Using Compression

Taming the pulse

Compression is Control, Not Correction.

†

EQ sculpts the bone. But compression handles the blood. Your voice rises and falls—shifts like a storm. Compression keeps it intentional.

This is not about volume.

It’s about consistency, closeness, and force.

Why Compression Matters

Without compression:

• Loud moments spike

• Soft phrases disappear

• Breath, emotion, and whispers get lost

With gentle (!!) compression, your voice becomes centered. It pulls the listener in. Even the silence sounds deliberate.

Ashmore Ritual Compression Settings (Audacity)

Audacity includes a basic but effective compressor. Here’s how to find it—and use it for ritual voice:

1. Record your voice (one clean, consistent take)
2. Select the track
3. Go to: Effect → Compressor

Use these baseline settings:

Threshold: -18 dB
Noise Floor: -40 dB
Ratio: 4:1
Attack Time: 1.00 sec
Release Time: 10.00 sec
Make-up Gain: YES
Compress Based on Peaks: NO

What These Mean (Ashmore edition):

• Threshold = the level where compression begins (quiet = gentle)

• Ratio = how much loud parts are reined in (4:1 is balanced)

• Attack = how soon it clamps down (1 sec = let breath through)

• Release = how long it waits before letting go (10 sec = natural taper)

• Make-up Gain = raises quiet parts after compression

• Peaks = ignore them (we care about body, not bursts)

The Ritual Flow

1. Record raw
2. Apply EQ (cut mud, shape tone)
3. Compress next
4. A/B: listen before and after
5. Normalize (optional): `Effect → Normalize → to -1.0 dB`

This ensures you're not louder, but present. Every word felt.

Optional: Gentle Limiter

After compression, you can run:

`Effect → Limiter → Soft Limit (-1.0 dB)`

It ensures no final spikes remain—use sparingly.

Reminder: Compression is Ritual

Don’t crush the voice.
Feel the voice.
Use compression like thread through skin—slow, precise, necessary.
When done right, the audio is no longer important.

It's your voice.

†