#Light compressor settings podcast full#

In an attempt to demystify the process of compression, let’s talk generally about their function as a physical circuit (again trying to keep it within general terms). Use it only as supplemental to what your ears tell you, especially when it comes down to what your compressor is doing to your signal. These EQ visualizers, while a nifty tool to indicate what frequencies are present with a limited scope, aren’t giving you the whole picture. Without having to go down a nerdy science rabbit hole, it is important to remember sound waves are not some static process, but have variable changes throughout time. We sometimes refer to applications of this process as music. What I mean by that is, sound waves move continuously, completing multiple cycles per second through three dimensional space, at the speed of sound, and the signal can change over time with different frequencies and amplitudes presenting simultaneously. What is important to remember though is that this view through a parametric equalizer is a two-dimensional snapshot of a three dimensional continuous process. If your sine wave is as close to pure as possible, you won’t have a clear view of upper or lower harmonics, but instead a lone peak at the set frequency. If you’ve ever used a parametric equalizer (similar to ones in DAWs like Ableton and Logic, or plugins such as FabFilter ProQ - ones with added visualizers specifically) You would see a peak at the frequency and amplitude the sine wave is set to from whatever source is generating your signal. Say for example we’re using a pure sine wave. There are several different attributes of every compressor that we will get to in just a second, but first let’s talk about what non-linear means for someone who doesn’t quite have an idea of this concept in terms of audio. To start, compression is a non-linear function that applies an amount of signal compression, ultimately changing the overall signal (waveform) to whatever specifications have been dialed into the compressor.

#Light compressor settings podcast full#

Full disclosure, I am an audio engineer - not an electrical engineer - but I've found myself in the unfortunate position of navigating through this lexicon, and I’d like to pass on what I've learned along the way. While I will touch on many of the aspects listed above, this is to offer a viewpoint on signal processing and how compression as a non-linear process can be utilized to its fullest. That way, you might be able to read through some of the technical jargon and at least get the gist of what the author might be stating. I hope this reading helps to bridge that gap by further explaining some of the terminology used by electrical engineers.

Usually the latter is written with no remorse for a reader’s lack of knowledge on the subject and can be incredibly daunting to sift through for any useful information for their purposes. Typically the authors of these articles aim for one of two sides, one being for the reader seeking best “use-case” information, and the second being a more technical writing of the science and math involved.

There are a million posts from reputable sources on what compression is, what types of compressors there are, the history of compressors, and famous compressor units.