ABLETON LIVE

COMPLETE GUIDE TO COMPRESSION

MODULE 1

Compressor Basics

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ABLETON LIVE
COMPLETE GUIDE TO COMPRESSION
MODULE 1

What is Compression?
Compression is literally the automatic squashing of an audio signal. It was The flattening and then turning up of the audio signal that compression
brought about to prevent an audio engineer from having to ‘ride the fader’ results in means that the quieter parts of the waveform all end up louder,
when recording to make sure the signal didn’t get too loud. So, its main which means that a compressed signal ends up being much louder overall
purpose is to reduce the peaks or loud bits in an audio signal, so that the than an uncompressed one. This is why it’s so popular, particularly in
level is more consistent, making it easier to mix. For example, if a track more aggressive styles of electronic music, or when creating the audio for
is set at one level and then suddenly gets louder, then it’ll jump out of the adverts or online media, where you often want sounds to be as loud as
mix more than you want, or cause a track to overload, whereas if it gets possible. As well as increasing the overall loudness though, compressors
much quieter, it’ll be lost in the mix. Compression helps to even out these help to gel parts together, by processing their levels with a single
issues, by flattening the louder bits, so they’re then similar to the quieter device. So, a compressed drum break will not only sound louder than an
bits, allowing the level to then be safely boosted to make the track as loud uncompressed one, but will also sound less disjointed, which is again why
as you want, without any danger of it jumping up suddenly at any stage. it’s such a popular device when making dance music. However, when
used too heavily, compression can result in the natural punch of a drum
break being completely lost, as there’s no initial striking sound at the start
of drums and instead everything is at one level.

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ABLETON LIVE
COMPLETE GUIDE TO COMPRESSION
MODULE 1

Threshold and Ratio

The threshold and ratio of a compressor are two controls that set how The compressor controls are shown by the compressor curve, which
much compression takes place. Threshold sets at what point to start you can find on Live’s transfer curve view display. In this view mode, the
compressing and ratio how much to compress by. On the input meter of threshold is shown by the large yellow circle and the ratio by the orange
the compressor, you can see how high the level is going and can set the line above it, where the higher the ratio, the less linear the curve, or more
threshold with respect to that. So, bringing the threshold down to -15dB extremely the slop bends towards a horizontal position. On this display,
(15 decibels below the max signal level), means that any signal that goes dragging the yellow circle left and right sets the threshold and up and
above that point will get turned down. The amount that it gets turned down sets the ratio. The signal at the compressor input is indicated by the
down is shown on the GR (gain reduction) meter and is set by the ratio. If smaller yellow dot running along the orange curve, making it easier to see
the ratio is 1:1, no compression is occurring because an input level of 1dB where to set the threshold in this mode.
over the threshold, results in an output level of 1dB over the threshold.
Whereas, turning up the ratio to 2:1 means that a level of 2dB over the
threshold, results in an output level of 1dB, so the compressor turns the
signal down by 1dB. At that ratio setting, a 10dB peak over the threshold
would end up being turned down to just a 5dB peak.
A ratio of 2:1 can have a pretty big impact on a signal but is a medium
compression setting, whilst turning up to 4 or 5:1 means the compressor
has much heavier settings, and when the threshold is set quite low as
well, the compressor will be squashing the signal quite dramatically. With
a ratio of 5:1, a 5dB peak over the threshold in the signal results in the
compressor turning it down to 1dB, so there is a pretty big reduction in
level. The highest ratio is infinity:1, which means the signal should never
go over the threshold - this is called a Brick Wall setting and is what you
find on a Limiter, which is an extreme form of compressor.

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ABLETON LIVE
COMPLETE GUIDE TO COMPRESSION
MODULE 1

Attack and Release

The compressor timing or envelope is set by the attack and release The release time sets how quickly the compressor stops turning the signal
dials, which define how quickly a compressor starts and stops turning down after the input falls below the threshold, so this also needs to be set
the signal down when it rises above and falls below the threshold, with respect to the input signal. If the signal is going over the threshold
respectively. When a signal is going above the threshold very suddenly regularly in short bursts, then the release should stay short, or else the
and only briefly, a compressor with a longer attack (100ms for example) compressor may keep turning the signal down when it should stop acting
can be too slow to respond to those signal bursts, meaning they won’t on it, for instance when the release time is longer than the time between
be caught in time, and the compressor won’t do anything. So, in these loud bursts in the signal. The GR meter on the compressor shows how
cases, a shorter attack is best. An attack of 2ms (the default setting) much the signal is being turned down, so if the orange bar is showing the
means that only the very briefest bursts over the threshold pass through whole time, then the release is most likely too long. For the most extreme
without being turned down, which is often fine, but if this is reduced to compression, a fast attack and release can be set - this is normally fine
the minimum 0.01ms, then even the briefest bursts over the threshold are on a drum beat, when you want a heavier and more tightly compressed
caught, so the signal becomes even more squashed, and creates a more effect, but going too low with the release is more likely to result in the
obviously compressed sound. signal degrading and becoming distorted, so should be set with care.

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ABLETON LIVE
COMPLETE GUIDE TO COMPRESSION
MODULE 1

Gain Controls
The Makeup switch on Live’s Compressor is an automatic gain boosting Once the signal is suitably compressed, you can then use the Output
setting that compensates for the compression by turning the output level slider to increase the gain, to set the level to whatever you like. Once
up. To set your own output level, and hear the action of the compressor the peaks in the input have been flattened, you can turn up the output
more clearly, you can turn this switch off, after which the compressed to a similar level as before (so the output meter looks similar to the input
signal will sound quieter the more the compressor turns the signal down. meter), which will result in a large boost in overall loudness in the signal.
The more the signal is being turned down, the more activity you’ll see on
the GR (gain reduction) meter on the compressor.

Brought to you by Producertech Ltd, the leading online resource for video based music production training.