5 Must Know Compression Tips!

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Here are five compression tips you should know:

You don’t have to compress every sound.

Start by compressing the summing bus first, such as the drum bus.

ALWAYS match the output level to the input level.

Remember, Release equals Tone.

And Attack equals Aggression.

What compression tips do you have? Share them in the comments below!

[lackofaffektmusic]

Number 6. You don't always have to compress all at once, try a couple in series.

Nice list streaky, you're the man 💪

[prozystudios]

can you talk more about how release is tone?

[eithafol]

For drums ....attack equals tone, release equals groove. Longer attack often lets more of top end transient of drum, matching release to bpm and then shifting between slower and faster values can affect the groove.

[audioglenngineer]

One from Jack Puig: compression is a groove control. You can literally adjust the feel of an instrument in relation to where the beat is, making things sit more in front of or behind the tempo.

Another one I learned today from Custom Cut Studios on YouTube: use two compressors in parallel to a vocal for seperate control over the loud and quiet level information, blended to taste. Got the best vocal tone in a dense mix I’ve ever gotten with that technique today.

[raveqontroll]

Not every track needs compression great tip Streaky

[swagwolfgang]

I am currently compressor free at the moment, and mic pre free computer free and music free and its awful. I lost my gear in a fire.

[simcitybigworldmedia]

Always better to create your own acoustic sound design compression with 🎤 🎙microphones, it's more work but creative way to capture Raw natural sound fx 👍

[DjJay]

I dont have a fav compressor trick as try my best not to compress anything with only a buss comp like the SSL on the main buss with a just a few db of GR just to glue everything together. If I do compress something it mostly vocals or bass

[samdhoss]

Prefer saturating instead of compressing. My thinking is, saturation does compression, by doing what compressors do, which is, reduce dynamic range. - Squeezing for fun, be damned! Do eq and fader gain/cut only.. Play with your hands lmao. Lord knows, I can't stand compressors hahaha.. Good tips though. Keep going mate.

[zachariaocoleakorimo]

Does the matching the output level to the input level apply to digital compression?

[Platnumbaby]

I created an acronym to remember the starting point of compressors "SAFE". Slow Attack Fast Release. Remember I create this lol.

Attack can smash or cause pumping of your sound

Release also equals Rhythm and Reduce volume

of course this depends on Threshold and Ratio

[Offical_Daniel_luna]

Number 7. For Sidechain, Use A Compressor

[xxsouthxxsidexxroyxx]

Compress the hell out of it and crank the make up gain. That's what the pros are doing.

[CoreyTaylor]

What do you exactly mean by point 4 and 5?
I don't get it 😅

[declan]

Touch of compression over the instrument, bus, and master goes further than just cranking one.