AM Contra 'Peripheral '

[pauli]

Another cool trick I use in electronic music all the time is the use that same side chain configuration on pads instead of the reverb channel..

There are hundreds of ways you can use this... Any instrument you use to key the compressor will come very far forward in the mix, so it's great for the all important snare drum snap. Or you can automate the compressor... Using the vocal to key it during specific moments where it's getting a little lost or in the chorus. Any song with a bright female vocal is a good candidate for this technique, since boosting the highs for clarity tends to give a harsh edge to the female voice.

And further, this can really help you dial in a radio friendly mix. If you want the pumping effect, triggering a mix bus compressor with the kick is a popular option... But it's going to limit how much you can compress the mix further during mastering, because the ducks can easily get uncomfortable. Instead, trigger a compressor on the pad... You will get a similar exciting effect, but the impact of further compression on the mix as a whole is negligible. And when it goes on the radio it'll get squashed to hell unless you get the mastering compression right.