How To Become a Master at Compression (in Only 10 Minutes)

0:00 Does this sound like you?
0:29 Wtf is a compressor?
1:37 Threshold, ratio, attack, release
4:37 Compression in FL Studio
7:18 Compression in Ableton
8:50 Glue your sounds (bonus!)

[Akayo_Music]

Made a mistake at 2:41 meant to say "for every 4 dB above the threshold, the compressor reduces the signal by 3 dB, allowing only 1 dB to get through."

Also just to clarify, the analogy used in the video WAS NOT CREATED BY ME lol. It's a commonly used analogy for compression, I don't take ANY credit for it

[tcooper]

I'm 44 and watch these kind of videos for fun basically when I've got bugger all to do. Mate, your "mother" analogy had me dying. I've tried to explain compression to people so many times, attack, release, but I'm stealing this. Best analogy I've ever heard. Well done. I'd give my left arm to be a teen in this era.

[eriksaxmarx]

Mother analogy was the best compression explanation ever.

[dantepatel]

When a sound is very compressed, it has consistent volume throughout the frequency spectrum. This means that every part of the sound is now audible and no part of it is louder than the other parts.

If you really wanna get good at mixing, the best way to do it is to mix vocals. It teaches you these things. Compression is what allows every word to be heard in a vocal. It's what allows the yelling to be as loud as the whispers.

With regards to mixing instrumentals, the artistry is seen in the concept of "contrast". And one of the major ways we see this contrast is with "dynamic" vs. "static". It's the entire reason we have drums in music. If every instrument in the song is as dynamic as the drums are, it becomes chaotic and that appeal of contrast is lost. Like if the guitarists in a rock band were only allowed to pluck their strings. Compression is meant to counteract this.

And while I do like your metaphor, I think a better way to explain attack, release, and ratio is that you're controlling how dynamic vs. compressed it is. With low attack, high ratio, and low release: anything above the set volume is "squashed"- the sound is fully compressed. But when you experiment with high attack, low ratio, and high release, it's like you're taking that "squashed" version and making it more dynamic in different ways. The "squashed" version is like consistent white noise, but the opposite is like a snare drum (but with reverb at the front, too lol).

[TheGreatConstantini]

I was a career audio engineer. Your video is the first one I have seen that explains compression in a way that beginners can easily understand. Even non beginners often do not understand it fully! You’d make for a good teacher

[rhymewave]

The 'mom' metaphor is jokes, good confident presentation with no 'hi guys!' desperation, thank you

[DanielFowlerSr]

Thank you, Akayo. I have been making music since I was 12. I am 61 now, and I really appreciate hearing this from you. You have an auspicious future in this business. Your knowledge and understanding are clean. Your rhythm speaks volumes about your future, but most of all, you taught me something. Great success awaits you in the future.

[john-greyvogel]

YOU REALLY INSPIRE ME

I'm an older guy (51). I've been using FL Studio since it was called Fruity Loops (late 90's). I'm also a lazy producer and barely use my beloved DAW to its (or my) potential.

What you have accomplished since 2016 is a testament to your talent and dedication.

I want to be better... Have the fire that I did when I got my first Vestax cassette 4-Track.

You and In The Mix really stand out.

Thank you for doing what you do. I got so much out of your "make music when you don't feel like it" and the one on breaking out of the 8 bar loop.

I look forward to checking out more of your content.

[heyitsflowee]

Genuinely one of the best music tutorials I've seen. I had no idea how compressors really worked but you explained it perfectly and that analogy is something that I'll keep with me as long as I do music. I appreciate the fact you also did it in ableton to show the difference between the 2 platforms and how simple compression really is. Never stop making videos 👍

[Antonio_Ortiz]

Hands down the simplest explanation of compression I've seen on YouTube. Earned a Sub.

[PharezGad]

4:30 THE BEST ANALOGY I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MUSIC. BIG UP LAD

[GabyMichel]

Hilarious analogy! I’m a parent and I needed compression for my gaming son’s voice!😂

[Loagz_Beatz]

Sidechain compress your 808 to the melody, your kicks to the 808 and melody, and the rest of the drums to the melody (and hats) and you’ll see what time it is ❤

[j.stribling]

Young man, you’re ahead of the curve! Great tutorial, and very nice of you to make your slogan, “Help me retire my parents.” Don’t pay too much attention to the critics, especially concerning the ratio. It is difficult to simplify a topic without someone accusing you of oversimplifying. I thought you did great.

[Legend-vixi]

4:15 the absolute best comparison ever

[meepinandmorpin]

once again saving me hundreds of dollars on production school! Akayo is going in my grammys speech next year ❤

[Zanx-Music]

Cool to see the way compression works when you drew it out, great visuals thank you 🙏

[WavesMonument]

This is exactly what they taught me in Audio Engineering course, it's a great explanation

[FrankieNuggetz]

The way you described ratio could be confusing to newbies. For every 2db get compressed to 1db. Not by 1db. This would mean that 2:1 is the most aggressive and it isn’t. So, whatever the ratio first number passes, it is compressed to 1db. Making the higher the ratio, the more aggressive and the more it compresses.

[WalidAzamiTV]

No idea why i'm here, never searched for this term but you explained so well - I stayed for the whole thing.