Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers

Learn how to use audio expanders to reduce background noise, manage dynamic range, and achieve a clean, professional sound.

Table of Contents

Psychoacoustic Foundations and Hierarchical Session Architecture

In professional spoken-word post-production, establishing a clear hierarchical structure of narrative importance is paramount to ensuring content delivery1. Dialogue must maintain absolute supremacy across all spatial, temporal, and frequency domains, as speech is intended to be clearly differentiated from other mix elements to achieve maximum intelligibility1.

An fundamental psychoacoustic challenge in mixing is that an increase in monitoring volume mathematically results in an increased perception of low-frequency richness and high-frequency clarity, commonly explained by the Fletcher-Munson equal-loudness contours1. Untrained listeners will almost invariably select a louder mix as superior, even if its dynamic integrity has been severely compromised by over-compression1.


Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 1


When heavy compression is applied to a voice to achieve loudness, it reduces its transient nature and increases its sustain1. This behavior increases the overall sonic weight of the voice, causing it to consume significantly more space in the mix and leaving less room for background elements1.

To manage these competing elements without inducing listener fatigue, professional mixing workflows separate the recording process from mix decisions3. A disciplined post-production workflow begins with rigid session organization3.

This includes labeling every source clearly, separating hosts, guests, music, ads, pickups, and room tone into dedicated tracks, and establishing gain staging standards3. This foundation ensures that dynamic decisions remain obvious and easy to execute3.




Raw Multi-Channel Input
       │
       ▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│  Session Organization &      │
│  Gain Staging (-16 LUFS Target) [cite: 3, 4]
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
               │
               ▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│  Dialogue Submix Master Bus   ├──────────┐ (Pre-Fader Trigger Send) [cite: 2, 5]
└──────────────┬───────────────┘          │
               │                          ▼
               │              ┌────────────────────────┐
               │              │ Dynamic Sidechain Path │ [cite: 2, 6, 7]
               │              └───────────┬────────────┘
               │                          │
               ▼                          ▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────┐
│ Background Music / FX Bus    │◄───┤ Attenuation      │
│ (Carrier / "Duckee" Channel)  │    │ Engine (Ducker)  │ [cite: 2, 8, 9]
└──────────────┬───────────────┘    └──────────────────┘
               │
               ▼
       Summed Stereo Master

Technical Mechanisms of Broadband Sidechain Ducking

Traditional sidechain ducking relies on a split-signal architecture where a modulator track (the primary vocal) dynamically controls the amplitude of a carrier track (such as a music bed or environmental background)2. The modulator's signal path is routed to the sidechain detector circuit of a compressor placed on the carrier track, causing the background audio to drop in volume whenever the speaker talks2.


Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 2


The reduction in gain applied to the carrier signal is mathematically defined by the compressor's threshold, ratio, and time constants1. The input-to-output relationship of the carrier track above the threshold can be calculated using the standard compression formula:

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 3

To prevent the background track from sounding unnatural or "pumping" (audibly fluctuating in volume during short pauses), the compressor's time constants must be carefully configured2.


Compressor Parameter

WaveLab Cast Terminology

Standard Range for Speech-over-Music

Technical Function and Post-Production Impact

Threshold

Voice Threshold9

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 4 to Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 5

[cite: 15]

Sets the decibel level at which the background audio begins to lower13. Must be low enough to detect quiet syllables but high enough to ignore breaths2.

Ratio

Music Attenuation (fixed depth)9

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 6 to Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 7

[cite: 2, 15]

Defines the severity of the attenuation1. Low ratios ensure a smooth, transparent transition instead of an abrupt drop-off2.

Attack

Music Fade-Out9

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 8 to Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 9

[cite: 2]

Determines how quickly the background audio decreases once the threshold is crossed13. Prevents masking of initial spoken consonants8.

Release

Music Fade-In9

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 10 to Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 11

[cite: 2, 17]

Controls the recovery time of the background audio13. A slow release prevents pumping during brief natural pauses in speech2.

Hold

Attenuation Hold Time9

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 12 to Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 13

[cite: 13]

Forces the compressor to maintain maximum gain reduction for a set time after the vocal falls below the threshold8.

Lookahead

N/A

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 14 to Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 15

[cite: 18]

Delays the main program path to allow the compressor to analyze and react to the trigger transient before it actually occurs18.

This dynamic control is also highly effective when applied to spatial effects10. In highly atmospheric productions, routing a vocal send to the sidechain of a compressor placed on a reverb or delay bus prevents long, wet trails from washing out the lead speech10.

With this routing in place, the vocal's presence heavily ducks the effects tail, which then swells up during pauses in a process known as "tail suppression" and "tail recovery"10.


Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 16


Comparison of Level Management Methodologies

Post-production engineers must frequently choose between automated dynamic processing, automated fader riding, and manual volume automation to manage mix levels2. While traditional ducking is fast to set up, it applies a blanket volume reduction that can sound mechanical if the speaker's delivery is highly dynamic or conversational2.

To overcome this, tools like Waves Vocal Rider or Waves Playlist Rider adjust volume rather than dynamics, physically moving the channel fader to keep the signal within a target range4.


Methodology

Primary Tools

Level Control Mechanism

Sonic Character

Best Post-Production Application

Broadband Ducking

ReaComp, Avid Dyn3, Bob Perry Ducker8

Amplitude envelope trigger compressing the entire frequency range6.

Can sound obvious or "pump" if release times are misconfigured2.

Quick leveling of background music behind consistent voiceover2.

Automated Fader Riding

Waves Vocal Rider, Waves Playlist Rider4

Dynamic target level mapping that automatically writes fader automation4.

Highly transparent; preserves vocal transients and avoids compression artifacts4.

Transparent evening out of highly dynamic voices prior to compression4.

Manual Volume Automation

DAW volume envelopes, pen tool keyframing17

Frame-by-frame manual drawing of volume curves17.

Utterly transparent and customized2.

Highly conversational tracks with frequent overlapping or erratic pauses2.

While manual volume automation is precise and avoids the risk of unnatural pumping, it is highly labor-intensive, making automated or hybrid approaches essential for tight production deadlines2.

Need a London podcast studio for your shoot? Same-day availability · Reply within 1 hour


Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 17

Advanced Surgical Carving: Dynamic EQ and Spectral Ducking

When multiple elements compete for the same space in a mix, traditional broadband ducking can thin out the background track by attenuating the entire frequency spectrum6. To resolve this, engineers use frequency-specific tools like dynamic EQ and spectral ducking to target only the clashing frequencies6.




Broadband Sidechain Ducking (Sledgehammer)
Frequency:  20Hz ──────────────────────────────────────────────── 20kHz
Attenuation: ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ (Full Spectrum Reduced)

Dynamic EQ Sidechaining (Scalpel)
Frequency:  20Hz ─────────── [100Hz ── 600Hz] ─────────── [1.3kHz ── 3.5kHz] ─────────── 20kHz
Attenuation:                ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬                 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ (Targeted Dips)

Spectral Ducking (Micro-Slices)
Frequency:  20Hz ─── 50Hz ─── 100Hz ─── 500Hz ─── 1kHz ─── 3kHz ─── 8kHz ─── 15kHz ─── 20kHz
Attenuation:        ▬▬       ▬▬▬▬      ▬▬▬▬▬     ▬▬      ▬▬▬▬    ▬▬ (32-Band Inverse Curve)

Dynamic EQ combines the surgical precision of parametric filters with the sidechain capabilities of a compressor, allowing cuts to occur only when the trigger signal is active6. To configure a dynamic EQ like the PreSonus Pro EQ3 or FabFilter Pro-Q 4, an engineer first analyzes the speaker's vocal spectrum using an analyzer with the hold parameter set to infinity4.

Once key frequency bands of speech energy are identified (such as low-mid fundamentals between Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 18 and Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 19, and presence peaks between Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 20 and Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 21), those exact frequencies are dynamically dipped in the music track via an external sidechain route.


Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 22


Spectral ducking, pioneered by plugins like Wavesfactory TrackSpacer, divides the audio spectrum into numerous narrow bands (typically 32 or more)27.

The plugin analyzes the incoming sidechain trigger and applies an instantaneous, real-time inverse EQ curve to the carrier track, carving out a precise frequency pocket for the voice27.


Processing Tool

Band Resolution

Phase and Transient Behavior

System Latency

Primary Application

Dynamic EQ

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 23 to Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 24 parametric bands6

Introduces phase shifts only when the dynamic filters are actively triggered7.

Negligible to moderate; dependent on internal oversampling7.

Surgical removal of sibilance (Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 25) or dynamic low-mid resonance7.

Multiband Compressor

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 26 to Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 27 crossover bands32

Employs crossover networks that can introduce phase shifting at the split points7.

Low to high depending on linear-phase or minimum-phase settings32.

Broader control of wide frequency areas, such as tightening a boomy low end7.

Spectral Ducker

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 28 or more bands27

High risk of phase blurring or pre-ringing artifacts when used aggressively14.

Negligible in basic modes; high resolution modes add latency14.

Carving out a complex, real-time vocal pocket in highly dense music beds27.

While spectral duckers are highly effective, they can introduce digital artifacts, transient softening, and phase blurring if the attenuation is set too high14. Therefore, these tools should be used with moderate settings (typically under Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 29 wet/dry mix) to maintain natural clarity and transient punch4.


Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 30


Technical Routing Workarounds for Frequency-Sensitive Sidechaining

In situations where a compressor's internal sidechain filter is deactivated when accepting an external sidechain input, a dedicated intermediate routing path can be constructed to achieve frequency-sensitive ducking2:

  1. Intermediate Bus Allocation: Route the output of the source vocal track to a dedicated, intermediate mono auxiliary channel named "SC Filter Bus." Configure this track's output to an unused internal bus path2.

  2. Surgical EQ Insertion: Insert a parametric equalizer plugin on the "SC Filter Bus." Apply a steep high-pass filter (Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 31 or Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 32) set at Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 33 to eliminate low-end rumble from triggering the ducker2.

  3. Presence Boosting: Create a broad boost (Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 34 to Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 35) with a medium Q factor centered around Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 36 to emphasize the vocal presence frequencies2. This filter shape ensures the target compressor is highly sensitive to the critical frequencies that dictate speech intelligibility2.

  4. Target Sidechain Mapping: Map the output bus of the "SC Filter Bus" to the external sidechain key input of the compressor inserted on the music bed track2.

This intermediate routing ensures that the compressor reacts precisely to the most intelligible frequencies of the spoken voice, preventing unnecessary gain reduction from low-frequency plosives or high-frequency sibilance1.

Managing Multi-Microphone Bleed: Automixing and AI Workflows

When recording multiple hosts in the same room, microphone bleed (crosstalk) can introduce phase cancellation, comb filtering, and room noise build-up36. Traditional noise gates often sound too abrupt, cutting off natural conversation and vocal tails38.

To manage multi-mic bleed in real time, hardware recorders and software platforms utilize automatic microphone mixing algorithms, primarily the Dan Dugan Speech System and Sound Devices' MixAssist40.


Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 37


Real-Time Automixing Algorithms

The Dan Dugan Speech System operates on a continuous, proportional-gain principle, automatically distributing a total system gain of Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 38 among all active microphones40.

Need a London podcast studio for your shoot? Same-day availability · Reply within 1 hour

The attenuation Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 39 (in dB) applied to each channel is mathematically calculated in real time as the difference between that channel's instantaneous signal level Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 40 and the logarithmic sum of all channel levels Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 4140:

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 42

where:

Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 43

In contrast, Sound Devices' MixAssist acts as a highly sophisticated gate, utilizing five key logical processes to keep transitions smooth40.

It continuously calculates a Noise-Adaptive Threshold (NAT) to ignore steady-state background noise, and uses Maxbus comparison logic to ensure that only the loudest microphone gates open when a single voice is captured by multiple mics40.


Parameter / Process

Dan Dugan Speech System

Sound Devices' MixAssist

Primary Method

Continuous proportional gain distribution40.

Logic-based gating with smooth envelope curves40.

Threshold Calculation

Completely automatic; no user threshold settings40.

Noise-Adaptive Threshold (NAT) calculated per channel40.

Bleed / Phase Control

Attenuates inactive channels mathematically40.

Maxbus logic opens only the single loudest mic40.

System Gain Cap

Maintained mathematically at Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 4440.

Maintained via NOMA (Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 45 attenuation per mic doubling)40.

Idle Channel State

Channels remain partially open in shifting proportions40.

Channels are gated down to a specified off-attenuation40.

Advanced Software Bleed Mitigation Workflows

For post-production editing, engineers can set up a gated-trigger sidechain network within a DAW to manage bleed and prevent false trigger behavior41:




                     ┌──────────────────┐
                     │   Gated Trigger  │
                     │  (Track 1B -     │ (Gated trigger send only)
                     │   Dummy Track)   ├──────────┐
                     └────────▲─────────┘          │
                              │                    ▼
┌────────────────┐   ┌────────┴─────────┐   ┌─────────────┐
│  Host 1 Vocal  │──►│ Track Split      │   │ Host 2 Comp │
│  (Track 1A)    │   │                  │   │ (Track 2A)  │◄─── [Bleed Attenuated]
└────────────────┘   └──────────────────┘   └─────────────┘

  1. Dummy Track Creation: Duplicate the raw vocal tracks to create helper tracks (e.g., creating "Track 1B" from "Track 1A" and "Track 2B" from "Track 2A")41.

  2. Aggressive Gating: Insert a noise gate on the helper tracks (1B and 2B), setting the threshold high enough to completely silence the low-level bleed from other hosts41.

  3. Output Unlinking: Unlink the outputs of the helper tracks from the master stereo bus so they are completely silent in the mix41.

  4. Cross-Sidechain Routing: Route the output of helper Track 1B to the sidechain input of a compressor on primary Track 2A, and route helper Track 2B to the sidechain of primary Track 1A41.

This ensures that the sidechain compressors are only triggered when a host is actively speaking, preventing ambient bleed from causing accidental gain reduction on other channels41.


Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 46


AI-Assisted Automation and Spectral Separation Workflows

Modern post-production increasingly utilizes machine learning and artificial intelligence to handle repetitive leveling tasks, allowing engineers to focus on the creative aspects of the mix.

Adobe Sensei Auto-Ducking

The Auto-Ducking feature in Adobe Audition and Premiere Pro’s Essential Sound panel uses Adobe Sensei machine learning to automate background music ducking28. Instead of reacting strictly to raw amplitude spikes, the AI analyzes the audio signal to identify and categorize dialogue, music, sound effects, and ambience28.

  • Modulator and Carrier Tagging: The dialogue tracks are tagged as "Dialogue" and the music tracks as "Music" in the Essential Sound panel, enabling the ducking controls24.

  • Sensitivity and Reduction: The Sensitivity slider determines the detection threshold, while the Reduce By slider sets the volume drop depth28. High sensitivity settings maintain a lower background music level, whereas mid-range values let the music quickly swell during short pauses28.

  • Fade and Fade Position Control: The Fades slider controls the speed of the volume transitions28. The Fade Position slider allows the editor to position the fade curve fully outside, inside, or centered on the boundaries of the dialogue43.

  • Keyframe Rendering: Disabling the "Monitor Clip Changes" option converts the dynamic AI envelope into standard, editable automation keyframes, allowing manual fine-tuning28.

Multi-Channel Neural Networks

For complex multi-microphone restoration, neural networks provide surgical, session-level separation38.

  • Auphonic Mic Bleed Remover: This model analyzes the entire multitrack session as a single system38. Rather than processing tracks in isolation, the neural network learns the acoustic fingerprint of each microphone and removes only the bleeding cross-talk, keeping the direct vocal, music, and natural room ambience intact38.

  • Accentize dxRevive: Using local machine learning models, dxRevive re-synthesizes damaged speech44. It reconstructs missing frequency ranges, removes room reflections, and eliminates background bleed and Skype/Zoom codec artifacts while preserving the speaker's original vocal character44.

  • Waves Clarity Vx: Optimized with deep neural networks, this real-time plugin separates vocal signals from background noise and headphone bleed, maintaining performance dynamics with a simple interface46.

Conclusions and Technical Recommendations

Establishing a consistent, clear relationship between dialogue and background elements is critical for creating a professional, broadcast-ready mix3.

The choice of level management tools should be guided by the complexity of the project, session formatting, and the conversational pacing of the hosts2.

  • For standard speech-over-music beds: Standard broadband sidechain compression (such as ReaComp or Avid Dyn3) with a low ratio (Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 47), fast attack (Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 48), and slow release (Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 49) provides reliable, classic ducking control2.

  • For highly dense music beds: Dynamic EQ or 32-band spectral ducking (such as Wavesfactory TrackSpacer) should be used to surgically carve out space in the music's mid-range (Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production: Tools: Duckers - 50), keeping the music's low-end and high-end energy intact6.

  • For multi-microphone sessions in one room: Implementing real-time automatic mixers (like the Dan Dugan proportional-gain system or MixAssist logic) or using AI-driven bleed removal (such as Auphonic Mic Bleed Remover) prevents phase cancellation and reduces room noise build-up without the choppy artifacts of traditional noise gates38.

  • For rapid-turnaround editing: Tagging assets and using AI-assisted volume envelope generators (like Adobe Sensei Auto-Ducking) provides a solid initial mix pass, which can then be converted to manual keyframes for final adjustments28.

Works cited

  1. Audio Engineering in a Professional Podcast Post-Production - Finchley Studios, https://www.finchley.co.uk/finchley-learning/visual-podcast/audio-engineering-in-a-professional-podcast-post-production

  2. Duck Tales - Sound On Sound, https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/duck-tales

  3. Audio Mixing Techniques for Pro-Level Podcasts & Video - Flexwork Studios, https://flexworkstudios.com/audio-mixing-techniques/

  4. 10 Best Audio VST Plugins For Podcast & Voiceover, https://pluginerds.com/10-best-audio-plugins-podcast/

  5. Better Ducking for Voiceovers & Podcasts - PreSonus, https://www.presonus.com/blogs/home/better-ducking-for-voiceovers-podcasts

  6. The Ultimate Guide to Dynamic Equalization in Audio Production - ACE Studio, https://acestudio.ai/blog/dynamic-equalization-in-audio-production/

  7. Ducker Manual - Bob Perry Audio, http://www.bobperry-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/Bob-Perry-Ducker-Manual.pdf

  8. Ducker Settings for Track Ducking - Steinberg, https://download.steinberg.net/downloads_software/WaveLab_Cast_2/help/en/wavelab/topics/audio_montage/ducker_settings_r.html

  9. What is Audio Ducking and How to Do It in Music Production - iZotope, https://www.izotope.com/community/blog/what-is-audio-ducking

  10. Setting Up an Audio Compressor (Explained Simply) - Projet Home Studio, https://www.projethomestudio.fr/en/audio-compressor-settings/

  11. Audio Compression: Adjusting the Compressor Parameters - MasteringBOX, https://www.masteringbox.com/fr/learn/audio-compressor

  12. What Is Audio Ducking? How to Use It for Perfect Sound Control in 2025 - Pippit AI, https://www.pippit.ai/resource/audio-ducking

  13. Trackspacer vs Sidechain Spectral Dynamics (Pro Q4)? : r/mixingmastering - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/mixingmastering/comments/1n96asi/trackspacer_vs_sidechain_spectral_dynamics_pro_q4/

  14. Newbie Question: How to Use a Compressor for Spoken Word? - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/livesound/comments/16kbzap/newbie_question_how_to_use_a_compressor_for/

  15. The Best Compressor Settings for Vocals (Exact Settings to Use) - Music Guy Mixing, https://www.musicguymixing.com/compressor-settings-for-vocals/

  16. Best plugin for broadcast voice ducking : r/audioengineering - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/comments/veqsqp/best_plugin_for_broadcast_voice_ducking/

  17. Can someone please explain what compressor "lookahead" is, and how to use it properly?, https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/comments/140jd7/can_someone_please_explain_what_compressor/

  18. What is the importance of the look-ahead function when using a de-esser? - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/comments/2h157q/what_is_the_importance_of_the_lookahead_function/

  19. How to Time Delay Ducking - YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/d6EW_Usj8nE

  20. How to Use Sidechain Compression in Pro Tools - Avid, https://www.avid.com/pro-tools/user-guide/sidechain-compression

  21. HOW TO use side-chain compression for ducking -- Reaper - PG Music Forums, https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=544919

  22. Good maximizer or mastering plugin for spoken word : r/audioengineering - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/comments/17y2tsm/good_maximizer_or_mastering_plugin_for_spoken_word/

  23. Auto-Ducking in Audition : r/AdobeAudition - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/AdobeAudition/comments/h7jr05/autoducking_in_audition/

  24. Help advice on ducking/ side chain : r/Reaper - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/Reaper/comments/wpncqh/help_advice_on_ducking_side_chain/

  25. What's the difference between compression sidechain and eq sidechain? - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/comments/1hrd7zi/whats_the_difference_between_compression/

  26. TrackSpacer Finally Has a Free Rival (Actually, Two of Them) - Bedroom Producers Blog, https://bedroomproducersblog.com/2026/03/04/free-trackspacer-alternatives/

  27. Audition Deep Dive: Auto-Ducking music - the Adobe Blog, https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2017/11/02/audition-deep-dive-auto-ducking-music

  28. Automatically duck audio in Premiere - Adobe Help Center, https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-audio-effects/adjust-volume-and-levels/automatically-duck-audio.html

  29. Need advice on shortening podcast audio workflow (ducking) - hardware or software?, https://community.adobe.com/questions-544/need-advice-on-shortening-podcast-audio-workflow-ducking-hardware-or-software-163109

  30. TrackSpacer Plugin Review - Wavesfactory's Sidechain EQ - Tape Op, https://tapeop.com/reviews/gear/101/trackspacer-plug-in

  31. Multiband, De-Esser, Dynamic EQ, and Sidechain | Beat Kitchen, https://beatkitchen.io/guides/mix-primer/20-multiband-deesser-sidechain/

  32. Ducking Resonance & Strings/Pads with Trackspacer - PianoClack Forum, https://pianoclack.com/forum/d/2249-ducking-resonance-stringspads-with-trackspacer

  33. Track spacer - Effects Forum - KVR Audio, https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=572062

  34. Un guide sur le traitement audio et les effets pour le podcasting (FR) - RØDE, https://rode.com/fr-fr/about/news-info/a-guide-to-audio-processing-and-fx-for-podcasting

  35. Dan Dugan Automixer - Waves Audio, https://www.waves.com/mixers-racks/dugan-automixer

  36. MixAssist Plugin for MixPre-10 II : r/LocationSound - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/LocationSound/comments/11xsn3r/mixassist_plugin_for_mixpre10_ii/

  37. Multitrack Clarity Redefined: Introducing our new Mic Bleed Remover - Auphonic, https://auphonic.com/blog/2025/10/08/mic-bleed-remover/

  38. Dugan Automatic Microphone Mixers, https://www.dandugan.com/products/

  39. Automatic Mixing 101 - Sound Devices, https://www.sounddevices.com/automatic-mixing-101/

  40. How I remove bleed from podcast recordings - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/podcasting/comments/1pd3x78/how_i_remove_bleed_from_podcast_recordings/

  41. Auphonic, https://auphonic.com/

  42. DISCUSS: Auto ducking fade position slider - Adobe Community, https://community.adobe.com/announcements-732/discuss-auto-ducking-fade-position-slider-313193

  43. Accentize dxRevive – Dialogue Restoration Plugin, https://www.accentize.com/product/dxrevive/

  44. Accentize | Dialogue Restoration & Audio Cleanup Plugins, https://www.accentize.com/

  45. Clarity Vx vs. Headphone Bleed | Videos - Waves Audio, https://www.waves.com/clarity-vx-vs-headphone-bleed

Check Availability & Get a Quote

Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you within 1 hour.
✓Used by 500+ creators, brands & teams ✓Central London studio ✓Same-day availability

Finchley Academy

More Articles
Call Icon Call Best Price Finder Icon Best Price Book Now Icon Book Now Mail Icon Email WhatsApp Logo Whatsapp