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The book, the full 10-hour video course, and the cheat sheets every self-recording artist should keep next to their DAW. Built around the Peaks & Valleys method, the simple framework that finally makes compression click.
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Most compression tutorials teach you what the knobs do. They don't teach you why you need them, or what you're actually trying to accomplish when you reach for one.
That's why compression feels confusing even after you "learn" it. You know what attack and release mean. You know what a ratio is. But the moment you put a compressor on a track, you're guessing — twiddling knobs, hoping it sounds better, wondering if the change you just made actually helped.
The Peaks & Valleys Method fixes that. Every sound has two parts: the peak (the transient at the start of a note) and the valley (the sustain that follows). Every compression decision you'll ever make comes down to which one you're targeting and why. Once you see it that way, everything changes. Threshold stops being arbitrary. Attack and release stop being mysterious. You start compressing with intention instead of crossing your fingers.
You get the method three ways. The 10-hour video course walks you through every concept on screen, in real DAW sessions, so you can hear every move and see every setting before and after. The book lays out the framework piece by piece — the anatomy of a compressor, the four goals, the styles that achieve each goal, and a six-phase workflow for compressing an entire mix from start to finish. And the cheat sheets pull it all together into single-page references you'll keep open every time you mix.
It's the same system the engineers at Phase Rack use on every record, taught for self-recording artists working from home studios.
Compression isn't hard. It's just been taught badly.
A 10-hour video course taught on screen, in real sessions
Watching someone set a compressor on a real vocal — and hearing it before and after, with the gain reduction meter in view — teaches you in five minutes what reading about it never quite delivers.
The course walks you through every concept in the method, in DAW sessions, on real tracks. You'll see exactly where the threshold should sit, exactly what the gain reduction meter should look like, and exactly what each style of compression sounds like before and after. Stream on any device, any time, with lifetime access.
The book that ties the whole framework together
Everything in the course, in a format you can read at your own pace and come back to. The book is built to be referenced — every chapter ends in a cheat sheet, and every concept is paired with the questions it's designed to answer.
Read it cover to cover before you start the videos. Or use it as a desk reference once you've finished. It's written so either approach works.
Cheat sheets you'll actually keep open
Goals-to-styles. Styles-to-settings. The five-step compressor setup. Peak and valley speeds by instrument. Overcompression warning signs.
These aren't filler — they're the part of the bundle you'll come back to every session. Print them. Pin them next to your monitor. The whole point is that you stop having to remember and start having a reference.
A six-phase workflow for compressing a whole mix
Knowing how to compress one instrument is the easy part. Knowing what to do across thirty tracks is where most home producers get stuck.
The course lays out six phases — premix prep, mix bus, balance, glue, enhance, fix — so that at every point in your mix you only have to focus on one thing at a time. No more wondering if you've done enough, or too much, or skipped a step.
Written for the home studio
This isn't theory from an SSL room you'll never sit in. The methods inside are written for self-recording musicians working with stock plugins, untreated rooms, and real-world budgets.
Every technique — parallel compression, serial compression, side chain filtering, reducing room sound — is taught with the home studio in mind. You don't need a rack of analog gear to get a record-quality sound. You need a framework, and you need to see it applied.
What's inside
- Why most compression advice contradicts itself — and the simple model that resolves it
- The two parts every sound has, and how recognizing them changes every setting you pick
- The five-step compressor setup process you can run in under a minute
- The four goals of compression and the styles that achieve each one
- A complete cheat sheet for matching styles to settings (no more guessing at attack and release)
- The peak and valley speeds for percussive, rhythmic, and sustained instruments
- Why fast attack times are not the enemy — and when they're exactly what a track needs
- The four flavors of overcompression, what each one sounds like, and how to fix them
- Layered compression: why one compressor doing 6 dB sounds worse than three doing 2
- The six-phase workflow for compressing an entire mix without losing your place
- How to use side chain filtering to fix kick-versus-snare imbalance on any bus compressor
- Parallel compression done right (and the routing trick that keeps it under control)
- A guide to the four analog compressor types and what each one is actually good for
Peaks & Valleys: The Comprehensive Guide To Compression (And Why You Need It)
- ✓ The complete Peaks & Valleys book (digital download)
- ✓ The full 10-hour video course (lifetime streaming access)
- ✓ Compression cheat sheets (with printer-friendly versions)
- ✓ Instant access — start watching in minutes
- ✓ 30-day money-back guarantee
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FAQs
About 10 hours, broken into short modules so you can watch in whatever sized chunks fit your schedule. The book covers the same ground for when you'd rather read than watch.
The course starts at the absolute basics — what compression is, what each knob does, what dynamic range means — and builds up from there. If you've used a compressor before, even badly, you'll be fine. The Peaks & Valleys framework is designed specifically to make the concept click for people who've struggled with it.
No. Every technique works with the stock compressor in your DAW. The framework is about understanding what you're doing, not which plugin you're doing it with. There's a section on analog compressor types if you ever decide to invest, but it's not required.
Yes. There's a dedicated section on how compression differs across pop, rock, hip-hop, acoustic, and electronic music — what to compress hard, what to leave alone, and how to match the conventions of your genre.
Most tutorials teach you knobs in isolation. This bundle teaches you a framework — Peaks & Valleys, the four goals, the six-phase mix workflow — that ties every compression decision together. The course shows it on real sessions. The book pulls it together into something you can reference. The cheat sheets are the part you'll actually keep using long after you've finished.
The focus is mixing, but the principles apply anywhere you'd reach for a compressor. There's also a section on prepping tracks before you compress (gain automation, routing, volume balance) that affects the recording side too.
Yes. They're formatted for easy printing so you can keep them on your desk while you mix.
Digital download for the book and the cheat sheets. The video course streams online — you can watch on any device, any time, with lifetime access.
Yes. If the method doesn't click for you, we'll refund your purchase within 30 days, no questions asked.
Reviews
So much info but well organized. What a great product.
Handy reference guide , as I'm partially deaf it's a great aid to help get it as right as I can ,.very useful info as well ,.
It has been a great reference guide to help me mix my shows and work out some issues I had with eq frequencies.
It's very helpful, particularly with the additional videos. I'm glad I bought it. It's given me another view point to explore. There were no mastering tips in the binder, it is really a mixing cheat sheet. I could not get the mastering video to run in the mid section. I'm not sure why.
A very good purchase for me. The crib sheet on its own is ok, but not five star. What makes this so good is the free online course that accompanies it. The two things together are absolutely superb. I’m still making my way through the course but have learned a ton of very useful stuff that I’m already using to good effect. Whole thing is extremely useful and very good value for money.
Very nice print but the most important part is the info. Very useful info. I've been a sound engineer for nearly 30 years and was looking for a quick way to reference things that I already knew and it's just decent for that. I'll keep it handy but overall I'm a tab bit underwhelmed. I do appreciate it for what it is and will hopeful get some use from it.
I received my copy last week and I have to congratulate Mastering.com not only on the quality of the content but also the physical book. It’s substantial and not too busy but it focuses on the different aspects of the mixing process which, for someone like me who keeps forgetting the details sometimes, is a handy reference guide to have at hand. I can highly recommend it.
I bought this product for our church Media Team. Most have never touched a soundboard before. I found the Cheat Sheet was a little too advanced for them. Since they are still new to sound mixing I am having to stop rehearsal and go back and help them through issues. It does come in handy for me when I am looking for a quick answer, but for my Team there needs to be perhaps a beginners guide to sound mixing.
This manual is exactly what I needed, the quality is top notch! I also love that I have a digital copy to look over when out and about, that way my physical copy will stay in the beautiful shape for years to come. The visual and text is perfect for when You need a quick reference for mixing and mastering!
I've been recording since 1970, starting with an Ampeg reel to reel and currently using a DAW (Pro Tools Studio) This binder, combined with their Compression and EQ courses had allowed me to go back and revisit a number of my earlier recordings and make significant improvements. This is a great and easy to use cheat sheet for all the little things that you might not remember or clearly understand. I've only just started using it but can clearly see its value. Nicely compiled into a durable product. I wish I had it years ago.
I just purchased Mixing and Mastering Cheat sheet and instantly my music started sounded better. Small things I never had thought of and a few big things I never knew. Love it!
Excellent info and very thorough!
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If you're not completely satisfied within 30 days, we'll give you a full refund. No questions asked.
