We’re currently living in the age of digital audio, and in-the-box mixing within a digital audio workstation is commonplace. Plugins are, therefore, invaluable assets for the modern audio engineer. The flanger effect is a modulation effect that is also considered an important tool in the audio engineer’s toolbox. With so many flanger plugins on the…
Auto-wah/envelope filters produce an instantly recognizable modulation effect that will surely bring the Funk to your music. Whether the effect is achieved via an effect pedal, an audio plugin or another piece of hardware, the auto-wahs/envelope filters effect is a great choice for adding interest to our sound and is worth understanding. What is auto-wah…
From radio and telecommunication applications to strange sonic effects, ring modulation is an intriguing and often overlooked audio effect in music and audio production. What is the ring modulation effect in audio? Ring modulation is an amplitude modulation effect where two signals (an input/modulator signal and a carrier signal) are summed together to create two brand…
The phase of audio signals plays a critical role in how signals interact and come together in a mix. Phase-shifting, including the phaser effect, is a creative way to add sonic interest to audio signals. The phaser phase-shifting effect allows us to manipulate phase in a controlled and pleasing way to achieve a distinct modulation…
Flanger is one of those instantly recognizable effects that really add character to an audio signal and musical performance. We’ve likely all heard the effect before and, for those of you reading, wondered how this effect is achieved. What is the flanger effect in audio? Flanger is a modulation audio effect whereby a signal is duplicated,…
When it comes to modulation effects, chorus is certainly one of the most popular. This versatile audio effect can be heard on countless records and helps in making audio tracks sound larger than life. What is the chorus effect in audio? Chorus is an effect that produces copies of a signal (the original signal and each…
Vibrato is a popular and powerful musical technique implemented naturally by singers and available to other acoustic instruments, and it’s also available electrically as an audio effect. What is the vibrato effect in audio? Vibrato is a fast but slight up-and-down variation in pitch. Vibrato is used in signing and in instruments to add character and…
Tremolo is a common musical technique involving the regular alteration of the amplitude of a sound. It translates very well to audio signals, where electrical circuits and digital programs can achieve the same effect from subtle to extreme fashion. What is the tremolo effect in audio? Tremolo is a fast variation in amplitude. Tremolo is similar…
The distinction between feedback and feed-forward compressors is one of those more advanced topics that we should ask about once we understand the essentials of audio dynamic range compression. What is feedback compression? Feedback compression feeds the audio signal into the sidechain just after the gain reduction element. This compressor type reacts to the signal amplitude…
Sidechain compression is a powerful and creative technique in audio mixing that can have both drastic and subtle effects in improving an overall mix. What is sidechain compression? Sidechain compression is a compression style/technique where the compressor acts to compress/attenuate an input signal/track according to the control of a separate signal/track (external sidechain) rather than the…
Equalization is one of the most commonly used processes/effects in audio mixing/production and one of the most popular formats for audio/sound reproduction. It makes perfect sense that stereo EQ would come about in audio technology. What is stereo equalization? A stereo EQ will have the ability to equalize (alter the frequency-specific amplitude of) the left and…
Parametric EQ is perhaps the most powerful type of EQ in audio technology, which says a lot since EQ is one of the most commonly used processes in audio mixing/production. What is parametric audio equalization? Parametric EQ offers full customization of a set number of EQ filters. Each frequency band/filter may have the choice of filter…
