I suck at Dr. Compressor. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be trying to identify and I feel like my compressor analysist skills are sorely lacking. Any suggestions?
but no I've never thought of compressors as a way to stifle and suffocate something, if that's what you want just bring the volume down. Compressors help control dynamics, and there's lots of things you can do with dynamics besides make them even, which is the common usage. You can actually purposely make them uneven and punchy, or sidechain like you said to help make two elements work together better.
You’ll get better and better as you go :) also, make sure you are using quality studio headphones, or studio monitors for accuracy!! I do use AirPods sometimes though, but a good audio setup will really help :)
We were all bad at these once, and sometimes still are. The point though is to keep trying regardless whether or not you feel like you're making progress. Trust me I still score 0 points when actually trying on some of these games but that doesn't negate all of the training I've done the past few years
