How To Use A Compressor – Compression 101 from Sonic Sense: “A compressor is a piece of equipment that you’ll find in every studio across the world, so it’s important to understand what it is and when to use it. The primary function of a compressor is to reduce dynamic range. Dynamic range is the difference in level between the quietest and loudest parts of a track or mix. In certain genres like classical or jazz, these dynamics are usually unchanged; whereas in Rock ‘n’ Roll, Pop, and Hip Hop, compression is typically used more liberally on the individual tracks as well as the entire mix.
While compression can provide great benefits to an audio track or mix, when overused, it can hurt the track as much as it could have helped it. Over-compression can leave a track sounding lifeless, non-engaging, or buried in the mix.
With this in mind, let’s explore the basic functions of a compressor and a few starting points that will help you find what works best for your application. Take a look at this chart that gives you an overview of some basic compressor settings.”