Use a Compressor PROFESSIONALLY For Your Podcast.

There's a lot of tools to utilize when editing your audio. It can be a little irritating or fatiguing to listen to audio that is so up and down, your hand is getting tired from changing the volume.
Compression is the perfect tool to handle that problem. An audio compressor takes the peaks and the valleys of your audio and squeezes them together to make it more uniform.
Compressors are a relatively simple tool, but if they are used incorrectly, it can have a very weird effect on your audio, where it sounds super unnatural and flat.
If you are interested in my editing services you can contact me at [e-mail]
Or you can check out my website:
ieditpodcasts.com
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[@wightwulf]

If you set your gain right you should have headroom of about -10db so if you set your threshold to -10db it's basically doing nothing. People have different mics, interfaces, gain setting, and speaking volume so threshold should depend on the loudness of your recording and not an arbitrary number like -10db

[@ieditpodcasts]

You're absolutely right with this! I should not have given a specific value in this instance, at the time of filming, I was working with a lot of recordings with no headroom, and generally, had a similar amount of dynamic range. I was working in a vacuum with little awareness of the broader world of audio! Thank you for the comment!

[@soood3os]

with the threshold, doesn't it depend on how loud the vocals are? my vocals are super quiet at around -20 so i should put my threshold around there and use make up gain right?

[@ieditpodcasts]

Yes definitely! I shouldn't have given a specific value for the threshold, that is totally dependent on the levels you are working with! My mistake!!

[@zwsh89]

It also helps to gain up your input material first. Many analog-and digital plugin compressors are internally tuned to work best when the input is averaging between -18 and -9 dbvu. If your input material is significantly quieter than that, you can compensate by reducing the threshold, but depending on the model of compressor, it might still be working a lot harder at those lower levels, so you’ll find you need to decrease the ratio to get the same amount of gain reduction as it would create with a louder input. Or see more active compression due to automatic knee settings, so using a lower input can affect the comps behavior. I know SSL bus comps are notorious for this, and I use these on dialogue all the time, so to me it’s worth doing a round of gainstaging before feeding my input to the comp so my levels are all in that optimal range, and I know my comp will behave as expected

[@SoundoftheRaign]

I feel you explained this wonderfully, but for some reason, I don't think I'm wrapping my head around it properly. I currently use presets within GarageBand and play within until it sounds good enough to me. But I want to know how to do this right. Thanks for the video. Subscribed!

[@MrToodope4you]

Thanks this actually helped a lot!

[@IlseHimschoot]

By lower treshold do you mean -10,-20...?

[@MaxRiley]

Hi. When recording a podcast, should I use a compressor real time during the recording, or apply it in post-editing? Thanks. Sorry if the question is dumb.

[@SomeNiceMovies]

I am a noob as well, but I prefer not using any filters or anything recording. Better to have a raw audio is what I think most people would say, as well. That way you can apply it afterwards and not potentially lose any quality. I don't have almost any idea though.

[@MaxRiley]

@@SomeNiceMovies I agree. Thanks

[@ryanlovesound]

Thank you

[@StephenCarterStressExpert]

Excellent, actionable information. Well presented. Thanks for posting the video.

Your video really helps me, thanks! :)

[@skyhr]

You explained compressors well, but didn't really explain the guideline of how to apply it to our vocal/podcast on a professional level, as the title suggests...

[@ieditpodcasts]

Thank you for the feedback! That makes a lot of sense, maybe I'll have to change the title!

[@leodesgarcons]

thanks for the info, super helpful

[@EvandroPastor]

Thanks for your video. :D

[@trevorsbass]

Good video. Good information. I would just recommend getting a better pop filter. You are plosiving all over the place. If this is about professional audio, lead by example. :)