problem
If the compressed return is delayed or phase-shifted, parallel blend can cancel the dry signal instead of adding weight.
Parallel compression blends a dry signal with a processed copy. Any latency, phase rotation, or plugin delay mismatch can make the two versions partially cancel.
The result may sound hollow, narrower, or softer even though the compressed return is loud.
Toggle the return, flip polarity if needed, and listen for low-end loss or comb filtering. Watch correlation and spectrum changes while blending the parallel path.
If the tone changes more than the dynamics, alignment may be the problem.
Use delay compensation, avoid unnecessary lookahead on parallel paths, and keep phase-heavy processors off returns unless the tone is intentional.
Meter Core helps reveal correlation and tonal changes while you set parallel compression level.