How Do Audio Compressors Work?

Compression is an essential tool for anyone mixing audio, but it can also be the most confusing. In this video, you'll learn what each control on a compressor does and how they impact the sound of your tracks and mixes.
Learn more: www.uaudio.com/blog/audio-com...
0:00 Intro
0:34 Threshold
0:56 Knee
1:21 Attack
1:52 Release
2:46 Ratio
3:41 Output Gain
4:34 Tube Compressors
5:03 Optical Compressors
5:28 FET Compressors
5:53 VCA Compressors
6:20 Outro
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#audioengineer #mixing #universalaudio #compressor

[@nandocoast]

Great content! Thank you!

[@socratesnotis]

UAD have always been men of culture, well done boys

[@BobBailey1]

You packed a ton into this! Great to be schooled by you Brittany!

[@iancurrie3763]

Great video. I've struggled to understand some aspects of compression and certainly didn't realize the differences between different types of compressors. Thank you, Brittany!

[@MasterOneMusic]

As always! UA rocking quality gear and tutorials! Be well guys!

[@marklholloway]

Fantastic overview and explanation on compression 👏👏👏 Please keep more videos like this coming 💙

[@26pueblosR]

What an mazing and clear overview about compression .....🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@kingech_B15]

Way to switch it up UAD. good job.

[@UncleG0]

Great info! UA forever🙏🌌

[@jdigital1]

Great Explanation Of Compressors And Compression As A Whole!

[@adrianobarco]

Muy clara y detallada. Muchas gracias por el material.

[@ezstproductions_]

Great stuff. Not too long or short but very informative 👍🏾

[@thundersnow819]

you had me at compressors

[@carlos-pratspratsonthebeat1145]

Amazing Content

[@2482jamie]

great vid!

[@AlinaSmith]

We love a smart and knowledgeable queen! ❤

[@LuizCarlosJesusdosSantos]

😂😂

[@fookoo567]

lol

[@thegreatdestroyer6506]

@@fookoo567 Why are you LoLing?

[@williama-d6]

yeah I like the FET compressor in logic studio and this is the clearest explanation of how to use a compressor I have ever heard in my life nice video I have a compressor called the squeez and it has an air knob to give you that breathing sound I used it on one of my tracks it sounded good

[@AlexLukeMusic]

Please lots more videos!

[@98INST]

LA-2A Grey, these days I just slam it literally on everything

[@ramacristna9377]

So do i 😂

[@bigluckgaming1323]

I recently started loving it too 🔥🔥🔥

[@matbindi821]

Me too 😂

[@takarnabam]

Same here

[@Mr_A99]

The pumping effect is great to give certain elements some energy sometimes. So labeling that as a mistake is not correct. Still a great video tho'

[@chuckyinges]

Well damn. Compressors no matter in audio or mechanical engineering are all so cool!

[@JESUS2707]

500 series 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@rjaustin4136]

Uad you guys will be goated if you let us use our softube plugins we bought at softube in the Apollo 😁

[@ravemealone]

love your emulations, but please give us some auto gain or equal loudness bypass

[@djshmul1]

More please

[@AliRazaJeffo]

Good

[@groovedealerfeaturing-ashl6476]

Nice introduction to compression for people new to audio engineering, good video!

[@clementval752]

@3:53, the whole waveform should get bigger, not just the previously attenuated (i.e. above threshold) part😬

[@Hexspa]

Yeah. What they showed was upward expansion aka “reverse compression”.

[@TheHoan]

Can I ask if the UAD Dsp plugin is better than UAD spark, or is it the same? thank

[@clementval752]

Sonically, they are the same. However, as native plugins (UADx/spark) run in the host instead of the soundcard, you of course won’t get the same latency free monitoring, neither unison preamps for those that support it 😉. They are perfect for mixing though.

[@UniversalAudio]

No, UAD DSP plugins are the same as the native ones, minus Unison which requires an Apollo. But same great sound with either.

[@tihinter]

are there limits in latency compensation when using very high track counts, or does this all come down to the limits of the individual host-DAW? let’s assume a typical modern rock/pop production with over 100 tracks at 96k. how much processing latency can be compensated natively, and is it the same amount like running on an USB-2 octo satellite?

[@UniversalAudio]

@@tihinter You're correct to say that delay comp is handed by the host. Most do have limits, but it's typically enough for most/all use cases.

[@timsarlos6403]

Please give us auto gain ❤ we’d love you for that

[@newrockorder]

They got it. At the end of the day I get a bonus.

[@mikulasroubicek4642]

How about an LA-3A reissue?

[@abhishekinmusic]

Name of the artist please. I wanna learn more about her KZbin channel content. She is knowledgeable

[@mitzthegamer]

Is there going to be a new Apollo interface soon? Looking to get a rack one to add to my twin x .

[@UniversalAudio]

Sorry, we can't comment on any future developments or releases. We appreciate your interest though and encourage you to stay tuned.

[@mitzthegamer]

@@UniversalAudio can you let me know if I should go for the rack now or just wait ?

[@davidtrig]

true facts facts

[@directed6924]

Is there a reason why you don't port Legacy versions to native? Some of Legacy versions sound better than the updated ones, more clean.

[@PedroMiguel-if3ll]

Hey friends!

[@waynevanvorst9396]

Compression always seems like the solution to a problem I don't have. I LIKE the difference between the softest and loudest sounds

[@M0M...]

But when mixing a full mix, it can really glue everything together

[@Hexspa]

It can bring out low-level detail, increase sustain, give a feeling of “support”, enhance or reduce punch, create distortion, change the timbre, and make discrete parts sound more unified. Try parallel compression.

[@Hexspa]

1:04 the graphic here is misleading. Compressor knee actually goes from totally hard (compressor attacks only above threshold) and totally soft (compressor begins attacking and releasing below threshold). The graphic makes it look like the same threshold holds for both shapes but it doesn’t really. Actually the hard shape is at that line but the soft shape goes below it. At the threshold, the ratio is whatever the knob is set to. Below the threshold, with a soft knee, a gradual ratio is present. You can hear what I mean at 1:14. The syncopated individual snare hit on 2 ee and *UH* 3 *EE* triggers the compressor with soft knee but progressively less with medium and hard knee. The release is short so you hear it as a reduction in sustain of those events as the knee becomes harder. Subtle but it’s there. Reason being they’re too quiet to reach the hard knee threshold but the soft knee reaches down to “grab them”. Auto makeup gain is on so it boosts the level as the release stage kicks in. Also, 1:27, attack time is not the time it takes for a compressor to reach full compression. Full compression *never happens.* In Calculus it’s called a ‘limit’. Compressor attack time is the time it takes to achieve 2/3 of the gain reduction as set by the ratio control for a given threshold (minus the knee probably). Ironically, the Fairchild compressor they show at 4:50 is known for being very fast. Look how fast the needle is moving - it catches everything.

[@Sample_Props_Official]

What is it for this whole talking like they dont understand the level of compression where it should to reduce a signal ????

[@jacopnegar6234]

👍🤩👑👑👑👏👏👏