Why do we need audio compressors? Is not using a compressor more or less natural sounding?

Dave Rat's video "Why Do We Want & Need Audio Compressors?" explains the concept and importance of compression in live sound and recording. Compression is needed to control the varying levels and limit the dynamic range to prevent distortion and ensure the sound is balanced and clear. The distance between the microphone and the sound source can cause volume differentials and bleeding from channel to channel, leading to unnatural sound. Compression can mitigate these issues and bring consistency to different instruments' sound levels. Analog and digital consoles also have different sound qualities that can be softened by using tube compressors or other methods. Ultimately, compression is an essential tool to achieve a consistent and balanced sound in live sound and recording.

00:00:00 In this section, Dave Rat discusses how microphones and the way we mic things can alter the Dynamics of the way things sound, adding noise and distortion that we normally wouldn't hear with our ears. This altered Dynamics is why compression is an important tool for recording and live sound. When an instrument is captured with a microphone, compression is needed to control the varying levels and limit the dynamic range to prevent distortion and ensure the sound is balanced and clear. However, there is a debate between using too much compression to get more level on recordings versus using compression in the live environment for reinforcement.
00:05:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the issue of volume differentials in audio recordings caused by the distance between the microphone and the sound source. The volume increase when a sound source moves closer to the microphone is magnified when the sound is amplified and played through a sound system, leading to unnatural sound. Mic distance can also affect the ratio of the instrument to the room, causing an undesired re-amplification of the room sound. Compression is a solution to mitigate the excessive volume differentials and low-end proximity effect caused by micing close to the sound source, and EQ can be used to adjust the excessive low end.
00:10:00 In this section, the speaker explains the benefits of using audio compressors to achieve a consistent sound by reducing volume differentials. While compressors can bring up the background noise in quiet parts, they can also reduce the transients of loud instruments and make them sound more realistic. The amount of compression needed depends on the system's dynamics or the design of the enclosure. The speaker also discusses how compression can help deal with inconsistencies in playing, such as bass players who have varying volumes in different notes.
00:15:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the difference between analog and digital consoles in terms of their sound quality. He explains how digital consoles are known for sounding clinical because they are good at maintaining all of the dynamics and transferring them in numbers that stay intact throughout. On the other hand, analog consoles tend to bleed from channel to channel, which softens the sound and gives you multiple versions of the same signal. This is why there is a desire for tube compressors or other methods to make digital console outputs sound more natural. The speaker then plays a slowed-down audio clip to demonstrate the alteration of dynamics and how sounds are captured, even with just a small change in proximity.
00:20:00 In this section of the video, the speaker explains that the proximity of a microphone to a sound source can have a significant impact on the balance between reverberation and direct signal, as well as distort the audio in unnatural ways. Compression is one way to deal with these issues, and the speaker demonstrates a test using a "sharp transient" tool to illustrate the effects of different microphone positions on the sound.

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