When we compress it, the mountain moves to a lower peak.Ī Limiter is often applied after a compressor. If we have a sound that is -10 decibels, the peak of that soundwave is at -10 decibels. This is because audio begins from no sound and increases like a bar graph in amplitude. As the Compressor makes the dynamic range smaller, it softens the loudest sounds. The two audio effects work very well in tandem. In a recording of an orchestral concert, you want to hear the comparison of the piccolo solo, strings section, and the full orchestra playing without sacrificing the uniqueness of each sound.Ĭompressors are often used in conjunction with Limiters. Some of the least compressed music is classically recorded music where the range of instruments will not be heard without a large dynamic range. This is pleasant and makes all songs have a similar dynamic range. In music, pop songs are highly compressed. Many podcasts, audiobooks, and radio shows use compressors on the vocals so that voices sound similar throughout the program and listeners don’t have to fiddle with their knobs. Often, the more a sound is compressed the more pleasant the listening experience. Compressing the sound should make it so that people don’t have to turn the volume up or down at all. Compressing sound to a smaller range makes it so listeners won’t hurt their ears if they turn up the volume during a quiet moment in a film that’s followed by a loud explosion scene. There are as many different types of speakers as there are flavors of ice cream. This is key for making recorded sound easier to listen to on speakers. It makes the compressor effect more gradual and less noticeable.Ĭompressors limit the range of the amplitude of a sound. Instead, it will be applied on a gradient that is adjusted by the knee. So if your compressor is set at -16 decibels at a 3:1 ratio, the knee may prevent the compressor from compressing the sound to 3:1 ratio directly at -16dBs. The knee is a gradual curve in how the compressor affects the amplitude. Often the presets work well from the factory, but play around with the setting to see if you can make it sound smoother, especially if the effect is sounding choppy. The release and attack times are adjusted to make the transition into the effect smoother and less noticeable. This is to prevent the compressor from turning off and on if the amplitude wavers on the threshold and sometimes drops below it. The release or release time is the delay that the compressor should shut off if the amplitude goes under the threshold. This is an adjustment you can alter in order to make sure the compressor isn’t turned off and on too often which can be noticeably irritating. The length it takes to turn on the attack time is usually measured in milliseconds. Often too fast of an attack time may compress small peaks that barely get over the threshold and can sound odd unless it’s sustained for at least a short period of time. The attack or attack time is how fast the compressor will kick in after the amplitude gets over the threshold. If you have a 3:1 ratio in your compressor then the sound above the threshold will become ⅓ as loud as the original. The ratio refers to the amount of compression. So if you set the threshold at -16dBs then anything that goes over -16 decibels will be affected by the compressor. The threshold refers to the amplitude that the compressor kicks in. When using a compressor there are a few key terms. It diminishes the amplitude of the sound wave by “compressing” any sound that registers above a certain threshold at the compression ratio you set it at. The compressor dampens a spike in volume so it doesn’t stick out as much. For example, if you are recording guitar input and someone accidentally bumps the pickup (which is like the microphone for a guitar that “picks up” the sounds of the strings to amplify them), there will be a spike in the waveform that is much louder than the rest of the recording. The compressor is created to lessen the ratio of dynamic range in a recorded sound. They are also used when mixing dialogue for film, video, and radio. They are often used in the mixing and mastering stages of music. They are used to create equilibrium in what you hear. Compressors and Limiters are audio effects that control volume or amplitude of sound.
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