Audio Processing: Exploring Dynamic Range Compression

While our naive compression approach accomplished the effect 'in spirit' our goal is to provide an implementation of a digital compressor that sounds like the real thing!  Below is our best attempt, complete with plots of the original signal, the compressed signal, and the difference between the two for our guitar sample audio.

 

We improved the sound of our compressor by reintegrating the attack and release parameters into the signal chain, which allows for a smoother transition between the compressed and uncompressed states.  The smoother transition reduces distorition which in turns produces a much cleaner compressor output.