Shape and mix

Every effect explained by ear, then the mixing moves that make a whole song sit together.

Effects

How each effect works, what to listen for, and where it breaks. The friendliest way into DSP.

  1. Signal flow and effect orderInserts, sends, wet/dry and why order changes everythingComing soon
  2. EQShaping tone with bands, shelves and filtersComing soon
  3. Filters as instrumentsResonance, sweeps, envelopes and auto-wahComing soon
  4. CompressionHow a compressor turns loud parts down, and why that can sound biggerEarly draft
  5. Gates, sidechain and duckingRemoving noise, carving space and making things pump on purposeComing soon
  6. Limiting and loudnessCeilings, true peak and how far you can push before it hurtsComing soon
  7. Distortion and saturationWhy drive adds harmonics, why it can sound harsh on high notes, and how to fix itComing soon
  8. Delay and echoSlapback to dub: time, feedback, filtering and syncComing soon
  9. ReverbRooms, halls and plates, and how size, decay and predelay place a soundComing soon
  10. Chorus, flanger and phaserThree effects built from tiny moving delays and filtersComing soon
  11. Tremolo, vibrato and auto-panModulating level, pitch and positionComing soon
  12. Pitch shifting and correctionHarmonizers, autotune and the artifacts of moving pitchComing soon
  13. Frequency shifting and ring modulationEffects that move every partial by the same amount, and why that sounds alienComing soon
  14. Vocoders and talking soundsMaking a synth speak with the shape of a voiceComing soon
  15. Spectral effectsFreezing, blurring and painting the spectrum directlyComing soon
  16. Stereo and spatial processingPanning, width, mid/side, and why some sounds disappear in monoEarly draft

Mixing and finishing

Putting it all together on real songs, from the first balance to a finished master.

  1. What mixing is forBalance, clarity, depth and emotion, before any pluginComing soon
  2. Gain stagingKeeping levels healthy from source to masterComing soon
  3. Making room with EQWhy every track sounds fine alone and muddy togetherComing soon
  4. Low endKick and bass that work together on big and small speakersComing soon
  5. Depth and space in a mixFront, back, wide and narrow with reverb, delay and levelComing soon
  6. Finishing and referencesLoudness targets, reference tracks and knowing when to stopComing soon