How To Use Compression

How do you know when to use compression?

The main reasons you will find yourself using compression are for energy and dynamic control. If you want to highlight the aggressive parts of a sound’s transients or to tame its dynamics, compression makes sense. If you aren’t accomplishing one of these two tasks, you might not need to compress the sound.

How do you use compression on a track?

We usually use a compressor to catch the louder peaks and make the track more consistent in volume. So we adjust the threshold until the compressor only kicks in when our recording hits those peaks. On the other hand, if we set our threshold too high, the compressor won’t do anything at all!.

Where can I use compressor?

Generally speaking, we use compression to catch the loudest peaks in our dynamic material. So, setting a threshold that catches and reduces those peaks to make our track level more consistent is the best way to begin. Be thoughtful with threshold; if it’s too high, the compressor won’t do anything at all.

Should you EQ or compress first?

Each position, EQ pre (before) or EQ post (after) compression produces a distinctly different sound, a different tonal quality, and coloration. As a rule, using EQ in front of your compressor produces a warmer, rounder tone, while using EQ after your compressor produces a cleaner, clearer sound.

Should I compress based on peaks?

Compressing based on peaks is enabled so audio with a peak level below the threshold is boosted. You can see that the audio before 1.5 seconds on the Timeline has been made louder than it was in the “Before Compression” image.

Should I compress every instrument?

Absolutely. Compression is the best way to control dynamics and keep some instruments in check while making other elements of the mix tighter and more powerful. I compress each instrument, and I also use bus compression and parallel compression together.

Does compression increase volume?

Compression does not increase the “volume” of a signal, it decreases it. Compression makes a quiet portion of the sounds louder relative to a louder portion by reducing the signal strength when the signal strength is high.

Can you mix without compression?

No compression required. Em, but there’s a little bit of a doubt here. Although you can get great-sounding drums without a compressor, some of the records you have heard, whose sounds you may want to emulate, sound different. So you don’t need a compressor.

What does knee do on a compressor?

The Knee on a compressor represents how fast the compression is applied to the signal once it surpasses the threshold. What is this? It allows you to determine how curved the transition from uncompressed- to compressed sound will be.

Do you compress synths?

Synths do not necessarily need compression in the same way that vocals and some acoustic instruments often do, where compression is used to create a more consistent dynamic range evening out peaks and troughs in volume. On synths, compression is used more as an effect to create a certain distinctive sound.

What is ratio in compression?

The compression ratio determines how much gain reduction the compressor applies when the signal passes a threshold level. For example, a ratio of 4:1 means that for every 4 dB the signal rises above the threshold, the compressor will increase the output by 1 dB.

How do I compress a song?

To zip an audio file in Windows: Right-click on the file and select Send To. Choose Compressed (zipped) folder. Name your new zipped folder.

What’s the difference between compressor and limiter?

The difference between a compressor and a limiter is only in the compression ratio used. A limiter is intended to limit the maximum level, normally to provide overload protection. A compressor is used for less drastic, more creative dynamic control, and tends to use lower ratios; typically 5:1 or less.

Do mastering engineers use compression?

In truth, mastering engineers hardly use any compression. Even if they do, it’s at low ratios and high thresholds. Here are some general guidelines if you want to use compression while mastering: Start your ratio at 1.25:1 or 1.5:1.

Should I come before compression?

When you compress a signal, you are limiting the dynamics, in effect “squashing” the signal together. In some cases, applying compression can also alter the tone of a signal — the low end may come up, the high end may be reduced, and so on. In this case, corrective EQ should be applied after the compression.

How much compression do you need for mastering?

Most mastering engineers use high thresholds and low ratios (typically 1.25:1 or 1.5:1 – rarely anything more than 2:1) in order to achieve just 1 or 2 dB of gain reduction. The idea is to feel rather than hear any compression being applied.

What does RMS mean in compression?

Root mean square (RMS) compressors also reduce volume but only when the RMS value of the sound gets louder than the threshold point you set. Use peak compression when you want a more noticeable effect like when you want to ‘pull down’ the peak levels of a kick and/or snare in a drum loop.

What is peak compression?

What is peak compression? Peak compression means that the compressor will react according to the peak of the input or sidechain signal. As the peak of the compressor control exceeds the threshold, the compressor will kick in.

Do I need compressor for every channel?

The truth is, the best mixers are likely to not use compressors on every track. For pop and rock music, vocals and drums are 99.99% of the time compressed. Distorted electric guitars and synthesizers might not be, though.

Why do you need audio compression?

Compressors and limiters are used to reduce dynamic range — the span between the softest and loudest sounds. Using compression can make your tracks sound more polished by controlling maximum levels and maintaining higher average loudness.

How do you stop a compress from mixing?

Here are simple ways to avoid over-compressing, and keep control over your tracks and song without squashing and killing it. Don’t compress every track by default. Use a slower attack. Use lower ratios, like 2:1 or 3:1. Compress no more than 3 to 6 db. Use compression in stages. Use parallel compression.