Tips & Tricks

So THAT'S what a Compressor does!

This ultra-simple, ultra-cool description of how a compressor works during mixdown is courtesy of Steve Duda, the brilliant mind behind BFD. He says:

Imagine the compressor is your litte brother helping you mix by holding a level fader. You tell him, "Whenever the signal level meter gets above "here" (threshold) start turing down the level by "this" much (ratio). When it goes back below that level, turn it back up." The attack is how fast he turns it down, and the release is how fast he turns it back up.