Audio Effects - Explained

Basics

While audio effects come in a million different flavors we can simplify what they are capable of altering about a sound in to three basics categories: volume(amplitude), frequency(pitch), and time.

Seeing/hearing what an audio effect does

Amplitude-Based Effects

Sometimes referred to as “Dynamic Processors” (dynamics being another word to describe the amplitude range or characteristics of a sound), amplitude-based effects achieve their results by manipulating the volume of a sound through various methods.

• Amplitude Modulation (AM/Tremolo)
• Ring Modulation (RM)
• Compression
• De-Esser
• Expander
• Gate
• Limiter
• Transient Shaper
• Distortion & Saturation
• Filters
• Equalizers (EQ)

Frequency-Based Effects

• Chorus
• Frequency/Pitch Shifter
• Autotune

Time-Based Effects

• Delay/Echo
• Phaser
• Flanger
• Reverb