- Quick Starting point for using plugins for Audacity Free Open Source Audio Editor
- Download Nyquist plugins most which are available from the Audacity team.,
- open zip,
- open appropriate folder for os: wndows or other,
- drag compress.ny to program files folder that contains program Audacity, (or use right click copy to as described below)
- click on Aaudacity,
- drop in folder "nyquist plugins", or VST if appropriate.
- In Audacity open effects, click add effects, select new/ then select enable compressor or appropriate plugin for inclusion in the working list.
Download Iobit Toolbox from MajorGeeks.com. Its safe.
Unpack file with WinRAR or your built in unzipper.
Select "System Control" in the tools folder.
Click to run right from the folder. no need to install.
Under file tab select the options you want.
How to use Chris’s Dynamic Compressor for great volume in Audacity
Download Chris's Dynamic Compressor Plugin
In Audacity open effects, click add effects, select new/ then select enable compressor
Here are some starting points.
Compression ratio: 0.8
Compression hardness: around 0.8
Floor: -18.0 to -32.0
Noise gate falloff: 4.0
Maximum amplitude: 0.95
Other Tips
You want to keep the ratio as low as possible
You could go above 5:1 if you were recording a voice for an advert, or wanted to use compression as an obvious effect.
But for a natural sound it's important to keep the ratio below 5:1. I find that even 3:1 is more than enough in most situations.
For this reason, my guideline for ratio would be somewhere between 2:1 and 4:1, with 2.5:1 being a great starting point.
Threshold.
The threshold determines the level at which the compressor kicks in. If the threshold is too high, the audio won't be compressed at all. If it's too low, the voice will sound overly compressed and completely squashed.
The right setting for the threshold depends entirely on how loud the audio is. You should try to set the threshold 6-10dB below the average volume of the audio.
In the world of digital recording, the sweet spot for the level of your recording is around -18dBFS (with the peaks around -6dBFS). If you are in this sweet spot, a threshold somewhere between -24dB and -28dB would be appropriate.
But as a general rule of thumb, start with -24dB and tweak from there.
Attack Time
The attack time dictates how quickly the compressor kicks in and starts reducing the level of the audio.
If the attack time is too slow, The compressor will affect the end of the words, but not the beginning—because it's too slow. You want the compressor to affect the whole word, not just the ending.
On the other hand, if the attack time is too fast the voice will sound over-compressed and squashed.
A good guideline for attack time on voice is 1-5ms. If you go too far outside of this zone you might have issues. Within that range, I find that 2ms is a great starting point.
Release Time
Release time is how long it takes the compressor to dis-engage and bring the audio up to its actual level. As with the attack time, setting the release too fast or too slow will result in an unnatural sound.
A release time that is too slow often leads to a pumping effect where the compressor doesn't actually release until the following word. A release time that is too fast will cause the voice to sound wild and uncontrolled.
Try to keep it between 10-15ms for release time. A good starting point is 12ms.
Gain
The audio coming out of the compressor is lower. you can adjust the output gain of the compressor—sometimes it is referred to as makeup gain or just gain.
Use the level meters on the compressor to match the output level to the input level.
Quick Tips
- If the compressor has a knee setting, turn this up to make the compression more subtle
- In most situations you should apply the EQ cuts before the compressor and the EQ boosts after the compression
- If you can't hear the difference between different attack and release times, bring the threshold down really low. This will fully engage the compressor and you will be able to clearly hear any small changes that you make.
