In the "Audio Effects" panel of our Generator, you'll see a tool called the "Dynamics Compressor." While it sounds technical, it's a secret weapon for making your custom sessions sound more balanced, cohesive, and professional—just like a studio-produced track.
What Does a Compressor Do?
Imagine you have an automatic volume knob. A compressor's job is to turn down the volume of a sound *only when it gets too loud*, and then turn it back up when it gets quiet again.
Why is this useful? When you mix a binaural tone with background noise, sometimes the "wub" of the beat might feel much louder than the soft hiss of the noise. A compressor "squashes" the loudest parts and lifts the quietest parts, "gluing" the two sounds together. The result is a smoother, more unified listening experience.
The Controls Explained
Let's break down the two simple controls in our app.
- Threshold (dB): This is the volume level at which the compressor starts working. A lower value (e.g., -40 dB) means the compressor will kick in sooner and affect more of the sound. A higher value (e.g., -10 dB) means it will only tame the absolute loudest peaks.
- Ratio: This determines *how much* the volume is turned down. A ratio of 2:1 is gentle, while a ratio of 12:1 is very aggressive and will make the sound feel much "flatter" and more controlled.
How to Use It: The "Glue" Technique
You don't need to be an audio engineer to use this effectively. Here's a simple recipe for a more pleasant focus session.
- Load the "Alpha (10 Hz) - Relaxed Focus" preset.
- Set the Background Noise volume to around 25%.
- Now, go to the "Audio Effects" panel and click the "Compressor Disabled" button to enable it.
- Set the Threshold to -30 dB.
- Set the Ratio to 4:1.
Listen to the difference. Toggle the compressor on and off. You'll notice with it ON, the binaural tone and the pink noise feel less like two separate sounds and more like a single, cohesive ambience. The overall sound is fuller and easier to listen to for long periods.
While not essential for the binaural effect itself, using the compressor is a simple trick to elevate your custom creations from a basic tone to a professional-grade soundscape. Experiment with it on your favorite presets!