demobook

Fabfilter Pro-Q 3: MIDI triggering and Character saturation modes

Demo summary

The demo shows routing MIDI from a kick drum to trigger compression on a bass part, followed by a walkthrough of the new Tube and Diode saturation flavors in the Character tab.

Step-by-step

  1. Route the MIDI from your trigger source (e.g., kick drum) to the plugin
  2. Switch to MIDI triggering mode
  3. Click the button underneath the Style menu to open the Character tab
  4. Select a saturation flavor from Tube, Diode, or Bright
  5. Adjust the input gain to control the intensity of the saturation
  6. Toggle the saturation position before or after the compression to change how it reacts to ducking

Options

  • Use Tube mode for growly saturation
  • Use Diode mode for smoother, more controlled saturation
  • Use Bright mode for adding a glossy sheen
  • Switch saturation to pre-compression so it is not tamed by ducking
  • Switch saturation to post-compression so it reacts to volume swells

Watch out for

  • MIDI routing convenience depends on your specific DAW and setup

Tips

  • Use Diode mode if you need to push the saturation harder on various sources
  • Place saturation post-compression and dial it back so the growl creeps in at the top of volume swells
  • Toggle the character tab off and on to hear the difference even at subtle settings

Highlights

add saturation and drifty analogue goodness... Hallelujah!

All demos from “Introduction to FabFilter Pro-C 3

  1. 0:221:34Host-synced sidechain ducking in Pro-C 3The narrator demonstrates how to use the new Host Sync feature to create rhythmic ducking on a pad sound without an external trigger, adjusting threshold, ratio, and the new curvy Range slider.Fabfilter Pro-Q 3AI Audio Editor
  2. 2:311:39MIDI triggering and Character saturation modesCurrentThe demo shows routing MIDI from a kick drum to trigger compression on a bass part, followed by a walkthrough of the new Tube and Diode saturation flavors in the Character tab.Fabfilter Pro-Q 3AI Audio Editor
  3. 4:101:20Multiband processing with TTM style and Sidechain EQThe narrator applies the new TTM (To The Max) style to a drum bus and demonstrates the improved sidechain EQ with up to six bands to control frequency-specific compression thresholds.Fabfilter Pro-Q 3AI Mastering
  4. 5:551:06Using Auto Threshold on guitar transientsThe demo shows the new Auto Threshold feature which allows the compressor to catch peaks relative to average levels, demonstrated on a guitar DI signal with Diode character saturation.Fabfilter Pro-Q 3AI Audio Editor
  5. 7:462:16Multichannel linking and surround sidechain EQThe narrator demonstrates the new multichannel linking knob on an 8-channel drum setup, showing how to link or unlink specific channels and apply sidechain EQ to specific surround speakers.Fabfilter Pro-Q 3AI Audio Editor
  6. 10:531:46Comparing Smooth, TTM, and Op-El stylesA side-by-side demonstration of the Smooth, TTM, and vintage Op-El compression styles on a drum bus to show different sonic textures and distortion levels.Fabfilter Pro-Q 3AI Mastering
  7. 12:392:21Mix bus compression and Mid/Side sidechain EQThe narrator demonstrates transparent glue using Smooth style and vintage character using Vari-Mu on a mix bus, including a technique to unlink stereo compression using a side-channel notch filter.Fabfilter Pro-Q 3AI Mastering
  8. 15:052:41Upward compression for stereo widthThe demo shows how to use the new Upward compression style on a pad sound's side channel to increase stereo width, while explaining the importance of the Range limit and lookahead.Fabfilter Pro-Q 3AI Mastering
  9. Watch “Introduction to FabFilter Pro-C 3” →

AI Audio Editor

  1. 1:481:13Testing Saturation Modes in FabFilter Pro-Q4The user demonstrates the new 'Clean', 'Subtle', and 'Warm' saturation modes in FabFilter Pro-Q4 by applying an extreme EQ curve to audio and switching between the algorithms.White Sea Studio
  2. 4:430:42Multi-track EQ Editing in Pro-Q4The demonstrator shows how to view and edit multiple EQ instances (like Bass and Drums) simultaneously within a single FabFilter Pro-Q4 interface using the new track selection feature.White Sea Studio
  3. 6:260:26Pinning Channels and Output MixingThe user demonstrates how to pin specific channels in the multi-track view and adjust output levels directly from the EQ interface.White Sea Studio
  4. 8:081:36Spectral Dynamics and Auto ThresholdThe video shows the new spectral dynamics feature in Pro-Q4, demonstrating how it creates multiple small bands for compression and uses the automatic threshold calculation.White Sea Studio
  5. 10:200:53Adjusting Dynamic EQ Attack and ReleaseThe user explores the advanced section of the dynamic EQ, adjusting the range, attack, and release percentages while observing the effect on the audio signal.White Sea Studio
  6. 11:260:31External Band Side-chainingThe demonstrator shows how to make a dynamic EQ band respond to a different frequency range (side-chaining) within FabFilter Pro-Q4.White Sea Studio
  7. 12:161:05Drawing EQ CurvesThe user demonstrates the new freehand drawing tool to create custom EQ curves by clicking and dragging across the frequency spectrum.White Sea Studio
  8. 0:221:34Host-synced sidechain ducking in Pro-C 3The narrator demonstrates how to use the new Host Sync feature to create rhythmic ducking on a pad sound without an external trigger, adjusting threshold, ratio, and the new curvy Range slider.FabFilter
  9. 2:311:39MIDI triggering and Character saturation modesCurrentThe demo shows routing MIDI from a kick drum to trigger compression on a bass part, followed by a walkthrough of the new Tube and Diode saturation flavors in the Character tab.FabFilter
  10. 5:551:06Using Auto Threshold on guitar transientsThe demo shows the new Auto Threshold feature which allows the compressor to catch peaks relative to average levels, demonstrated on a guitar DI signal with Diode character saturation.FabFilter
  11. 7:462:16Multichannel linking and surround sidechain EQThe narrator demonstrates the new multichannel linking knob on an 8-channel drum setup, showing how to link or unlink specific channels and apply sidechain EQ to specific surround speakers.FabFilter
  12. 2:160:55Applying Spectral EQ with FabFilter Pro-Q 4The presenter demonstrates how to use the new spectral mode in Pro-Q 4 to lift the vocal presence while simultaneously taming harsh frequencies, similar to the functionality of Soothe.Streaky