You really have to listen closely to adjust it. Most bass players use a 2:1 up to 5:1 compression ratio. On some effects units the ratio is just marked as ‘compression’ or ‘amount’.
(Many TV sets now include limiters to squash loud commercials.) Limiters are often used to prevent damage to speakers. You may see units called compressor/limiters. Notice in the diagram how the slope of the dynamics changes past the compression threshold.Īn ∞:1 (infinity to 1) means for any signal above the threshold sent to the compressor only 1dB comes out. That means for every 3 dB you send to the compressor beyond the threshold only 1 dB comes out. The ratio might be something like 3:1 (3 to 1).
The compression ratio selects the amount of compression to apply on signals above the threshold. It depends on if you only want really loud notes compressed or most everything compressed. If you can adjust the threshold setting on your compressor, adjust it to taste. Any signal lower than the threshold will be unaffected. Any signal passing through the compressor which is louder than the threshold setting will be compressed. The compression threshold is the volume level (gain) at which the compression effect is engaged. Compressors usually have an adjustable threshold setting.