Compressor effect

The Compressor effect reduces dynamic range, producing consistent volume levels and increasing perceived loudness. Compression is particularly effective for voice-overs, because it helps the speaker stand out over musical soundtracks and background audio.

For examples of highly-compressed audio, listen to recordings of modern pop music. By contrast, most jazz recordings are lightly compressed, while typical classical recordings feature no compression at all.

Standard settings

Amount

Controls the level of compression.

Advanced settings

Threshold

Sets the input level at which compression begins. The best setting depends on audio content and style. To compress only extreme peaks and retain more dynamic range, try thresholds around 5 dB below the peak input level. To highly compress audio and greatly reduce dynamic range, try settings around 15 dB below the peak input level.

Ratio

Sets a compression ratio between 1‑to‑1 and 30‑to‑1. For example, a setting of 3 outputs 1 dB for every 3-dB increase above the threshold. Typical settings range from 2 to 5; higher settings produce the extremely compressed sound often heard in pop music.

Attack

Determines how quickly compression starts after audio exceeds the Threshold setting. The default, 10 milliseconds, works well for a wide range of source material. Use faster settings only for audio with quick transients, such as percussion recordings.

Release

Determines how quickly compression stops when audio drops below the Threshold setting. The default, 100 milliseconds, works well for a wide range of audio. Try faster settings for audio with fast transients, and slower settings for less percussive audio.

Output Gain

Boosts or cuts amplitude after compression. Possible values range from ‑30 dB to +30 dB, where 0 is unity gain.