How To HEAR COMPRESSION - Music Production

Ear training video focused on tuning your ear to hear the differences that compression makes to audio, rather than explaining technical parameters and meters.

• Starts with simple solo voice example to make effects obvious • Progresses to guitar in the context of a full mix • Complexity increases throughout the video

Recommended to listen on studio monitors or headphones for best results.

Video includes timestamps and chapter markers at the bottom of the screen for easy navigation.

Uncompressed condenser microphone recording with the speaker projecting and moving around, resulting in some words being much louder than others.

• Compressed audio sounds very confident and forward • Uncompressed words at the end sound timid and shy and drift away • Compression helps level out the performance

• Using free TDR Kotelnikov compressor • Ratio set to 4:1 for dramatic compression • Threshold adjusted to hear gain reduction on loudest words • Attack increased to pick up transients • Release adjusted so words are released more quickly • Makeup gain applied to maintain overall volume

Loudest words receive 5-10 dB gain reduction while quiet words at the end receive minimal reduction but benefit from makeup gain, creating a leveled and consistent performance.

• Uncompressed audio shows large changes in dynamic range • Compressed audio is much more even and consistent • Red areas show where gain has been added to quieter phrases

Compressed version sounds like a consistent level performance with all words having similar prominence, making the overall delivery sound more confident.

• Attack is left as is in this example • Release is very important for maintaining distinction and clarity between words • Release should allow words to be released from compression between phonemes

Setting release too long causes the compressor to stay engaged by loud parts, making everything after sound quiet and mushy, defeating the purpose of consistent leveling.

Guitar recorded on a chill lo-fi beat with inconsistent velocities due to recording through effects without hearing the actual signal, making it difficult to fit into the mix.

• Some guitar notes are way too quiet while others stick out like a sore thumb • Volume inconsistency takes away from the chill environment • Manual automation would require hours of work across multiple tracks

Threshold set so loudest notes receive significant compression while quietest notes receive minimal compression, allowing uncompressed notes to sit naturally.

Compressed guitar sits consistently in the mix while still retaining some dynamics, making it sound like it was played with more skill and intentional velocity control.

• Uncompressed signal in green shows notes jumping from tiny to huge • Compressed signal in red shows much more consistent average amplitude • Transient spikes retained at the start of each note

Compressed version maintains steady presence in the mix whereas uncompressed constantly jumps above and below the desired sitting level.

Leveling tracks completely flat is not the goal of mixing, but consistency is important for guitar lines to sit properly without distracting volume jumps.

Guitarists commonly use compression pedals during recording to sit in the groove at the right volume without post-production intervention.

Attack time controls how the compressor handles the initial punch of each note, creating small transient spikes that add definition to the sound.

• Very short attack time removes the punch at the start of notes • Notes lose definition and sound mushy • Sound appears to hit then ramp up to the correct volume

• Dense mix: longer attack time lets punch through so you can follow the melody • Sparse mix: shorter attack time lets guitar sit further back and not poke through

Pay attention to whether the note starts when supposed to or if it seems delayed due to attack compression.

Reverb and delay are added to create spatial effects and blend the guitar into the mix background while keeping each note clearly audible.

With heavy compression, the guitar melody can be followed at a lower volume level in the mix, reducing the need for the instrument to be prominently loud.

• Some notes are too loud while others are too quiet even with effects • Guitar asks for too much attention due to constant volume jumps • Overall sound is inconsistent and demanding

Guitar sounds leveled, smooth, and sits naturally in the mix as a supporting element rather than a distracting element.

Video demonstrates compression effects through both solo examples and mix context, showing how compression trains your ears to hear the sonic differences it creates.

• Compression creates consistency in dynamic performance • Proper settings preserve important details while controlling peaks • Visual and sonic analysis helps develop ear training skills

Understanding compression helps with recording decisions like using compression pedals and making better mix level choices.

Creator invites viewer feedback on what topics they want to hear next in the ear training series.