The catalog is organised around production decisions: what the processor is for, what to listen to first, a reliable starting method and the mistake most likely to make the result worse.
EQ
Tonal balance and corrective shaping
- Listen to
- Frequency, gain, Q/bandwidth
- Good starting method
- Remove an audible problem first; broad gentle moves for tone
- Avoid
- Boosting several bands without a clear reason
- Useful on / with
- Before compressor for cleanup; after compressor for final tone
Compressor
Control dynamic range and stabilise a part
- Listen to
- Threshold, ratio, attack, release, output level
- Good starting method
- Use only enough gain reduction to make the part sit reliably
- Avoid
- Using compression as a volume knob
- Useful on / with
- Bass · drums · keys · master only when genuinely needed
Reverb
Create depth, room and atmosphere
- Listen to
- Decay, pre-delay feel, damping/brightness, wet level
- Good starting method
- Set the space in context with the full mix
- Avoid
- Long bright reverb on every track
- Useful on / with
- Pads · vocals/samples · orchestra · snares · transitions
Delay
Create rhythmic echoes and repeated space
- Listen to
- Tempo division/time, feedback, tone, wet level
- Good starting method
- Choose a repeat rhythm that supports the phrase
- Avoid
- Too much feedback or repeats masking the next phrase
- Useful on / with
- Leads · plucks · keys · rimshots · transitions
Chorus
Add width and gentle modulation
- Listen to
- Rate, depth, wet level
- Good starting method
- Use subtly on sustained or clean material
- Avoid
- Widening everything including the low-end foundation
- Useful on / with
- Pads · electric piano · clean guitar · Reese bass carefully
Flanger
Create metallic short-delay sweep
- Listen to
- Rate, depth, feedback, mix
- Good starting method
- Use as an audible special effect or transition color
- Avoid
- Leaving a deep flange permanently on important transients
- Useful on / with
- FX · hats · guitars · transitional material
Phaser
Create moving phase coloration
- Listen to
- Rate, depth, feedback, mix
- Good starting method
- Keep motion slower than the musical gesture you want to preserve
- Avoid
- Using high depth on every sustained layer
- Useful on / with
- Pads · keys · guitars · synth leads
Distortion
Add aggressive harmonics and nonlinear edge
- Listen to
- Drive, tone, output, mix
- Good starting method
- Gain-match before deciding that more drive is better
- Avoid
- Clipping the next processor because output rose with drive
- Useful on / with
- Acid bass · leads · drums · driven textures
Filter
Shape frequency range and create movement
- Listen to
- Mode, cutoff, resonance
- Good starting method
- Automate cutoff for musical movement; keep resonance controlled
- Avoid
- High resonance peaks causing harsh level jumps
- Useful on / with
- Transitions · bass · pads · plucks · automation
Gate
Remove low-level spill or create chopped dynamics
- Listen to
- Threshold, attack, hold/release feel
- Good starting method
- Set threshold while listening to the quietest wanted event
- Avoid
- Cutting note tails or room tone unintentionally
- Useful on / with
- Drums · noisy samples · rhythmic chopping
Limiter
Catch peaks and protect an output ceiling
- Listen to
- Threshold/drive into limiter, ceiling, release feel
- Good starting method
- Use after the mix is already balanced
- Avoid
- Trying to fix a hot mix only with limiting
- Useful on / with
- Master protection · aggressive drum bus only with intent
Saturator
Add soft harmonic density and perceived weight
- Listen to
- Drive, tone/curve feel, output, mix
- Good starting method
- Increase until the color is audible, then back off slightly
- Avoid
- Mistaking louder for warmer
- Useful on / with
- Bass · drums · keys · guitars · master very lightly
Tremolo
Create rhythmic amplitude movement
- Listen to
- Rate, depth, phase feel
- Good starting method
- Sync the pulse conceptually to the groove
- Avoid
- Too much depth on the main rhythmic anchor
- Useful on / with
- Electric piano · pads · guitars · creative FX
Vibrato
Create pitch movement
- Listen to
- Rate, depth
- Good starting method
- Use shallow depth for musical motion, deeper for obvious effect
- Avoid
- Heavy vibrato on sub-bass or tuning-critical layers
- Useful on / with
- Leads · pads · keys · special FX
Bitcrusher
Create lo-fi digital texture
- Listen to
- Bit depth, sample-rate reduction, mix
- Good starting method
- Blend in parallel-feeling amounts rather than crushing everything
- Avoid
- Excessive high-frequency harshness
- Useful on / with
- Drums · chiptune · hats · transitions · FX
Utility
Manage gain, mono compatibility and polarity
- Listen to
- Gain trim, mono sum, phase invert
- Good starting method
- Use before/after processors to keep levels and phase under control
- Avoid
- Flipping phase or summing to mono without checking the result
- Useful on / with
- Any channel · diagnostics · gain staging · compatibility checks