Sidechaining is one of the most recognizable and widely used techniques in modern music production. It’s the subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) “pumping” effect that makes a mix breathe with the kick drum, creating clarity, movement, and the sense of a polished, professional arrangement. While traditional sidechaining involves routing a compressor to respond to an external audio trigger, FL Studio offers another fast and flexible option: Gross Beat.
Gross Beat is commonly associated with gating and time-based glitch effects, but one of its most underrated capabilities is its ability to generate rhythmic volume shaping. This makes it a powerful tool for clean, consistent sidechain-style ducking without any routing or signal chains. Whether you want tight EDM pumping, subtle glue between your kick and bass, or aggressive volume cuts to enhance transitions, Gross Beat can deliver it with precision and control.
This expanded guide breaks down not only how to use Gross Beat for sidechaining, but also why it works, when to use it, how it compares to compressor-based sidechaining, and advanced creative techniques to help you stand out as a producer.
What Exactly is Gross Beat?
Gross Beat is a real-time, buffer-based effect plugin developed by Image-Line. It works by manipulating the amplitude and timing of incoming audio using preset curves and editable envelopes. While originally designed for stutter edits, glitch cuts, time reversals, and rhythmic gating, its volume envelope tools make it ideal for sidechain-style ducking—fully tempo-synced and extremely customizable.
Unlike a compressor, Gross Beat doesn’t listen to an audio signal to determine when to duck the sound. Instead, it follows an envelope pattern that you choose or draw manually. This gives you rhythmic consistency and eliminates the uncertainties that come with threshold-based triggering. In genres where the pumping effect is a stylistic choice rather than a functional mixing decision, this control becomes invaluable.
Why Choose Gross Beat for Sidechain Ducking?
Traditional sidechaining requires routing your kick drum into a compressor on your bass or synth track. The compressor reacts every time the kick hits, lowering the volume momentarily. This works beautifully, but it can be fiddly—you must set the attack, release, ratio, knee, threshold, and input routing.
Gross Beat, on the other hand, gives you an instant rhythmic curve with just a click. You don’t need to manage signal flow. You don’t need to tune a compressor. And you get perfectly repeatable results every time. For producers who work quickly or aim for precise and stylized volume movement, Gross Beat is significantly faster and easier.
But its real strength lies in creative control. You can redraw curves, automate patterns, blend wet/dry levels, or combine sidechain-style dips with rhythmic gating or glitch accents. This allows you to shape not only the dynamics but the artistic feel of your track.
Step-by-Step Guide: Using Gross Beat for Clean, Rhythmic Sidechaining
1. Load Gross Beat on the Track You Want to Duck
Open the Mixer in FL Studio and find the channel where your instrument is routed—this is usually your bass, pads, or sustained synths, since these elements most commonly fight with the kick for low-frequency real estate. Insert Gross Beat in an empty effects slot.
Once loaded, Gross Beat takes effect immediately, but nothing will change until you choose or draw a volume envelope preset.
2. Choose a Sidechain Preset from the Volume Bank
Gross Beat organizes its presets into categories, and the Volume presets include ducking curves shaped specifically for sidechain movement. You can select patterns that match the pulse of your track:
- 1/2 Beat Gate – A smooth, gentle ducking effect for more relaxed grooves.
- 1/4 Beat Gate – A quicker cycle that suits faster-paced tracks.
- 1 Beat Sidechain – A classic EDM-style pumping pattern synced to each kick.
These presets offer great starting points, but you can always tweak the curves later to better match your production.
3. Adjust the Envelope Curve for the Perfect Feel
Inside the Gross Beat interface, volume is represented on the Y-axis while time progresses horizontally. Dragging the points creates a custom curve. Lower points reduce volume; higher points restore it. This is your ducking motion.
You can refine:
- Ducking depth – How far the volume dips during the sidechain.
- Release curve – How quickly or slowly the sound swells back in.
- Timing alignment – Ensuring the deepest part of the dip hits exactly on your kick.
Small changes in curve shape can dramatically affect groove and energy. A sharp, fast dip works for tight EDM drops. A softer, rounded curve works for pop or melodic electronic genres.
4. Sync Gross Beat Perfectly with Your Kick Pattern
Because Gross Beat follows the project tempo, it automatically aligns to beats and bars. But the kick drum pattern itself may be more complex than a simple four-on-the-floor pulse. If you want perfect timing, you can tweak the envelope so the dip aligns with each specific kick hit.
This becomes especially important in:
- trap beats with syncopated kicks
- breakbeat or drum and bass patterns
- hybrid electronic productions with variable rhythmic emphasis
You can zoom into the curve editor and shift the envelope left or right until it lines up naturally with your drum groove.
5. Automate Gross Beat for Dynamic Transitions
Sidechain pumping doesn’t have to be active throughout the entire song. Many producers only use it during drops or choruses to increase intensity. You can automate Gross Beat to turn on or off at specific points in your arrangement.
In FL Studio:
- Right-click the bypass switch in Gross Beat.
- Select Create Automation Clip.
- Use the Playlist to turn the effect on/off whenever needed.
You can also automate preset switching for evolving patterns or breakdown transitions.
Pro Tips: Getting Professional-Level Results with Gross Beat Sidechaining
Use Subtle Settings for Natural Movement
Not every track needs aggressive pumping. In many genres, the best sidechain is the one the listener doesn’t consciously notice. Reduce the depth of the envelope for a smoother blend so that the kick breathes without overpowering the track.
Try Sidechaining Elements Other Than Bass
Gross Beat can affect any sound, not just low end. You can apply ducking to:
- pads that cloud vocal space
- lead synths competing with snare transients
- background vocals during dense choruses
- reverb sends to clean up busy mixes
Using light sidechaining across multiple elements often creates more clarity than applying heavy ducking to just one track.
Combine Gross Beat with Traditional Compression
If you want both stylistic pumping and natural kick/bass interplay, combine methods:
- Use Gross Beat for the rhythmic pulse.
- Use a compressor with kick-triggered sidechaining for micro-dynamic balancing.
This dual approach delivers clean low-end clarity and a modern rhythmic feel.
Advanced Techniques to Elevate Your Productions
1. Sidechain Only Part of the Signal Using Wet/Dry Blending
Gross Beat allows parallel-style processing by adjusting the mix amount. This lets you dial in the perfect balance between pumping effect and natural tone.
2. Draw Custom Rhythms for Unique Grooves
Instead of sticking to 4/4 patterns, draw your own ducking shapes to match:
- trap swing
- triplet-based rhythms
- syncopated kicks
- experimental polyrhythms
Producers who design their own envelopes stand out because their pumping doesn’t sound like every other preset-driven track.
3. Use Gross Beat for Transitional Effects
You can use dramatic dips before drops or automate glitchy preset chains to build energy. A quick moment of silence or a gated swell can dramatically enhance impact.
Gross Beat vs. Traditional Sidechain Compression
Both tools have strengths. Understanding them will help you choose the right approach for each track.
| Gross Beat Advantages – Fast setup – Perfect consistency – Highly editable rhythms – No routing required – More creative control – Tempo-locked movements | Compressor Advantages – Responds naturally to incoming audio – Ideal for subtle balancing – Better for organic, acoustic mixes – Creates natural kick/bass interplay – Great for mastering situations |
There’s no rule saying you must pick one. Many experienced producers blend both to achieve a punchy low end and a stylistically polished bounce.
Conclusion: Gross Beat Is a Fast, Musical Way to Add Professional Movement
Sidechaining is more than a technical process—it’s a creative tool that shapes emotion and groove. Gross Beat gives producers a fast, intuitive way to achieve clean ducking, rhythmic energy, and polished movement without the complexity of compressors or routing. Its customizable curves, automation capabilities, and tempo-locked precision make it an indispensable part of the FL Studio toolkit.
Whether you’re producing EDM, pop, hip-hop, or cinematic electronic textures, mastering this technique will immediately elevate the clarity and impact of your mixes. With practice, you’ll learn when to apply subtle movement, when to create dramatic pumping, and how to integrate both into arrangements that feel alive.
Sidechaining is one of the defining characteristics of modern production—and Gross Beat makes it faster, easier, and more creatively flexible than ever.