EFFECTS CHEAT SHEET

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REVERB COMPRESSOR GATE/EXPANDER DELAY

REVERB IS A COMMONLY USED EFFECT THAT ADDS
A COMPRESSOR FUNCTIONS AS A PROGRAMMABLE FADER A GATE/EXPANDER INCREASES THE DYNAMIC RANGE OF A A DELAY IS AN EFFECT WHERE A SIGNAL WILL BE PROCESSED AND AFTERWARDS
ATMOSPHERE AND SPACE BY SIMULATING THE SOUND OF THAT DYNAMICALLY REGULATES SIGNAL LEVELS IN REAL- SIGNAL BY REDUCING QUIET PARTS AND LEAVING LOUD ADDED AS AN ECHO TO YOUR ORIGINAL SIGNAL. A DELAY IS VERY USEFUL TO
VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS LIKE DRUM ROOMS OR CONCERT TIME. ITS ROLE IS TO REDUCE THE VOLUME OF LOUDER PARTS UNTOUCHED. IT IS VERY HELPFUL TO ELIMINATE CREATE WIDTH IN YOUR MIXES AS YOU CAN PAN THE ECHOES TO EITHER OR
HALLS. AUDIO SIGNALS TO MATCH THE QUIETER ONES. UNWANTED BACKGROUND NOISE . BOTH SIDES. IT MAKES YOUR SOUND FULLER AND ADDS SPACE AND DEPTH TO IT.
Pre-delay determines the time before reverb
PRE-DELAY starts affecting the signal.

ATTACK
Attack determines how fast expander
DECAY Decay sets how long reverb lasts, simulating
Ratio knob controls compression intensity Threshold: Turning the knob down increases INPUT Input knob adjusts signal amount FILTER
With the filter knob you can adjust cutoff

THRESHOLD
room size effects. reduces quiet signal parts.
compression, while turning it up reduces the frequency for natural delay effect.
Lower ratio offers smooth peak reduction,
ROOM SIZE
Room size, combined with decay time, affects
RATIO volume of the loudest signals only. RELEASE
Release controls how long expander/gate
PAN Pan knob controls input signal panning
higher ratio for hard reduction effect lasts. With the Offset Knob you can create
the perception of room size.
Peak Reduction: Adjusting this knob reduces
HOLD Hold sets how long gate remains closed. FEEDBACK Feedback knob sets feedback volume
DIFFUSION
Diffusion controls reverb density, with higher Limiter is a high-ratio compressor, often
PEAK REDUCTION peak levels; turning it up increases OFFSET wider stereo image by offsetting delay to
settings creating more reflections.
Ratio determines the amount of gain
DELAY TIME Delay time knob determines time between echoes
Modulation adds detuning to the reverb,
used in mastering compression. RATIO reduction below threshold.
left or right, ideal for ping pong delay

MODULATION Attack determines speed of gain

INPUT GAIN
Input gain: Increasing this knob makes the Formula provided to calculate delay time based on BPM effect.
affecting its naturalness. ATTACK/ reduction, release controls how quickly signal louder and more compressed.
Expander reduces signal parts below FORMULA Time modulation knob creates flutter,
DAMPING Damping controls high-frequency decay speed.
RELEASE Makeup Gain/Output gain: Adjusts the volume
threshold, gate removes them completely.
Higher db level on threshold results in more
60000 : your bpm ➔ The result in ms is the bpm delay
MODULATION chorus, and flanger effects when mixed
compressor stops working
OUTPUT GAIN after compression, allowing for compensation reduction in loudness.
DRY/WET Dry/wet balance adjusts the mix of
Knee settings decide if compression starts
of lost volume.
A gate is like an expander with a high ratio
with dry signal.
processed and unprocessed signals. that eliminates all quieter signal parts. DIFFUSION Diffusion knob creates a "smearing

STEREO WIDTH Stereo width affects the spatial KNEE immediately after threshold (hard knee)
effect" similar to reverb.
perception of the reverb. or when peaks are below threshold (soft

Filter knobs allow filtering of frequencies knee)

FILTER affected by the reverb, useful for creating
darker or cleaner reverbs.

STEREO IMAGING
SPECTRAL DYNAMICS MID/SIDE EQING
The concept of stereo widening is quite straightforward. An imager PARALLEL COMPRESSION MULTIBAND COMPRESSOR
divides the signal into two parts and slightly delays one of them, leading
to phase cancellation. This process disperses the signal across the 180- Parallel Compression involves mixing processed (wet) and Spectral Dynamics uses multiple bands for precise Using a mid/side EQ allows separate control of mid and side
degree stereo image. Increasing the delay intensifies the widening effect.
By utilizing a multiband compressor, you can compress frequencies, beneficial for mastering by offering more control
unprocessed (dry) signals to retain original transients while compression of individual frequencies, offering over a
particular frequency ranges, which is advantageous for over stereo tracks.
achieving compressed sounds. thousand bands for enhanced control.
Delay-Based Panning: instruments such as drums or guitars.
By delaying one of the stereo channels, we create a sense of spatial
This technique preserves transients and adds compression It is particularly effective for compressing higher It enables specific adjustments to mid or side signals, like
awareness, similar to how our ears perceive sound directionality.
This tool offers greater precision compared to a single- boosting bass in mid or cleaning up lows on sides for a clean mix.
Spectral-Based Panning: by routing the original signal to a separate mixer channel, frequencies to remove harsh transients and resonant
band compressor and is particularly helpful for This tool is essential for mastering to remove muddiness and
Spectral panning involves duplicating the track to widen it. applying compression, and then carefully blending it back peaks.
The duplicated tracks are sent to separate mixer channels. mastering purposes. make creative frequency changes.
with the original signal for a balanced outcome.
Applying EQ to attenuate high frequencies on the duplicate track
enhances the widening effect.

PHASER CHORUS SATURATION/DISTORTION LIMITER/SOFTCLIPPER

➔ A CHORUS EFFECT BASICALLY MAKES SEVERAL COPIES OF A SIGNAL,
A limiter is a compressor with a high ratio used at the end of a
PHASER IS A MODULATION EFFECT USING A LOW-FREQUENCY CHANGING THEIR PITCH SLIGHTLY AND THEN MIXING IT BACK TO THE Saturation is a commonly used effect in music production to mimic
OSCILLATOR (LFO) TO CREATE TINY DELAYS OR PHASE SHIFTS IN ORIGINAL SIGNAL. analogue hardware sound, adding warmth and subtle distortion to mastering chain to make a mix louder by catching loud signal parts
THE SIGNAL, PRODUCING UNIQUE MODULATION EFFECTS LIKE tracks for a unique quality. In the past, saturation was achieved by and turning them down. It prevents distortion by blocking signal
➔ BY SETTING THE DELAY YOU CAN SET THE DELAY TIME BETWEEN THESE
SIMULATING A FLYING PLANE BASED ON THE LFO FREQUENCY. overloading magnetic tape in the analogue era. parts that exceed the threshold.
COPIES (DELAY WILL BE MODULATED BY A LOW-FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR
(LFO)

MIX Mix Knob: Adjusts the blend of processed and Depth Knob: DRIVE Drive Knob: controls signal input
LIMITER
DEPTH Setting it to zero keeps delays consistent.
unprocessed signals for phasing effect.
Increasing depth creates modulation effects. EQ EQ Section: emphasizes frequencies SOFT CLIPPER
Rate/Speed Knob: Controls the frequency of the LFO Stereo Knob: GAIN Gain knob adjusts input signal loudness
RATE/SPEED
wave, affecting modulation speed.
STEREO Widens stereo image by adjusting offset between voices. TONE Tone: adjusts tone from dark to bright
Attack knob controls how quickly peaks above
Basically, A soft clipper is a limiter
Turning it 180 degrees cancels out LFO signals.
with a soft knee and a very low
Mix Knob: blends processed and
ATTACK
MIX
Width Knob: Sets LFO amplitude, influencing frequency LFO:
threshold are limited attack and release. On the limiter,
WIDTH Controls frequency of modulation effect.
unprocessed signals.
sweep intensity. LFO you can adjust the waveform generated by the LFOs Release knob sets how long the limiter
most transients are preserved,
whereas, on the clipper, they are
RELEASE
(each LFO waveform has different sound)
Feedback Knob: Determines the amount of processed
FEEDBACK Cross-Type Knob: Tape saturation adds warmth to tracks, suitable for synths, pianos, and drum buses. continues to work after signal drops below clipped off. As a result the wave of
Tube saturation provides warmth and higher harmonics, simulating the effect of
signal fed back, intensifying resonance peaks. CROSS-TYPE Selects modulation effect on higher or lower frequencies. your signal changes and creates a
overloading a tube. threshold
Sets cutoff frequency for filter.
Stage/Pole: Adjusts the number of notches in the phase
Tube saturators boost low mids for warmth, while tape saturators boost low distortion effect.
STAGE/POLE Rate: frequencies. Lookahead determines when limiter reacts to
RATE
Adjusts speed of modulation in some plugins. Transistor saturation creates a fuzzy, textured sound with heavy distortion if turned
LOOKAHEAD
shift EQ to enhance phaser effect.
up, adding a unique crunch to tracks. incoming signal