How to reduce dynamic range without overloading

[GoodMorning]

I am trying to configure the compressor to boost quiet sounds and lower loud sounds to reduce the dynamic range for easier listening while driving, but when I do it causes the sound to become overloaded for a split second when unpausing or changing tracks. Here are my compressor settings:



I'm assuming it's happening because I raised the output gain and when resuming playback it takes a split-second for the compressor to kick in, but is there any way around this outside of making the attack time 0 ms? Am I misunderstanding how the compressor works? Any help is appreciated.

[blaubär]

Did you try the look-ahead-time, the window and the limiter settings further below ?

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Do you use AGP ? Does it reset after each track ?

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[blaubär]

I found this tutorial :

https://www.meldaproduction.com/text-tu ... ompression

[blaubär]

I've played around a bit and changed the preset #2 as follows to get what I perceive as a strong effect : Ratio = 4, Threshold = -20 dB, Output Gain = 15 dB. The logic behind this : Output Gain = - ( Threshold - Threshold / Ratio ) . That way I get a uniform increase of 15 dB for the weak signals ( those below the Threshold of -20 dB ), and everything above gets compressed by factor 4. The curve hits the 0dB/0dB point, which means that the loudest possible input level results in the loudest possible output level, as it should be.

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The "Limiter" seems to be not an additional functionality, as I would have expected - it just sets the Ratio to 60.

[blaubär]

Another example : Threshold = -40 dB, Ratio = 2, Output Gain = 20 dB

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[blaubär]

And a final one with a very low threshold : Threshold = -60 dB, Ratio = 1.5, Output Gain = 20 dB

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[blaubär]

... it might be a good idea to give it some safety margin, as the default presets do, so I would suggest something like Output Gain = - ( Threshold - Threshold / Ratio ) - 5 dB, that would mean for the examples :

Threshold = -20 dB, Ratio = 4, Output Gain = 10 dB
Threshold = -40 dB, Ratio = 2, Output Gain = 15 dB
Threshold = -60 dB, Ratio = 1.5, Output Gain = 15 dB

[GoodMorning]

Using your suggested values doesn't seem to resolve the audio spike that happens when audio starts playing. Outside of setting the attack to 0ms the only other solution I've found is to raise the look-ahead time to about 200ms, but doing this causes another issue where when I pause my music, right after the audio fades out it comes back on for a split-second before stopping.

[blaubär]

Using your suggested values doesn't seem to resolve the audio spike that happens when audio starts playing. Outside of setting the attack to 0ms the only other solution I've found is to raise the look-ahead time to about 200ms, but doing this causes another issue where when I pause my music, right after the audio fades out it comes back on for a split-second before stopping.

Yes, changing the time parameters might be tricky ...

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I haven't yet been able to reproduce the effect. What music do you play ? I mean, classical music with high dynamic ? Or already highly compressed pop/rock/whatever ?

[blaubär]

I created some test files containing a set of simple sine tones with different volume levels, attached here. When playing that using the compressor with the default settings I can hear unintented sounds. I'll write to the developer about that.