Ultimate Audio Compression Guide

Set the threshold to taste and hear how compression reacts as the audio crosses it. Understand attack time, the speed to reach peak compression, and how dynamic performances influence settings.

Adjust attack times for drums between 10 and 50 ms, apply a 2:1 ratio, then use makeup gain to compensate for dB reduction and enable clear gain staging.

Compare how different compressors use varying controls, from input-driven compression to threshold, with attack and release, and preset ratios (4:1, 8:1, 12:1, 20:1), plus comp compression naming.

Demonstrate how a compressor's knee setting affects a full drum kit by switching between hard and soft knee, highlighting the snare's punch when heard.

The lecture compares many compressor plugins, detailing how threshold, ratio, and makeup gain shape compression and features like mix knobs, mid‑side processing, and side‑chain filters.

Compare plugins and a Neve-based channel strip to control gate and compressor, adjust threshold and ratio, and explore attack and auto release and auto mode.

Explore parallel compression on drums to preserve punch and energy. Blend dry and compressed signals with a mix knob or two aux returns, highlighting transients and release time.

Learn multiband compression techniques, set per-band thresholds, ratios, attack, release, and lookahead, and use sidechain detector tricks to shape bass, midrange, and highs.

Apply sidechain compression on the organ using a bandpass notch around 2 kHz, with fast attack and 8:1 ratio, and add make up gain to tame the mid range.

Use sidechain compression with a bass drum on a pre fader bus to trigger a pummeling effect without changing the send, preserving threshold input level settings.

Adjust gain and compression amount to sculpt vocal dynamics, using multi-band processing and proximity controls to shape midrange and balance release.

Learn to tame peaks with a simple compressor using attack, ratio, threshold, and output gain, shaping mid range and air while brightening the vocal with targeted high shelf adjustments.

Discover how bus compression glues a mix, tames dynamics, and shapes the low end and tone, with API and SSL options.