Compression is what makes your mix breathe.

It can also squash your mix and choke out the naturalness of it.

Depending on the genre, instrument and other considerations, the approach to compression varies.

We could decide to completely squash down a room microphone for a punchier drum sound, but we would never compress a beautiful vocal to such an extreme.

For a simple vocal compression trick that tightens up the vocal without really pushing it too hard try using just a low 2:1 ratio and push the threshold so it’s always compressing a tiny bit.

That compresses the vocal at all times while still allowing it to breathe and be dynamic. Then tweak the attack release accordingly to make sure it shapes the signal without squashing it.

In general, not just for vocals but any of the tracks, if you want to use compression in a subtle way that doesn’t squash your song, here’s a fun exercise you can try on your next mix.

Step 1 – Mix the LOUDEST part of the song

You’ve probably read about the importance of getting a great static mix before. If you haven't, we cover it all in-depth inside Step By Step Mixing.

Find the loudest part of the song, loop it and go to town on it. 

Mix that part until it makes you cry it’s so good. Use all of your compressors and limiters to get that part really rocking.

Once that part of the song sounds great you can go back to the beginning and mix the rest of the song.

Step 2 – Leave your compressors and limiters ALONE

Mix the rest of the song without touching your compressors or limiters.  

If all your hard-hitting compression is pumping along nicely during the loudest parts of the song, then don’t add more compression in the quieter parts.

This method gives your soft parts an excellent dynamic range while giving your big parts the punch they need. If you add more compression to the vocal during the calm verse, then it’ll sound squashed and overly compressed in the choruses.

Step 3 – Automate, DON’T compress

Here's where being subtle can pay off:

Don’t think that your instruments need more compression in the verses just because they’re quieter. Just automate the phrases that need a little more volume.

Of course, there are multiple ways to approach compression; this is just the conservative way of doing it. 

Your particular approach to compression is a significant factor in how your mix will end up.

And if you're looking for more compression techniques, I include a free Top 10 Ways to Use Compression Masterclass inside my EQ Strategies - Your Ultimate Guide to EQ course.

Here's what you'll learn:

• How to use all those buttons on your compressor
• The difference between a FET, VCA and Opto compression types (and how incredibly important it is to experiment with each style)
• How to know the difference in compression styles between different compression emulations
• How to use compression to smooth out dynamics (and how you can see it visually)
• How to use the attack and release to create shape
• How to use serial compression to squeeze dynamics without squashing the signal
• How to use parallel compression for extra punch
• How to use multi-band compression to affect different frequency areas
• How to use mix-buss compression to glue your mix together from the start