Easiest Way to Understand Compression

For decades, compression has been a hard to understand topic for beginner and even advanced music producers, but its idea is actually very simple. In this video I'm showing you a really simple approach to understanding the whole concept of compression. After watching it, the whole topic should be much clearer and if you practice using ways I show you on the video you should grasp the idea really quickly.

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[LosantoBeats]

I feel like understanding how compression works is not that hard. Understanding when to use it and how it sounds, now thats the hard part.

[LAxemann]

It's a nice video that will help a lot of people, but there is some wrong information in here that I feel should stand corrected even if this was meant to be simple/simplified. :)

1. No audio gets chopped off, everything above the threshold just becomes quieter/attenuated based on the settings
2. The ratio is SUPER important and should not be neglected. Super simplified, it just determines how hard/steep the compressor is attenuating once the threshold is exceeded.
3. The explanation of the knee is wrong. The "knee" really just dictates how quickly the compression starts to grip once the threshold is exceeded. A "soft" knee can be visualized as a smooth curve, while a "hard" knee is an aprupt change of angle. :)

[BodyOfPlayMusic]

Thanks for reminding us again at the end that if it sounds good it sound good. Because music can become endlessly stressing. Bless Oversampled!!

[MarkVank]

I've been a producer for almost 7 years and despite considering myself advanced and having a ton of streams, I've never used manual compressors due to not understanding the concept. Now I understand them and I'm sure my overall quality will improve because of that. This is the exact video I've been looking for for 7 years.

[rumbla]

So simply and clearly explained. This is what is missing in most tutorials

[jacksingh]

This is probably the most streamline compressor video I’ve seen yet. Excellent delivery!

[darianburcea]

Straight to the point, 4 entire minutes of explaining what everything in a compressor does and how to use it properly for any kind of mix. You are a legend

[duduodin]

Dude thank you. This was straight up the easiest to understand video explaining how compressors work. For a visual learner it was perfect. Being able to see those DB reduction automations that have the same effect on the sounds as the different compression settings made everything I know about compression fit together in my mind and make sense. Thanks, you keep me inspired.

[FedericoAmbrosi]

'If It sounds good sounds good' ! Man you legend!! thanks for the video

[huber-lofiandchillbeat]

Compressor are one of the first pure mixing effects people use, maybe with eq, and for me at the beginning it looks so complicated and I don't really know why to use them, but I still used them x) thanks to people like you it's clear now ^^

[crisc.]

Thank u for these simple explanations. A lotta producers use terminology that’s familiar to ppl that already know what it is they’re talking about and forget that the people they show have little to know knowledge about the process

[harveyyoder]

Somehow this video made sense when most of the other tutorials I watch are confusing. Thank you!

[Juliano_DJOL]

Wow I really wish I wld have seen this 15 years ago when I got started. I've seen and heard alot of people explain compression but this may have been the best.

[essisaysgoodnight]

This was honestly the most useful video on compression I’ve found, I have a better understanding of how to use it, thank you!

[Pbjtime]

This is really useful, I can't wait for more videos like this!

[sneeznoodle]

Man, I know nothing about audio or music, but this channel really makes me want to learn.

[EIDimension]

Wow, music production and mixing is looking a lot less complicated the more videos I watch, and this one really simplified compression for me

[HalilHajjar]

Now I understand the basics of compression. This is very helpful, especially since I use a lot of hard hitting sounds in my productions.

[akkusharma]

this is one of the best videos online for this topic!! thank you so much
for this!!

[vyvianspipes]

This is a tutorial I have been in dire need of for a while now! Thank you!