Glossary: Compressor | Sweetwater.com

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Compressor: A compressor is a device that reduces the dynamic range of an audio signal. First a threshold is established. When the audio signal is louder than this threshold, its gain is reduced. The amount of gain reduction applied depends on the compression ratio setting. For example, with a 2:1 ratio, for every 2 decibels the input signal increases, the output is allowed to increase only 1 decibel. A variety of other parameters in the compressor will also affect its performance processing specific signals; attack time, release time and others are very important.
There are a variety of uses and applications for compressors, the most obvious one being to control the dynamic range of a live performance so that it will fit into the fairly narrow dynamic range of recorders, etc. Other applications include making a signal's average level higher, increasing the apparent sustain on a guitar, evening out a vocal or bass guitar performance, fattening up sounds, and on and on. The list of possibilities is extensive!

C-weighting	Cabinet	Cabinet Grand
Cache RAM	Cadence (or Close)	Cadillac Tailpiece
Camber	Canned Music (Slang)	Canon
Cans	Cantilever	Cantus Firmus
Capacitance	Capacitor	Capo
Capstan	Capsule	Capture
CardBus	Cardioid	Carillon
Carrier	Cart Machine	Cartridge
Carved-top Guitar	Case Candy	Cassette Tape
Cat's Eye	Cat 5	Cat 6
Cathode	Cathode Biased	CBR
CCIR	CCIR 468-weighting	CCIR ARM-weighting
CC Number	CD+G	CD-ROM
CD-RW	CD24	CDDA
CD Extra	CDR	CD Text
Cedar	Celesta	Cent
Center Frequency	Center block	Center Tap
Centronics	Centronics 50	Challenge/Response
Chambered Body	Chamberlin	Chamfer
Channel Separation	Channel Status Bit	Channel Strip
Channel Voice Messages	Chart	Chase
Chatoyancy	Chipset	Chitarra Batente
Choke	Chooser	Chops
Chord	Chordophone	Chorus
Chroma	Chroma Keying	Chromatic (Chromatic Scale)
Chromatic Tailpiece	CIRC	Circle of Fifths
Circuit Breaker	Circumaural	CISC
CITES	CITES	Cittern
Clamping Voltage	Class-D Amplifier	Class A
Class AB	Class B	Class H
Classic	Claves	Clavinet
Claw/Drum Claw	Clear Coat	Clearwood
Clef	Click and Hold	Click Track
Client Ref	Clipboard	Clipping
Clock	Close-miking	Closed Ear
Cluster	CLV	CMOS
Common Mode Rejection	CMRR	CMYK
CNC	Coaxial Cable	Coda
Code	CODEC	Coercivity
Coil	Coil Tap	Coincident
Coloration	Comb Filter	Combination/Combi
Combo Amp	Comb String Converter	Commission
Common Time	Comp/Comping	Compact Disc
Compact Flash	Companding	Compass
Compensation (guitar)	Compilation Score	Compile
Component Video	COM Port	Composite Track
Composite Video	Compound Interval	Compound Meter
Compound Radius	Compression	Compression (data)
Compression Driver	Compressor	Concertina
Concert Pitch	Condenser Microphone	Conductor
Confidence Monitoring	Conform	Conga
Consecutive interval	Console	Consonance
Con Sordino	Constant Directivity	Constant Q
Contact Mic	Contact Pressure (Headphones)	Continue
Continuity	Continuo	Continuous Controller
Control Panel	Control Room	Control Surface
Control Voltage	Conversion Latency	Convolution
Cool	Copy	Copyleft
Copyright	Coral Sitar	CoreAudio
CoreMIDI	Corrupt/Corruption	COSM
Coulomb	Counter	Counterpoint
Count off (Count in)	Coupling	CPU
CPUCycle	Crash	CRC
Crescendo	Crest Factor	Critical Band
Critical Distance	Cross-Modulation	Crossfade
Crossover	Crossover Cable	Crossover Distortion
Cross Platform	Cross Stick	Cross Stick Crosstalk
Crosstalk	Crotchet	CRT
CRV	CS-80	Csound
CS Update	Cue	Cue List (Cue Sheet)
Current	Current Limiting	Cursor
Cut	Cut-Only Equalizer	Cutaway