Stop over-compressing your master bus

I hear this all the time in beginner mixes - the master bus compressor is squashing everything flat. Try these settings as a starting point: Ratio: 2:1 or...

I hear this all the time in beginner mixes - the master bus compressor is squashing everything flat. Try these settings as a starting point:

• Ratio: 2:1 or lower
• Attack: 30ms+ (let transients through)
• Release: auto or 100-200ms
• Only 1-2dB of gain reduction

If your compressor is doing more than 3dB on the master, something's wrong in the mix.

2 replies