Kick Lab 06 · 14 min
Compression Lab
Compare dry and compressed kicks while threshold, ratio, attack, release and makeup gain reveal envelope tradeoffs.
Controlled experiment
Change one cause. Hear the result.
Before moving a control, predict what will change. Use the play controls to compare at a comfortable level.
Audio starts only when you press a play button.
Move one control and listen for the relationship.
Attention guide
Listen for these three things.
- 1Whether the first peak passes before gain reduction
- 2Body rising relative to the transient
- 3Pumping between repeated hits
Guided practice
Three experiments worth doing.
Do them in order. Reveal “What to notice” only after you have described the result in your own words.
- 01
Catch versus preserve
Compare Attack at 1 ms and 35 ms with the same threshold and ratio.
What to notice
Fast attack can control the arrival; slower attack can preserve it while compressing later energy.
- 02
Remove the loudness bias
Set Makeup to match the dry perceived level.
What to notice
The better comparison is often less dramatic once loudness is controlled.
- 03
Hear recovery
Set Release to 40 ms, then 500 ms.
What to notice
Short release can recover audibly; long release can hold the kick down into the next event.
Check your model
Why should dry and compressed versions be level-matched?
Choose the answer that explains the cause, not merely the symptom.
Close the loop
Can you explain the result without the controls?
If you can name the cause, the audible change and the musical tradeoff, the concept is ready to transfer into your own session.