Now draw it: the routing for gated reverb
Gated reverb on the drums: the reverb is big, then cut short before each next hit, and the drums themselves are not cut.
Drag each part into a place: the top path is the drums' own channel to the mix, the lower path is fed off it. One place stays empty. Then drag the gate's key dot onto the part it listens to.
On the paper and in Live: the same controls
The names you may meet
| On the paper | In Live's Gate |
|---|---|
| Side chain, sidechain, key, trigger | External, then Source: the key's track |
| Keyed gate | a Gate with External on |
| Gated reverb | a Gate after the reverb, often with External on |
| Threshold | Threshold |
| Range | Floor |
| Attack, Hold, Release | Attack, Hold, Release |
External switches the sidechain on; Source picks the track it listens to. Then Threshold is a level on that track, not on the one the gate is on.
Threshold, Attack, Hold and Release (the plain dots) have the same names in Live. Not asked for here: Post FX, Mix, SC Gain and SC Filter (how the key is heard), Return, Flip and Lookahead.
The picture of the Gate is a screenshot of Ableton Live, used for teaching. Ableton and Live are trademarks of Ableton AG. Music Tech Studio is independent and has not been authorised, sponsored or otherwise approved by Ableton AG.
The gate panel is our own drawing, in the exam's names. Its meter, its pictures and the sound all come from the same numbers: a model of a keyed gate, made for teaching. The organ and the drums are recordings; the rhythms and the reverb are made in the browser. Made for a laptop or the whiteboard.