Parallel Compression

A method of adding compression to a track or group of tracks by blending a dry (uncompressed) track with compressed tracks. The amount of compression used on the wet track can vary from mild to extreme, depending on the intended final result. Parallel compression preserves the transients of the original signal while letting you add some of the character added by compression to the signal. This technique is especially popular on vocal and drum tracks. Sometimes referred to as “New York Compression,” parallel compression serves as a means to bring up the overall loudness of a track or group of tracks without the end result sounding over-compressed.