Have you ever wondered how professional recordings sound so clear and balanced? One of the secrets to achieving great sound quality is the use of compression. Compression is a powerful tool used by
audio engineers to control the dynamic range of an audio signal. SOAP has multiple compressors built in and so we wanted to explain how compression works.
What is Compression?
Compression is a signal processing technique that reduces the dynamic range of audio by turning down the loud parts and boosting the quiet parts. Basically, it makes the loud parts quieter and the quiet parts louder, thus narrowing the dynamic range. Compression is commonly used in music production, radio broadcasting, film sound, and live sound mixing.
How Compression Works
Compression works by applying gain reduction to an audio signal that exceeds a certain threshold level. The threshold level is set by the user and determines when the compressor starts to reduce the gain of the audio signal. When the signal exceeds the threshold, the compressor reduces the gain by a certain amount, known as the ratio. For example, if the ratio is set to 4:1, for every 4dB the audio signal exceeds the threshold, the compressor will reduce the gain by 1dB. This results in a more even level of audio, allowing quieter sounds to be heard more easily and preventing louder sounds from becoming too overpowering. Compression, good microphones, and well treated rooms are significant part of professional recordings.
Types of Compression
There are several types of compression, including peak compression, RMS compression, and multiband compression. Peak compression is used to control the transients or sudden spikes in audio, while RMS compression smooths out the overall level of the audio signal. Multiband compression is used to apply different types of compression to independent frequency bands of an audio signal. These can all be used in voice recording.
Compression is a powerful tool used by audio engineers to control the dynamic range of an audio signal. By reducing the dynamic range, compression allows for a more even level of audio, making it easier to hear all parts of the signal. There are different types of compression, each with its own unique characteristics and applications. If you're new to recording, understanding compression is a crucial step towards achieving great sound quality. SOAP is a great solution for beginners who haven't spent years training their ears to here subtle differences in compression.
Here is a more in depth article about compression if you want to learn more!
Comments