How does compression create harmonics?
When you use a compressor, you’re not just changing the dynamic range. You’re actually reshaping the sound wave itself. And any time you change the shape of a waveform, you’re adding distortion. Not the heavy fuzz kind, but subtle harmonic distortion that adds color to the sound.
This happens because a compressor doesn’t change the volume instantly or evenly. It reacts over time, and that response can push or pull on different parts of the sound wave. The faster the compressor reacts (like with a quick attack setting), the more it bends the wave, and the more harmonics it creates, especially in the lower frequencies.
Even super slow audio compression adds this kind of change. So anytime you’re compressing, you’re also shaping the tone in small ways. You know that warm, punchy, or “glued” sound you get? That’s not just volume control. It is harmonic content being reshaped.
