Stereo Tool — Settings

The Loudness section (formerly "Compressor") shapes the overall tonal balance. This is where you add "punch" or "warmth."

Typical moves:

The final stage of processing involves setting the overall frequency balance and stereo image. stereo tool settings

: The AGC acts as the foundation, leveling out the volume between different songs or microphones. For most music formats, a speed setting around 3 is recommended to avoid noticeable volume "pumping". For most music formats, a speed setting around

| Use case | Multiband Attack | Clipper (Lookahead) | Stereo Width | Pre-emphasis | |-----------------------|-----------------|---------------------|--------------|---------------| | 192 kbps streaming | 10–30 ms | Soft, 2–4x oversample | 110–120% | None | | 96 kbps streaming | 15–40 ms | Medium-hard, 4x | 100–110% | None | | FM (music format) | 20–50 ms | Hard, 8–16x | 100% (or less) | 50/75 µs | | FM (talk format) | 50–100 ms | Medium, 4x | 100% | 50/75 µs | | Live PA (club) | 5–15 ms | Soft or none | 110% | None | For most music formats

Stereo Tool features an advanced clipper that achieves extreme loudness without typical distortion.