

You would want the compressor to be set where the threshold grabs only that loudest part of the track,” says Rodocker.

“Imagine a guitarist that’s strumming at a constant volume, then hits a few notes super hard in the middle of the song. Once a threshold level is set, any audio below the threshold will be unaffected, but any audio above the threshold will be compressed by the ratio set. The threshold is the level at which compression begins.

Understanding the technical aspects and terminology of audio compression will allow you to work more comfortably with a wide range of compressors. The fundamental controls of audio compressors. “The most common use of compression is to keep this from happening so you can get a more cohesive sound.” “You may set your levels so everything sounds good in one spot, but as the song goes on on, some things may be hard to hear or get too loud and jump out of the mix,” explains producer and mixing engineer Peter Rodocker. From an acoustic guitar with too much pick noise to a piano that doesn’t have any punch to it, an audio compressor has the power to decrease the dynamic range of an audio signal by making the loudest noises quieter and the quietest noises louder. Whether you’re mixing a music track or recording a podcast, audio compression is a useful tool for sound engineers who want to smooth out the sound of instruments, vocals and more.
