input has nothing to listen to until the kick is routed to it. Check the mixer routing arrows and the plugin's sidechain dropdown.
How much sidechain is too much?
If the bass disappears rather than dips, ease the depth or shorten the duck. You want movement, not a hole. Multiband ducking (only the lows) keeps the track from feeling gutted.