Compressors

Quite a few engineers who work with bands like driving their drum submix into fairly heavy compression, but whenever I try doing this it seems like I end up losing the low‑end weight from my kick drum...

At what point in the mixdown process do you think it’s best to engage the master‑bus compressor?

Turn the ratio up, and a compressor becomes a limiter. Go even further and you enter the world of reverse dynamics — and unique sonic effects.

When doing parallel compression, are there advantages to using the compressor fully wet on another channel, and feeding it with an aux send from the first track?

Eddie Bazil demystifies Compression and Expansion with a detailed explanation of their uses, which he demonstrates using plug-ins through seven practical examples.

Feedback and feed‑forward compressors can sound very different. Which type is right for which job?

When and why might you want to reach for more than one compressor to process the same signal?

The right compressor settings give you endless power to shape the sound and groove of a multi‑miked drum recording.

I’m seeing a lot of conflicting advice about using compression while recording. Some swear by it while others say it’s completely unnecessary with 24‑bit recording and modern converters. Where do you stand on this?

Dynamics processing is a core mixing technique, but it’s often misunderstood. We explain how to make a compressor do what you want it to!

When it comes to dynamics processing, we’ve never had it so good. Once upon a time, even the largest studios had only basic...

Multiband compressors offer unique advantages over their broadband cousins — but they also present some perilous pitfalls for the unwary.

Compression can do radically different things to the sound of a snare drum, depending on how it's set up. In this episode, Mike Senior explores three ways in which a compressor can help bring your snare tracks to life.

I thought I had a handle on this, but seem to have a hard time understanding the difference between a compressor’s ‘Hold’ and its ‘Release’. Can you help explain?

Could you explain (slowly!) the basic principles of how a compressor works, and what each control does, the ratio control in particular?

I have a compressor with inserts to access the side-chain. What is the side-chain and what would you use these inserts for?

In my hardware-based setup, with my TC electronics Triple*C compressor, is it possible to do the kind of limiting on a full mix where you end up with a waveform that is levelled off at the top and bottom, 'brick wall'-style?

All of the main MIDI + Audio sequencers now have a bewildering array of compression and limiting plug-ins built in, but many home musicians are unclear about what all those controls and options do. And with so many varieties of each plug-in available, which one should you choose for the job in hand?

Paul White further explores the secrets of successful compression, and explains how to use advanced techniques for mastering your mixes.

Paul White looks at different gain-control elements and their effect on audio.