The threshold is the line in the sand we use to distinguish loud from soft audio. In this graph, you can see that softer and louder audio is defined based on this threshold, and we have the flexibility to adjust this point by changing its value. ![[07. Audio Effects/Compression/_attachments/image-3.png]] ## Punishment Analogy - Crossing The Line The main goal is to make the audio more even. A compressor does this by adjusting either the loud sounds or the soft sounds to balance them out. In downward compression, the louder sounds are turned down. Think of it like being told you crossed the line—this means you did something wrong and might get in trouble. In this case, the compressor "punishes" the sounds that are too loud by lowering their volume to keep everything balanced. Read the section on Threshold in [The Animated Guide to Compression](https://www.patches.zone/production-guides/compression-guide) to gain more insight on this topic. ## ProTools Dyn3 Compressor To get started, make sure that a ProTools track has some source material outputting audio. This can be an audio clip or an instrument track with an instrument device playing a MIDI clip. The compressor is an audio effect, so it needs audio to act on. Next, drag a Dyn3 Compressor/Limiter onto an unused insert slot. ![[Adding Dyn3 Compressor.mp4]] While audio is playing, I can lower or raise the threshold, which causes more of the signal to cross the line, thereby allowing more penalization to occur. You can also control the threshold by adjusting the threshold knob. It's important to note that penalization doesn't necessarily happen just by crossing the line; we need to set up the consequences as well—more on that later. Notice how the compression graph in the center changes accordingly. We will study the compression graph in greater detail eventually. ![[Adjusting Dyn3 Threshold.mp4]] Watch for when the threshold is set really high; no penalization occurs because no signal crosses the line, and no gain reduction takes place. In the screenshot below, you can see a significant amount of gain reduction (boxed in red). Notice how low the threshold is set (boxed in yellow), indicating how much signal is getting penalized. ![[07. Audio Effects/Compression/_attachments/image-4.png]]