← Mixing Fundamentals
🎛️ Compression
Tame loud peaks and glue elements together with one of mixing's core tools.
Compressor
Input-30.0 dB
Gain reduction0 dB
Page 1Bronze tier
What is Compression?
A compressor turns down the loudest parts of a sound so the quiet parts feel louder by comparison. It evens things out.
- Threshold — the level where the compressor starts working. Anything louder gets squashed.
- Ratio — how hard it squashes. 4:1 means 4 dB over threshold becomes 1 dB.
- Attack — how fast it clamps down. Slow attack lets the punch through; fast attack tames transients.
- Release — how fast it lets go. Too fast = pumping; too slow = pinned-down sound.
- Drag the threshold and ratio on the meter and watch the gain reduction respond in real time.
Good compression is felt, not heard. The track gets steadier — you barely notice it's there.
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