Towards a definition of compression glue in mastering

This chapter investigates the audio descriptor glue and its relationship to mastering compression. Glue is an attribute often used to describe the sonic signature of particular styles of compression, but little work has been done to examine what it means at an objective level. The research presented in this chapter uses a mixed method of discourse analysis, grounded theory, web scraping and the Delphi Method to develop a working definition of this attribute. A discourse analysis was implemented on relevant literature and discussion forums to get a better understanding of compression glue. In addition, a Delphi study was conducted with ten professional mastering engineers, which resulted in the definition of glue presented in this investigation. The definition of glue generated from the current study states that gel/glue as it pertains to dynamic range compression is a uniform control over dynamics, which imparts a cohesiveness to program material. Depending on the style of the compressor, this may include the introduction of subtle uniform harmonic distortion, colouration and a sense of rhythmic movement and groove