Recording - December 2013 - 44

One of the more difficult aspects of working with compression is that the effect can be difficult to hear.
Unlike reverb, eq, and other forms of signal processing,
compression is often transparent to the ear. This can
sometimes trick an inexperienced engineer untrained
in the recognition of excessive limiting. Without being
noticed, good compression can turn bad and recordings can become distorted and lifeless. This is one of
the issues at the heart of the so-called "Loudness
Wars." Musicians, engineers, and record label representatives often choose the more obvious attribute of
compression (increased loudness) over the less obvious (increased distortion and loss of dynamics).

The history of squash
Compression has long been used in music production. In the industry's early years, studios were limited in the number of available processors and engineers would allocate individual compressors to important
sources such as vocals or horn solos. Overall compression-that is,
dynamics control of a completed mix-was usually reserved for the
mastering engineer. In mastering, processing would be applied to
recordings to meet the requirements of the era's less-than-perfect analog playback media. Vinyl records, compact cassettes, and radio
broadcast were all limited in dynamic range, and compression was
necessary to help recordings avoid the pitfalls of noise and distortion.
Over time, engineers and producers desired more control over the
compression applied to their completed mixes. Dynamic processing can
make a mix punchier, louder, and more controlled, and naturally engineers wanted input on the how their mixes were manipulated. Also at
play was pressure from record label representatives to make recordings
as loud as possible. The theory held that a louder mix was more likely
to jump out of the radio and be noticed. Because of these reasons, it
eventually became normal for engineers to compress while mixing, and
then hand off the mix to a mastering engineer for further processing.
In the 1980s the battle for the loudest mix heated up. The first new
contributing factor was a change in the way recording levels were
metered. Analog devices traditionally relied on VU meters, which
through their slow and inaccurate ballistics indicate average loudness.
Designers of new digital devices, however, switched to faster peak
meters. This change was necessary because, unlike analog tape which

By Eric Ferguson

Chapter 24: Compression-Part 3
Spanning the last couple months, this column has investigated dynamic compression, including its parameters,
typical uses, and advanced applications. In this installment, the topic turns toward the stereo bus limiting and
the trend in the music and audio post industries to produce increasingly louder recordings-a trend often
referred to as the loudness wars.

slowly overdrives with increased recording level, digital devices see no
distortion until the maximum level is reached. Above this finite red line,
clipping is harsh and unpleasing. This led to the mantra "red is dead,"
meaning engineers should avoid clipping at all costs.
Soon peak-based digital meters, following the dB Full Scale metric,
became standard. Oddly, an unintended change in recording culture
resulted. Instead of following average levels on VU meters when mixing,

Fig 1

As discussed previously, compression is used for a
variety of purposes, including making a signal louder,
keeping a source from clipping or free of background
noise, holding an element in place in a mix, and as a
creative effect. In almost all of these applications, compressors perform their magic through a two-step process.
First there is gain reduction, where signal peaks are
reduced in level so that dynamics are minimized. Next
there is gain makeup, where the overall level is raised so
peaks once again register at maximum. After processing, loud moments stay loud and soft moments become
louder. Thus compression raises the overall loudness of a
signal.
44

RECORDING December 2013

engineers watched peak levels, and the goal inadvertently switched
from making mixes consistent in loudness to making them as loud as possible without clipping.
Another factor that fueled the loudness wars was a change in how
music was listened to. Compact discs made quality listening far more
portable and convenient. CD changers became popular, and the level
differences between records were even more evident when discs alternated and volume knobs needed adjustment. Record labels, embracing
the simplistic notion that louder releases were more likely to grab listeners and therefore sell, pushed engineers to deliver higher mix levels.
This pressure increased when recordable CDs emerged. For the first time
it became possible for engineers, producers, musicians, and record label
reps to take home accurate-sounding unfinished mixes from the studio and



Recording - December 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2013

Contents
Recording - December 2013 - Cover1
Recording - December 2013 - Cover2
Recording - December 2013 - 1
Recording - December 2013 - 2
Recording - December 2013 - 3
Recording - December 2013 - 4
Recording - December 2013 - 5
Recording - December 2013 - Contents
Recording - December 2013 - 7
Recording - December 2013 - 8
Recording - December 2013 - 9
Recording - December 2013 - 10
Recording - December 2013 - 11
Recording - December 2013 - 12
Recording - December 2013 - 13
Recording - December 2013 - 14
Recording - December 2013 - 15
Recording - December 2013 - 16
Recording - December 2013 - 17
Recording - December 2013 - 18
Recording - December 2013 - 19
Recording - December 2013 - 20
Recording - December 2013 - 21
Recording - December 2013 - 22
Recording - December 2013 - 23
Recording - December 2013 - 24
Recording - December 2013 - 25
Recording - December 2013 - 26
Recording - December 2013 - 27
Recording - December 2013 - 28
Recording - December 2013 - 29
Recording - December 2013 - 30
Recording - December 2013 - 31
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Recording - December 2013 - 33
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Recording - December 2013 - Cover3
Recording - December 2013 - Cover4
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