Audio compressors limit a signal's dynamic range to within settings chosen by the sound engineer.

Why would you want to do that?

Does that not take a way from producing a faithful recording of the original sound?

Consider some of the challenges you face as a recording engineer:

• When signal levels get too high for your recording equipment to handle, you'll hear distortion on the output. Worse, they can even damage your equipment (or your ears!)
• If one instrument, (for example, an amplified acoustic guitar) has a naturally wider volume range than the other instruments in the band, it'll risk not be heard above the drums during quiet passages, but can be overpowering when played at full strength.

Audio compressors and limiters help by reducing the maximum levels of sudden transient sounds that could distort your recording.

They are also used for cutting tracks and adjusting the mix. By smoothing out sudden or large volume changes, and automatically adjusting the dynamic range and balance of a track.

So how does that work?…
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