Dynamic Compression

(Redirected From Compression (in Dynamic Terms))

To compress something is to make it smaller. In dynamic terms, compression refers to shrinking the dynamic range of an audio program.

One typical application for this kind of compression is when a modern theatrical soundtrack is being repurposed for television broadcast or home video. A track with broad dynamic range - one with both quiet dialogue and loud explosions, for example - can be very effective in a large theater. The mix required for that environment allows the quiet dialogue to be intelligible and the loud explosions to be inoffensive. The same mix with the same dynamic range applied to a near-field home environment can result in the quiet dialogue becoming unintelligible and the loud explosions becoming offensive or even painful to the listener. Compression brings up the level of the quieter program and/or reduces the level of the loudest program material to better suit the playback environment.