If a bass guitar, snare drum, or singer is overpowering your mix, your first thought might be to add a compressor to that channel. This will of course turn down those loud moments when the musician gets inspired or blessed or just flat out stops trying to blend with the rest of the group.

A compressor, though, can also be used to increase volume when used correctly. Because a compressor decreases the range between the loudest and softest points (the dynamic range), it will then allow you to turn up the entire channel and increase the average volume for that input. Remember though, that a compressor is working best when you cannot hear it!

In a previous post about compressors, I talked about taming those loud moments with a compressor and some starting points to try. Another approach would be to start with a lower threshold so that the compressor is enabled at a lower volume, but using a relatively low ratio, like 2:1. This will cut the dynamic range in half, which sounds more aggressive than it really is, but will still allow your singer (or whatever instrument it’s on) to breath in your mix.

If your compressor has controls for attack and release, experiment with them during your soundcheck. There may or may not be an ‘auto’ button which is great when you’re in a time crunch, but learning what the sound of a fast vs. slow attack is like is valuable.