![]() A good starting point is somewhere around 60 ms. Typically with the release time, it’s advised to adjust it until it feels right with the pocket of the sound. If it’s too slow, the compressor never shuts off. If the release is too quick, the audio will start to sound unnatural. Again, this is a very important setting that ultimately determines how the compression will sound. Release is another time setting that determines how quickly the compressor turns off after the signal drops below the threshold. If you want to crush fast transients, say on a snare of rapidly-picked guitar, fast attacks do the trick. A slow attack means the entire note will be compressed after it passes the threshold, rather than just the initial transient. Most of the time, slower attack times work well think somewhere between 20 and 40 ms. Setting the attack time will vary from instrument to instrument, and even from song to song based on tempo and a variety of other factors. If we set the attack time to 5 ms, it will take 5 ms for gain reduction to apply after the input signal passes our -18 dB threshold. The attack setting controls how much time it takes the compressor to apply gain reduction after the input signal passes the threshold. Be thoughtful with threshold if it’s too high, the compressor won’t do anything at all. So, setting a threshold that catches and reduces those peaks to make our track level more consistent is the best way to begin. Generally speaking, we use compression to catch the loudest peaks in our dynamic material. Threshold tells the compressor when to turn on, and ratio determines how much gain reduction to apply. Any sound louder than -18 dB will then tell the compressor to start applying gain reduction. For example, if we set a compressor’s threshold to -18 dB, nothing below -18 dB will trigger the compressor. SEE ALSO: Understanding Different Audio Cable Types ThresholdĪ compressor doesn’t begin compressing until the input signal goes above its threshold. You should also understand threshold, attack, release, and makeup gain. So how do your set a compressor ratio? Remember that ratio isn’t the only control on a compressor-each parameter works together toward the end result. This leads to more aggressive and audible compression than a low ratio of 2:1. The compressor is taking every 8 dB of signal and reducing it to 1 dB. You can quickly see how a ratio of 8:1 or higher would drastically reduce the volume of a the input signal. The principle is the same for every ratio: at 4:1, for every 4 dB of input level, 1 dB comes out.ĭividing your input signal level by the first number of a compressor ratio will determine how much signal is being output. So with 10 dB of input signal at a 2:1 ratio, 5 dB is the output. Most compressors have 2:1, 4:1, and 8:1 ratio settings, with some going all the way to 20:1.Īt 2:1, for every 2 dB of input signal, 1 dB is outputted. ![]() Compressor Ratio MathĪ gain ratio is just the relationship between input and output level. Depending on how you set the other parameters, you might not really hear the compressor working at all. It sounds more transparent, because the natural volume differences of a performance are better maintained. Less compression means more loosely controlled dynamics in a performance. With higher ratios, you’re going to actually hear more compression-this could be a distorted, or overall artificial type sound. More compression means more tightly controlled dynamics in a performance, reducing the volume difference between the loudest and quietest parts of the material. We’ll dig into this concept a little more later, but the overall idea for real-world application is as follows: A compressor operates on the principle of gain ratio, which is measured by input to output level. To put it simply, the ratio setting on a compressor determines how aggressively it squashes a sound. If you’re struggling to figure out just how to set your compressor ratio, we’ll take a closer look at what it is and how it works! What Does the Compressor Ratio Do? Wrapping your head around the controls and how they impact the sound is confusing-but you definitely aren’t alone. Compression isn’t the easiest thing to understand at first.
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