In that case, investing in a third-party VST would be a gamble as you wouldn’t be fully aware of the benefits that it could bring you. Stock plugins are good enough, especially if you’re starting out or if you can’t tell the difference between one compressor and another yet. Your DAW’s stock CompressorĪll DAWs, as far as I know, come with at least one stock compressor, which most of the time is suited to accomplish the majority of tasks a compressor could. Even if they’re meant for dynamic control, some compressors also introduce harmonic distortion, which makes sounds feel richer and fuller. In poor words, they’re used when you want to control volume over time. Why you need a compressor?Ĭompression comes into place whenever the dynamics of a sound are inconsistent or need to be controlled. They are the tool for nailing dynamics automatically at a micro and macro level when volume automation would be excessively time and energy-consuming.
A compressor is a type of processor used to shape the dynamics of an audio signal, making it quieter or louder, softer or punchier depending on your specific needs.