The trance compressor, explained.

Range -60 dB to 0 dB · Typical starting point -18 dB

The level a sound has to cross before the comp acts. Lower catches more, higher grabs only the loudest peaks.

• Lower: catches more and more — push too far and it clamps non-stop, flat and lifeless.
• Higher: catches less — too high and it does nothing, loud peaks still jump out.

Range 1:1 to 10:1 · Typical starting point 4:1

How hard it turns down once over the threshold. Low keeps things breathing; high flattens the life out.

• Lower: gentle — too low and it barely controls; peaks still poke through.
• Higher: firm — too high and it flattens, squeezing the life and groove out.

Range 0.05 ms to 300 ms · Typical starting point 1 ms

How fast it grabs the front of the sound. Fast dulls the snap; slow keeps it punchy. The biggest knob for how a hit feels.

• Faster: grabs the front — too fast and the snap dulls, hits go soft.
• Slower: keeps the punch — too slow and peaks slip past before it reacts.

Range 1 ms to 1000 ms · Typical starting point 30 ms

How fast it lets go again. Too fast breathes; ~100 ms recovers before the next hit; long smooths busy buses.

• Faster: recovers quick — too fast and it pumps or breathes on busy parts.
• Slower: smooth — too slow and it stays clamped, ducking the next hit.

Range 0 dB to 18 dB · Typical starting point 6 dB

How suddenly it kicks in. Soft eases in; hard snaps on at the line.

• Harder: snaps on at the line — precise, but can sound abrupt on peaks.
• Softer: eases in — smooth and glue-y, but vague when you need to catch a peak.

Range -12 dB to 12 dB · Typical starting point 0 dB

The final output level, set by hand. Match the bypassed loudness so you judge the compression, not a volume change.

• Lower: quieter than bypass — you will wrongly think the comp dulled the sound.
• Higher: louder than bypass — it all sounds better just because it is louder. Do not fool yourself.

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 100%

Blends compressed with untouched. In between = parallel: squeeze the wet for body, the dry keeps the snap.

• Drier: the comp barely shows — the snap returns, but so do the raw peaks.
• Fuller: all compressed — at 100% you lose the parallel trick of keeping the dry snap.

Range 20 Hz to 18000 Hz · Typical starting point 80 Hz

The frequency the sidechain filter pivots around. Set it where you want the comp to listen hardest — handy for frequency-focused ducking once SC Filter is on.

Range 0% to 100% · Typical starting point 100%

Blends the external trigger with the track signal as the detector. 100% reacts purely to the sidechained track; lower mixes its own peaks back in.

Range -24 dB to 24 dB · Typical starting point 0 dB

Boosts or cuts the external sidechain input so it crosses the threshold harder — a fast way to set how deep the duck goes once a sidechain is routed.

Range 0.1 to 5 · Typical starting point 0.71

How sharp or narrow the sidechain filter is — wide for a broad tilt, narrow to make the comp react to just one band.

Peak reacts to short spikes — precise, aggressive (drums). RMS follows average loudness — gentler, musical (sub, pads, vocals, buses). Expand flips it into an expander (the opposite of compressing) — rarely what you want.

Auto-release chooses its own release to suit the material — the safe, no-pumping default. Manual = dial it by hand.

Auto makeup gain — gives back the level the comp takes so you A/B at matched loudness. Trust your ears; a manual Output sometimes sits better.

Peeks ahead to catch a fast hit it’d otherwise miss. Three options — 0, 1 and 10 ms. 0 is old-school and slightly late; 1 or 10 ms react quicker, good for snappy percussion.

Release curve shape. Log — hardest-hit peaks recover faster (natural). Lin — one fixed release. Subtle; Log is the usual default.

Switches the comp to be triggered by ANOTHER track instead of itself — classic ducking. Mix Lock pumps with volume, but explore freely: ride a reverb off its dry channel, tuck a pad under the kick, or duck a bus under the lead.

Picks which track does the triggering once External is on. Choose the kick to duck things under it, or a dry channel to ride its reverb or delay return. Left at No Input by default — change it to start sidechaining.

Blends the external trigger with the track’s own signal as the detector. Only relevant with an external sidechain — unused here.

Boosts/cuts the external sidechain input so it crosses the threshold harder. Only matters with a sidechain routed — not the case here.

Makes the comp listen to only part of the spectrum (e.g. ignore the sub) when deciding to compress. Off by default, but a powerful thing to explore: stop the kick or sub setting off a bus comp, or focus the duck on one band.

Chooses the filter shape (low-cut, high-cut, bell…) for what the sidechain hears. Pair it with Freq and Res to aim the comp at exactly the band you care about.

How sharp/peaky the sidechain filter is. Unused with the filter off.

Ratio

2:1

Attack

30 ms

Release

120 ms

Threshold

-14 dB

Knee

4 dB

Detect

Peak

Leave it alone — parallel-crushing a one-shot kick only lifts click and tail, not weight, and muddies the low-mids. For more body that translates, that is the kick's own Drive/Density on the Drum Buss generating low-mid harmonics around 120–300 Hz — not the compressor, and not low-end saturation.

Usually leave it, or a whisper — a trance kick is already tight; squeezing it risks softening the punch.

• Threshold, too low: down here it works the kick non-stop — the body flattens and the thump loses life
• Threshold, too high: up here it barely catches the kick — usually fine, a trance kick is already tight
• Ratio, too low: gentle — fine, a kick rarely needs more than a touch
• Ratio, too high: high and it crushes the kick flat — the punch and weight go
• Attack, too low: too fast and it grabs the click — the front softens and the punch dies
• Attack, too high: slow lets the whole hit through — the kick stays punchy, usually what you want here
• Release, too low: fast and the kick can pump or breathe between hits
• Release, too high: too slow and it has not recovered before the next kick — the groove chokes
• Output, too low: quieter than bypass — you will think the comp killed the kick
• Output, too high: louder than bypass — it seems punchier just because it is louder

Ratio

2:1

Attack

30 ms

Release

150 ms

Threshold

-16 dB

Knee

6 dB

Detect

Rms

Leave it alone. A steady sub has no dips to fill, so a parallel copy just backfills the gaps your kick pump carves out — fighting the kick for the low end. If a note jumps, ride its clip gain instead and protect the duck.

Usually not, or barely — a sub should already be steady.

• Threshold, too low: set too low it works the sub the whole time — the weight squashes down and sounds lifeless
• Threshold, too high: set high it barely catches anything — the sub sails through untouched, usually fine on something this steady
• Ratio, too low: a gentle ratio on a sub this steady does almost nothing — the low end sounds the same
• Ratio, too high: crank the ratio and the low end flattens — it stops breathing and turns into a boomy blob
• Attack, too low: too fast and it clamps the body — the sub chokes and loses its weight
• Attack, too high: slow lets the whole note through — the sub stays open and full, and here it barely matters
• Release, too low: too fast and it chases every note — the low end breathes and can pump against the kick
• Release, too high: too slow and it stays clamped — the sub ducks and never gets its full weight back
• Output, too low: pulled below bypass the sub just sounds smaller — you lose the foundation, you do not improve it
• Output, too high: pushed above bypass it sounds bigger and better — but that is only the extra volume fooling you

Ratio

3:1

Attack

15 ms

Release

100 ms

Threshold

-18 dB

Knee

4 dB

Detect

Rms

Send the reese to a parallel channel, squash that copy hard so it clamps the loud jumps, then blend it under the dry. The dry keeps the full movement and growl; the copy only catches the spikes, so nothing flattens.

Often, lightly — a moving bass jumps in level; comp locks it to the kick.

• Threshold, too low: dropped too low it leans on every note — the roll stiffens and the motion dies
• Threshold, too high: set high it only catches the loudest jumps — the movement rides through, often the safe end here
• Ratio, too low: gentle barely grips — the level jumps still poke through, which is fine on a moving bass
• Ratio, too high: crank it hard and the movement flattens — the rolling bass turns into one stiff block
• Attack, too low: too fast and it rounds the front — the bass softens, though a rolling reese hides this more than a pluck
• Attack, too high: slow lets the whole note through — the movement stays alive, usually what you want here
• Release, too low: too fast and it chases the wobble — it pumps and breathes against the motion
• Release, too high: too slow and it stays clamped into the next note — the roll gets ducked and loses its swing
• Output, too low: pulled below bypass and the bass shrinks back under the kick and music
• Output, too high: pushed above bypass it sounds bigger, but that is just level fooling you — match it first

Ratio

2:1

Attack

40 ms

Release

150 ms

Threshold

-14 dB

Knee

6 dB

Detect

Rms

One gentle bus comp — slow attack, low ratio, a hair of reduction — with the detector's sidechain filter engaged so the sub does not trigger it. The mids glue while the low fundamental stays put instead of pumping the whole bus.

Light glue if sub + mid bass share a group.

• Threshold, too low: drop it low and it clamps every note — sub and mid bass smear into one blur
• Threshold, too high: lift it high and only the loudest hits get touched — light and safe for glue here
• Ratio, too low: gentle is right here — the low end sits tighter without losing its shape
• Ratio, too high: crank the ratio and the bass goes flat and mushy — punch and weight both drain out
• Attack, too low: too fast and it grabs the front — the low end softens and goes limp
• Attack, too high: slow lets the hit through — the bass keeps its thump and weight, usually what you want here
• Release, too low: too fast and it lets go between notes — the low end pumps and breathes under the groove
• Release, too high: too slow and it stays clamped — the bass ducks and swallows the next note
• Output, too low: pulled below bypass it just sounds smaller — the low end loses weight against the rest
• Output, too high: pushed above bypass the bass feels bigger and better — that is loudness fooling you, match the level

Ratio

2.5:1

Attack

20 ms

Release

120 ms

Threshold

-18 dB

Knee

4 dB

Detect

Peak

Send the lead to a parallel bus, drive a fast comp until it is clearly pumping, then ride that bus up from silence until the hook just feels denser — the dry keeps your transient and off-beat movement. Skip it on a dense supersaw; save it for plucky or gated leads.

Usually, light hand — keep the hook steady over a busy mix without flattening its movement.

• Threshold, too low: set too low it works the whole hook — the movement flattens and the drive goes dull
• Threshold, too high: set high it only catches the loudest notes — the rest of the hook sits untouched
• Ratio, too low: gentle and it barely grabs — the bite and movement stay, what you want here
• Ratio, too high: crank it and the hook squashes flat — the stereo spread narrows and the energy dies
• Attack, too low: too fast and it grabs the front edge — the pluck softens and the bite goes
• Attack, too high: slow lets the front through — the hook keeps its bite and drive, usually right here
• Release, too low: too fast and it pumps against the busy mix — the hook breathes and wobbles
• Release, too high: too slow and it stays clamped — the next note in the run ducks and loses level
• Output, too low: set under bypass and the hook drops back — it gets buried in the busy mix
• Output, too high: pushed over bypass it just sounds louder — that fools you into thinking it sits better

Ratio

3:1

Attack

18 ms

Release

80 ms

Threshold

-18 dB

Knee

3 dB

Detect

Peak

Run the pluck into a parallel buss (a send, or a second chain in a rack), squash that copy hard and fast, then tuck it under the dry. The dry keeps the snap out front while the crushed copy thickens the body — back off the moment the snap softens.

Sometimes, lightly — even out a plucky rhythm so every hit sits the same.

• Threshold, too low: set too low it clamps every hit — the snap dulls and the pluck smears toward a pad
• Threshold, too high: set too high it skips past the quiet hits — they stay jumpy and uneven, which is what you came to fix
• Ratio, too low: gentle barely moves it — the hits stay uneven but the snap is fully intact
• Ratio, too high: crank it and the pluck flattens — the percussive bite turns into a dull sustained tone
• Attack, too low: too fast and it grabs the click — the front softens and the snap dies
• Attack, too high: slow lets the whole hit through — the pluck stays snappy, usually what you want here
• Release, too low: fast recovers between hits — usually right on a quick pattern, only the slowest plucks start to breathe
• Release, too high: too slow and it never lets go — it ducks the next hit and smears the groove
• Output, too low: below bypass it is just quieter — you lost level and gained nothing
• Output, too high: above bypass the extra loudness fools you into thinking it sounds better when nothing improved

Ratio

2:1

Attack

50 ms

Release

200 ms

Threshold

-16 dB

Knee

8 dB

Detect

Rms

Smooth pad? Leave the comp alone — lifting the quiet sustain just pulls the reverb tail and air forward. If it is crowding the lead, sidechain a comp on the pad keyed off the lead (or kick) so it gives way on each hit and recovers in the gaps.

Light or none — pads are already smooth.

• Threshold, too low: dropped low it works the pad nonstop — the air shuts down and it goes boxy
• Threshold, too high: high up it only catches the loudest swells — usually all a smooth pad needs
• Ratio, too low: a gentle ratio barely touches it — fine, a smooth pad rarely wants more
• Ratio, too high: crank it and the pad flattens — the slow swell stops breathing and goes lifeless
• Attack, too low: too fast and it dulls the front of each chord change — the rise loses its bloom
• Attack, too high: slow lets the swell bloom through — keeps the movement and air, what a pad wants
• Release, too low: fast makes the sustain a touch restless and uneven — but a steady pad rarely pumps
• Release, too high: slow keeps the bed smooth and even — usually right here, just do not let it stay clamped
• Output, too low: quieter than bypass and the pad sinks under the mix — easy to think it needs more
• Output, too high: louder than bypass just feels bigger, not smoother — match the level before you trust it

Ratio

3.5:1

Attack

8 ms

Release

90 ms

Threshold

-20 dB

Knee

3 dB

Detect

Peak

Parallel-comp the accents, not the body: send the 303 to an aux with a fast attack so it clamps the accent and glide spikes, then blend it just under the dry. The squelch stays spiky on top while the accents stop punching holes in the kick and bass pocket.

Often — a 303 is spiky; comp evens it so it sits without poking out.

• Threshold, too low: too low and it works every note — the accents get squashed and the squelch flattens
• Threshold, too high: high only catches the hottest accents — a light touch that leaves the bite alone, usually safe here
• Ratio, too low: gentle just rounds the worst accents — the squelch and movement stay alive
• Ratio, too high: hard flattens the accent spikes — the line loses its pop and sits there lifeless
• Attack, too low: too fast and it grabs the accent — the spiky front softens and the bite dies
• Attack, too high: slow lets the accent snap through — the squelch and bite stay, usually what you want here
• Release, too low: fast and it jumps back between notes — a busy line starts to pump and jitter, sometimes groovy
• Release, too high: too slow and it stays clamped — the next squelch gets ducked and the line dulls
• Output, too low: quieter than bypass — easy to hear it as worse when it is just lower
• Output, too high: louder than bypass — it tricks you into hearing better, so match level before you judge

Ratio

3.5:1

Attack

10 ms

Release

120 ms

Threshold

-22 dB

Knee

4 dB

Detect

Rms

Two comps in series — a fast one first doing tiny reduction so it only catches the loudest sung peaks (never the breaths), then a slow one riding the phrases level. Set the slow stage to let go on the quiet tails so breaths stay natural.

Yes — vocals have the widest range; comp keeps every word audible.

• Threshold, too low: set too low it works every word — breaths and room rise up and the voice goes flat
• Threshold, too high: set too high it only grabs the loud belts — quiet words stay buried under the track
• Ratio, too low: gentle and the loud and soft words still move naturally — usually right for a vocal
• Ratio, too high: crank it and the voice goes flat and lifeless — every word sits at one level, the emotion drains out
• Attack, too low: too fast and it grabs the front of each word — consonants go soft and mushy, the words lose their crispness
• Attack, too high: too slow and loud words push through before it reacts — the level stays uneven and jumpy
• Release, too low: too fast and it lets go between words — it pumps and pulls breaths and room up with it
• Release, too high: too slow and it stays clamped after a loud line — the next words duck down and get lost
• Output, too low: set under bypass and the voice drops back — it feels weaker even when the compression is helping
• Output, too high: pushed above bypass it just sounds louder — match the bypassed level or the volume fools you

Ratio

3:1

Attack

15 ms

Release

100 ms

Threshold

-20 dB

Knee

4 dB

Detect

Peak

Duplicate the chops, crush the copy nearly flat, filter it and tuck it under the dry on one blend fader — the dry keeps the transients that drive the groove while the copy lifts the quiet chops. Watch the gaps: if breaths or tails fill them, back off, the spaces are the groove.

Often lightly — even out chopped phrases so they sit as a steady part.

• Threshold, too low: set too low and it clamps every chop — the phrase flattens and the bounce goes
• Threshold, too high: set high and it only catches the loudest chops — most of the groove passes clean
• Ratio, too low: a gentle ratio just rounds the loudest chops — the rhythmic push stays
• Ratio, too high: crank it and every chop lands at one flat level — the bounce and slap die
• Attack, too low: too fast and it grabs the front — the chops soften and lose their slap
• Attack, too high: slow lets the front through — the chops stay punchy and rhythmic, usually what you want here
• Release, too low: fast and it snaps back between chops — you hear it breathe in time, which can sit nice or get obvious
• Release, too high: too slow and it stays clamped — it ducks the next chop and the groove drags
• Output, too low: pulled below bypass and the chops sit quieter — easy to think the compression hurt them
• Output, too high: pushed above bypass and louder reads as better — A/B it level-matched or it fools you

Ratio

2:1

Attack

40 ms

Release

150 ms

Threshold

-14 dB

Knee

6 dB

Detect

Rms

Keep the glue light, then run a parallel send off the bus into a hard-squeezed comp for weight — high-pass that crushed return so the kick stays out of it. The dry kick keeps its punch while the parallel path thickens claps, perc and body underneath.

Yes — the classic glue job (your template does this lightly).

• Threshold, too low: set too low it clamps every hit — the kit flattens and the groove goes lifeless
• Threshold, too high: set too high it skims only the peaks — the kit stays loose and unglued, almost bypassed
• Ratio, too low: gentle is the whole point here — go too soft and there is no glue at all
• Ratio, too high: crank it and the kit squashes flat — the kick loses punch and the bounce dies
• Attack, too low: too fast and it grabs the click — the front softens and the kick punch dies
• Attack, too high: slow lets the whole hit through — the kick stays punchy, usually what you want here
• Release, too low: too fast and it pumps between hits — the whole bus breathes with the groove
• Release, too high: too slow and it stays clamped — it ducks the next kick and the groove loses bounce
• Output, too low: set below bypass and the kit just sounds weaker — easy to mistake for over-squashing
• Output, too high: pushed above bypass it sounds bigger — louder fools you, match the level before you judge

Ratio

2:1

Attack

40 ms

Release

150 ms

Threshold

-16 dB

Knee

8 dB

Detect

Rms

Mostly restraint — one gentle glue comp, makeup to match bypass, and stop there so it stays open. If you do want parallel, high-pass a hard-squashed copy so it does not wash the pads, and ride it up only until it just lifts the body — back off if it fills your off-beat pump.

Light glue — pulls leads, plucks, pads into one layer.

• Threshold, too low: set too low it never lets go — the top end stops breathing and the leads go mushy
• Threshold, too high: high only nips the loudest stabs — barely any glue, usually right on this bus
• Ratio, too low: gentle just glues the synths together — they sit as one without going flat
• Ratio, too high: hard flattens the leads and plucks — the top end pumps and loses its openness
• Attack, too low: too fast and it grabs the pluck — the front softens and the stabs lose their poke
• Attack, too high: slow lets the stabs through — the leads stay open and punchy, usually what you want here
• Release, too low: fast and it keeps grabbing every stab — on a busy top end it pumps and breathes
• Release, too high: too slow stays clamped down — it ducks the next stab and sucks the life out of the group
• Output, too low: quieter than bypass — it will sound worse, but only because the level dropped
• Output, too high: louder than bypass — it tricks you into hearing better, so match the level before you judge

Ratio

1.8:1

Attack

50 ms

Release

200 ms

Threshold

-12 dB

Knee

9 dB

Detect

Rms

Leave it mostly alone — watch the Glue Compressor's gain-reduction needle and make sure it breathes with the music, not slamming on every kick. If it is grabbing the kick, ease the threshold or lengthen the attack so the transient passes and your fader pump stays the pump.

A real split: some glue gently from the start; many keep it clean for mastering. Both valid.

• Threshold, too low: dropped low it grips the whole mix non-stop — it flattens out and the energy drains
• Threshold, too high: lifted high it only touches the loudest peaks — barely any glue, clean for mastering
• Ratio, too low: gentle and the mix stays open — the glue is faint, and you rarely want more here
• Ratio, too high: cranked it crushes the whole mix — it sounds processed and the life goes flat
• Attack, too low: too fast and it clamps the kick — the front softens and the drive dies
• Attack, too high: slow lets the hits through — the kick and groove stay punchy, usually what you want here
• Release, too low: too fast and the mix breathes and pumps between kicks — it surges back and turns unmusical
• Release, too high: too slow and it never lets go — it stays clamped and the next kick sounds choked
• Output, too low: pulled down it just sounds quieter than bypass — easy to mistake for worse when nothing changed
• Output, too high: pushed up it sounds bigger, but that is only the volume — match levels or you over-compress

Ratio

2.5:1

Attack

40 ms

Release

180 ms

Threshold

-18 dB

Knee

6 dB

Detect

Rms

Key a comp on the wet return off the dry channel so the space ducks while the dry plays and blooms back in the gaps — the tail stays audible without washing over the groove. Just keep the release short enough to recover between hits, or the reverb swells and pumps.

Sometimes — even out tails so loud hits don’t throw up big wet spikes.

• Threshold, too low: too low and it works the wash constantly — the space goes lifeless and flat
• Threshold, too high: set high it only grabs the loudest tails — most of the wet passes untouched
• Ratio, too low: gentle is right here — it just evens the tails and keeps the space steady
• Ratio, too high: crank it and the tail gets squashed flat — every hit makes the verb swell and pump
• Attack, too low: too fast and it clamps each new tail — the space loses its bloom
• Attack, too high: slow lets the tail open up — the reverb keeps its natural rise, usually safer here
• Release, too low: fast and the tail pumps with every hit — the space breathes in and out unnaturally
• Release, too high: slow holds the tail steady between hits — but too slow and it ducks the next swell
• Output, too low: pulled down the wet bed sinks — the space thins out and the dry feels closer
• Output, too high: pushed up the wet just gets louder — it sounds bigger but crowds the dry on top