How the compressor knee actually works

#AudiotentTip 250. Compressor Knee.

A compressor control that's often overlooked is called the knee. This affects how aggressive the compression will kick in. With a soft knee setting, compression is gradually applied as the signal reaches the threshold. Whereas with a hard knee, compression is only applied once the threshold has been reached.
Both settings have their own place within a project and should be chosen depending on the signal. For example, think soft knee for mastering and hard knee for tight aggressive drums.