Challenge 2: The Recording Sounds Quieter After Compression — Solution Walkthrough

The answer:

This is the expected, normal side effect of compression the chapter
describes directly: turning down the loud parts whenever they cross
the threshold naturally brings the overall recording's volume down,
even while it successfully narrows the gap between loud and quiet
moments.

What's missing:

Makeup gain. The colleague has completed the compression step but
skipped the follow-up step that restores overall volume afterward.
Compression and makeup gain are meant to be used together — one
narrows the dynamic range, the other brings the now-narrower range
back up to a comfortable overall level.

Why this isn't a compression setting mistake:

The narrower gap between loud and quiet is actually working as
intended — the quietness is a separate, expected consequence, not a
sign the ratio or threshold was set wrong. Applying makeup gain
afterward addresses the actual issue without needing to undo or
adjust the compression itself.

WHY THIS WORKS AS AN ANSWER
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This exercise checks that reduced overall volume after compression is
correctly recognized as expected behavior needing makeup gain, not a
sign that the compression settings themselves were wrong.