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Compression Cheat Sheet

The document provides a comprehensive guide on using compression in audio mixing, emphasizing the importance of personal listening and setting goals before applying compression. It details attack and release times for various instruments, offering specific compression settings for kick drums, snare, toms, overheads, bass, acoustic instruments, piano, strings, and vocals. The cheat sheet encourages users to experiment with settings while ensuring the source sounds good before compression.

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Patrick Evans
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856 views12 pages

Compression Cheat Sheet

The document provides a comprehensive guide on using compression in audio mixing, emphasizing the importance of personal listening and setting goals before applying compression. It details attack and release times for various instruments, offering specific compression settings for kick drums, snare, toms, overheads, bass, acoustic instruments, piano, strings, and vocals. The cheat sheet encourages users to experiment with settings while ensuring the source sounds good before compression.

Uploaded by

Patrick Evans
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

X32 Compression Cheat Sheet

A few thoughts on Compression cheat sheets...

1. I’ll never tell you to COPY these settings. Use them as a guide AFTER you’ve
listened with your own ears.
2. Practice hearing compression by lowering the threshold too far so the
compressor does way too much work. This will give you a clearer picture of
how the attack and release are reacting.
3. Listen to your source first. Does it sound good to you? You might not need
to do anything. Never set a compressor before you have a goal in mind for
the compressor to work towards.
4. Try to make the source sound great BEFORE you compress it.
5. BE SURE TO WATCH THE BREAKDOWN IN THE COURSE
Attack/Release Times Explained
BROADLY SPEAKING, this is how I like to think about attack and release times:

Attack Time
Fast Attack: 0-10 ms
Engages almost immediately, suitable for controlling transients.
Medium Attack: 10-50 ms
Allows some initial transient through before compressing, often used
for vocals and general instrument compression.
Slow Attack: 50 ms and above
Engages more gradually, preserving the natural attack of the sound,
ideal for sustaining instruments like bass and pads.
Release Time
Fast Release: 0-50 ms
Disengages quickly after the signal drops below the threshold,
maintaining a more transparent sound. Useful for fast-paced, rhythmic
material.
Medium Release: 50-150 ms
Provides a balanced release that avoids pumping artifacts while still
allowing some natural decay, suitable for most vocal and instrumental
tracks.
Slow Release: 150 ms and above
Releases slowly, smoothing out the dynamics over a longer period. Best
for maintaining a steady level in sustained sounds and mix bus
compression.
KICK DRUM COMPRESSION

Ratio - 4.0

Attack - 10ms - 20ms

Hold - 1ms

Release - 25ms - 60ms

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 3db - 6db


SNARE TOP COMPRESSION

Ratio - 4.0

Attack - 10ms - 30ms

Hold - 1ms - 20ms

Release - 15ms - 50ms

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 3db - 6db


SNARE BOTTOM COMPRESSION

Ratio - 4.0 - 10.0

Attack - 0ms - 20ms

Hold - 10ms - 20ms

Release - 5ms - 20ms

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 3db - 6db


TOM COMPRESSION

Ratio - 4.0

Attack - 10ms - 20ms

Hold - 1ms - 25ms

Release - 25ms - 60ms

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 3db - 5db


DRUM OVERHEAD COMPRESSION

Ratio - 2.0 - 4.0

Attack - 10ms - 20ms

Hold - 10ms - 20ms

Release - 100ms - 150ms

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 3db - 5db


BASS COMPRESSION

Ratio - 2.0 - 4.0

Attack - 25ms - 50ms OR AUTO

Hold - 1ms - 25ms

Release - 100ms - 150ms

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 4db - 8db


ACOUSTIC COMPRESSION

Ratio - 4.0 - 10.0

Attack - 10ms - 20ms

Hold - 1ms - 25ms

Release - 30ms - 50ms

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 4db - 8db


PIANO COMPRESSION

Ratio - 4.0 - 10.0

Attack - 10ms - 20ms

Hold - 1ms - 25ms

Release - 30ms - 50ms (aggressive) or 100ms - 150ms (natural)

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 3db - 6db


VIOLIN/STRINGS COMPRESSION

Ratio - 2.0 - 4.0

Attack - 10ms - 20ms OR AUTO

Hold - 1ms - 25ms

Release - 100ms - 150ms

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 3db - 6db


VOCAL COMPRESSION

Ratio - 2.0 - 4.0

Attack - 10ms - 25ms OR AUTO

Hold - 1ms - 20ms

Release - 80ms - 150ms

Reduction/Make-Up Gain - 3db - 6db

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