Compression ear training. Stop guessing. Start hearing.
Four drills. Two versions of one part of a song, matched for loudness so louder is never the giveaway. Start with the drums, where it’s easiest to hear.
4 drills24 levelsLevels 1 and 2 free
- HearStart here
Compressed or Dry
One version is compressed, one is dry. Hear which.
- Hear
How Much
Both are compressed. Hear which one is working harder.
- Hear
Attack
Same compression, different attack. Hear which one lets the front of the note through.
- Hear
Ratio
Same compressor, different ratio. Hear which one clamps harder.
Hear the compressor, not the volume.
Compression ear training is practice at hearing what a compressor does to a sound: whether it’s working at all, how hard it’s working, how its attack shapes the front of each note, and how hard its ratio clamps. Most people think they hear compression because the compressed version is louder. In these drills both versions play at the same loudness, so the only difference left is the compression itself.
Why are the two versions matched for loudness?
Because a compressor with make-up gain usually comes out louder, and louder tends to sound better. If the levels weren’t matched, you’d be picking the louder one, not hearing the compression. Here both sides play at the same loudness, so that giveaway is gone.
Which drill should I start with?
Compressed or Dry, then How Much. Both start with big differences: 12 dB of gain reduction against none, and 1 dB against 12. Attack and Ratio come after, when you can already hear the compressor working.
Why do the drills start on the drums?
Drums are where compression is easiest to hear: the peaks come down and the quiet parts sit closer to them. Each tier starts on the drums, more parts come in after that, and vocals come in at Advanced.
What’s free?
Levels 1 and 2 of every drill, with no account and no card. Levels 3 to 6 are part of Mix Chops Pro, and every level is open while Mix Chops is in early access.
What is Ask Dan?
An AI mentor built on Dan Murtagh’s teaching. Signed in, it coaches you through the drills: what to listen for, what tripped you up when you miss one, and a debrief at the end of each level. A free account gets ten replies a day.
Do I need headphones?
Headphones or decent speakers. On laptop and phone speakers the differences are much harder to hear.
Where can I learn what the controls do?
On danmurtagh.com: the compression visualiser shows what threshold, ratio, attack and release do to a signal, and The Compression Code is Dan’s course on setting compression by ear. Then come back and train it here.