Dynamics (Plug-in)

[Mike Smith]

It’s not really an alternative to volume control, though you could use it like that. You do need decent audio monitoring to know what you are doing.

Really you can use a compressor to change the relative loudness of louder and quieter parts of some of your audio, to bring it to a more consistent overall level – or selectively to bring up the quiet parts of a lead instrument (or actor, or voice over) so that it’s consistently intelligible / audible over background sound … or a bunch of other things … maybe dig around.

These might start you off.
https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/archive/effects/2004-05/43641.php
https://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep09/articles/compressionmadeeasy.htm
https://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/mixing-mastering/the-beginners-guide-to-compression/
https://help.adobe.com/en_US/premierepro/cs/using/WS2CFD24BB-0B2B-4059-8098-D36F5EBED240.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF5ikJBsDo4
https://www.reaper.fm/reaplugs/

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[Angelo Lorenzo]

[Mike Smith] “or selectively to bring up the quiet parts of a lead instrument (or actor, or voice over) so that it’s consistently intelligible / audible over background sound”

Perhaps in two cases: multiband compressors or adding a gate before compression. Wideband compression lowers the signal level and it is the makeup gain that increases the perceived loudness. The makeup gain will also increase the noise floor.

You may be referring to how compression has the ability to move an element “forward” when mixed with other elements.

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Angelo Lorenzo

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[Mike Smith]

Hi Angleo.

Really I’m trying to help Dominic to find his own way around what he could manage with a compressor and why audio people routinely use them, as following the links might have shown you.

On the specific quote from me that you highlighted, I’m referring to the use of compression on an element-by-element (track by track) basis in the sound mix to help (alongside normally, at least EQ and reverb) overall sound. I’ve left aside compression’s role in “loudness wars” as not really helpful.

Overall level control contributes greatly to bringing things forward or back in the mix: the compressor is more help in taming expressive dynamic range by a single singer or instrument so that each lement has (can have) a more consistent place in the mix through its quieter and louder sections. Though of course any alternative creative or different use might be just what’s wanted for a specific project.

For the compressor of course it’s the ability to control relative levels selectively which makes its use different from a simple volume / gain control.