Learn music production by hearing it

    Free lessons on the tools in your DAW. Every page has a working version of the effect, loaded with our sounds or your own.

    Start here

    In this order
    Lesson12 min

    Compressor threshold and ratio

    What compressor threshold and ratio do, with worked numbers, a ratio table, starting settings by source and a lab where you set both on a vocal and hear it.

    Lesson13 min

    What do attack and release do on a compressor?

    Attack and release set how fast a compressor grabs a loud sound and lets it go. Hear what each does to drum punch and bass on a free compressor in your browser.

    Lesson12 min

    What is the knee on a compressor?

    What the knee on a compressor does, soft knee vs hard knee, what knee width in dB means, and which knee to use on vocals, drums, bass and buses, with a live lab.

    Lesson11 min

    What is makeup gain?

    Makeup gain turns a compressor's output back up after compression. Learn how much to add, why the gain reduction meter misleads you, and how auto gain works.

    Lesson16 min

    What is gain reduction?

    Gain reduction is how far a compressor turns a sound down. Learn to read the GR meter, how much to use on each source and what its movement tells you.

    Lesson13 min

    What is parallel compression?

    Parallel (New York) compression blends a squashed copy under the dry sound. Hear it on drums and vocals, see the levels worked through, and set up a bus.

    Lesson13 min

    What is multiband compression?

    What multiband compression is, how crossovers split a sound into bands and how to set each band, with a three-band lab that runs in your browser.

    Lesson14 min

    What is upward compression?

    Upward compression turns quiet sounds up and leaves the peaks alone. Learn threshold, ratio, range, attack and release in a live lab, plus starting settings.

    Lesson13 min

    What is OTT?

    What Xfer's free OTT plug-in does: upward and downward compression in three bands. Hear Depth, Time and each half on a live lab, compared at matched loudness.

    Lesson13 min

    What is a noise gate?

    What a noise gate does and how to set one: threshold, range, attack, hold and release, with a gate you can hear on drums and guitar, plus settings and mistakes.

    Lesson13 min

    What is an expander?

    An expander turns sound down when it falls below the threshold, pushing back noise and spill between notes. Hear threshold, ratio, range and release in the lab.

    Lesson13 min

    What is a limiter?

    What a limiter does, how ceiling, release and lookahead work, and how much limiting is too much, with a live limiter lab that measures LUFS and true peak.

    Lesson14 min

    What is clipping in audio?

    What clipping is, what causes it from recording to export, why it adds harmonics and loudness, and how to use a clipper on drums, with a live lab you can hear.

    Lesson14 min

    What is a transient shaper?

    A transient shaper turns the front or the tail of every hit up or down, however loud it is. Learn attack and sustain with a working lab and starting settings.

    Lesson12 min

    What is de-essing?

    What de-essing is, how a de-esser finds harsh s sounds and turns them down, and how to set its frequency, threshold and range, with a working de-esser to try.

    Lesson13 min

    What is bus compression?

    What bus compression is and why it glues a mix, with SSL-style settings for drum and mix buses and a live compressor that shows every setting on a real mix.

    Lesson12 min

    What is lookahead on a compressor?

    Lookahead lets a compressor hear peaks a few milliseconds early and catch the front of a hit. Hear it in a live lab, see the latency cost and learn how to set it.

    Comparison12 min

    Compression vs limiting

    Compression vs limiting explained: a limiter is a compressor with a 20:1 or higher ratio, the fastest attack and lookahead. Hear one become the other in the lab.

    Comparison11 min

    Limiting vs clipping

    Limiting vs clipping, measured: a clipper cuts peaks flat and comes out louder, while a limiter turns the level down and stays clean. Hear both in a live lab.

    Comparison13 min

    Parallel vs serial compression

    Parallel vs serial compression in a working lab: two compressors in a row against a crushed copy under the dry sound, and when to use each, or both together.

    Comparison13 min

    Upward vs downward compression

    Upward compression lifts what sits under the threshold and downward turns down what goes over it. Hear both on one sound, with worked numbers and when to use each.

    Comparison13 min

    Compressor vs expander vs gate

    Compressor vs expander vs gate: which side of the threshold each one turns down, what it does to dynamic range, and when to use each, in a lab on one sound.

    Comparison13 min

    Opto vs FET vs VCA vs vari-mu compressors

    The four compressor types compared in one lab: how an LA-2A opto, 1176 FET, SSL-style VCA and vari-mu grab, let go and colour the sound, and which to use on what.

    Comparison13 min

    Peak vs RMS compression

    Peak vs RMS compression explained: how each detector reads level, why RMS needs a lower threshold, and which to pick for drums, bass and vocals, in a live lab.

    Comparison13 min

    Multiband compression vs dynamic EQ

    Multiband compression vs dynamic EQ: how each isolates a band, the shape of its cut, phase at rest and when to use which, in a lab that runs both side by side.

    Comparison12 min

    Sidechain compression vs volume shaping

    Sidechain compression reacts to the kick; volume shapers like LFOTool and Kickstart repeat a curve you choose in time with the tempo. Hear both side by side and learn when to use each.

    Comparison13 min

    Fast vs slow attack

    Fast vs slow compressor attack: a fast attack catches the transient and softens drums, a slow one lets it through for punch. Hear both in a live lab.

    Lesson13 min

    What are harmonics in music?

    What are harmonics? Learn the harmonic series, overtones and timbre, then watch a live lab measure the harmonics tape, valve and clipping add to a 110 Hz sine.

    Lesson13 min

    What is tape saturation?

    Tape saturation explained: why tape rounds off peaks, adds mostly odd harmonics and softens the top end, with a lab to hear it on drums, bass and a full mix.

    Lesson12 min

    What is valve (tube) saturation?

    Valve (tube) saturation adds a strong 2nd harmonic because a valve's bias leans the curve. Hear bias and drive change it in a live lab, with settings for each source.

    Lesson14 min

    What is distortion?

    What distortion is, how overdrive, hard clipping, fuzz, wavefolding and bitcrushing differ, and how to use it on bass, drums and vocals, with a working lab.

    Lesson13 min

    What is waveshaping?

    Waveshaping passes every sample through a curve that maps input level to output level. Learn to read transfer curves and hear soft clip, hard clip and folding.

    Lesson13 min

    What is wavefolding?

    What is wavefolding? Hear a wavefolder fold a sine and a bass line on a live lab, see why its harmonics rise and fall, and learn the symmetry, tone and mix controls.

    Lesson13 min

    What is bitcrushing?

    Bitcrushing explained with a working bitcrusher: how fewer bits turn waves into steps, the 6 dB per bit rule, why quiet tails vanish, and settings for lo-fi grit.

    Lesson13 min

    What is sample rate reduction?

    Sample rate reduction holds each sample longer, so the top end folds back as out-of-tune aliasing. Hear it in a free lab and learn how to set a downsampler.

    Lesson14 min

    What is parallel saturation?

    Parallel saturation blends a hard-driven saturated copy under the clean sound. Hear it in a live lab, see the maths, and set it up on drums, bass and vocals.

    Lesson13 min

    What is aliasing, and how does oversampling fix it?

    Aliasing is what happens when distortion makes frequencies above half the sample rate. Hear them fold back in a live lab and see how oversampling removes them.

    Comparison12 min

    Saturation vs distortion

    Saturation and distortion are one process at different strengths. See where the line falls, measured in harmonics, and hear both in a free interactive lab.

    Comparison12 min

    Saturation vs compression

    Saturation bends the shape of every wave and adds harmonics; compression turns the level down over time. Hear both at matched loudness and learn when to use each.

    Comparison13 min

    Tape vs valve (tube) saturation

    Tape vs valve (tube) saturation compared at the same amount of distortion. Tape adds odd harmonics and rounds peaks, a valve adds a 2nd harmonic. Hear both.

    Comparison13 min

    Even vs odd harmonics

    Even harmonics are octaves that thicken a note; odd ones add fifths and thirds for edge. Hear both at matched level and see why symmetry decides which you get.

    Comparison13 min

    Overdrive vs distortion vs fuzz

    Overdrive, distortion and fuzz are three strengths of clipping. Hear each on a guitar at matched loudness and see what each one adds to the harmonics and dynamics.

    Comparison12 min

    Bitcrushing vs sample rate reduction

    Bitcrushing vs sample rate reduction: one cuts levels, one cuts samples. Hear both on drums, vocal and lead in a live lab, and learn which to use and when.

    Lesson14 min

    Frequency ranges in music, from sub bass to air

    Sub bass, bass, low mids, mids, presence and air: what lives in each frequency range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, what too much sounds like, and how to hear each one.

    Lesson13 min

    What is Q in EQ?

    What Q means on an EQ, how it's worked out, how to convert it to octaves and which Q to use, with a lab where you hear wide and narrow bells on noise and music.

    Lesson13 min

    What is a shelf EQ?

    A shelf EQ turns everything above or below a corner frequency up or down by one amount. Hear low and high shelves, and compare them with bells and low cuts.

    Lesson13 min

    What are high-pass and low-pass filters?

    What high-pass and low-pass filters (low cut and high cut) remove, how cutoff, slope and resonance work, and where to set them on each sound, with an EQ lab.

    Lesson13 min

    What is a filter slope?

    Filter slopes explained: what dB per octave means, 12 vs 24 vs 48 dB filters, poles, phase and which slope to use, with a lab you can hear on noise, bass and vocals.

    Lesson13 min

    What is filter resonance?

    Filter resonance explained: the peak a filter adds at its cutoff, how Q sets its height, ringing and self-oscillation, with a lab where you hear it on real loops.

    Lesson14 min

    What is dynamic EQ?

    Dynamic EQ cuts or boosts a band only when it gets loud. Learn threshold, ratio, range, attack and release, and hear one fix boomy notes and esses live.

    Lesson13 min

    What is linear phase EQ?

    Linear phase EQ explained: how it differs from a normal EQ, what pre-ringing and latency cost, and when to use it, with a lab that plays both modes side by side

    Lesson13 min

    What is mid/side EQ?

    Mid/side EQ gives the centre and the edges of a stereo mix their own EQ. Learn how it works and the common moves, and hear them in a free interactive lab.

    Lesson13 min

    What is subtractive EQ?

    Subtractive EQ means cutting the frequencies that get in the way. Find rumble, boom and ringing notes by ear and cut them, in a live EQ lab on a real guitar.

    Lesson12 min

    What is a notch filter?

    Learn what a notch filter does, how it differs from a narrow bell cut and how to set one on mains hum, with a live EQ lab to try it in.

    Lesson11 min

    What is a tilt EQ?

    A tilt EQ turns one end of the spectrum up and the other down around a pivot. Hear it in a live EQ lab, and learn where to set the pivot and how much to tilt.

    Lesson11 min

    What is the Pultec low-end trick?

    The Pultec low-end trick boosts and cuts the same low frequency at once for more weight and less mud. Hear why it works and copy it on any EQ in the free lab.

    Comparison11 min

    EQ vs filters: what's the difference?

    Every EQ is built from filters. Hear how a high-pass keeps cutting while a shelf levels off, why only EQ can boost, and when to use a filter or an EQ band.

    Comparison12 min

    Linear phase vs minimum phase EQ

    Linear phase vs minimum phase EQ compared in a live lab: same curve, different timing. Latency, pre-ringing, phase shift, and which to use for each job.

    Comparison12 min

    Additive vs subtractive EQ: should you boost or cut?

    Additive EQ boosts, subtractive EQ cuts. Hear why a boost can be the same filter as a cut, why narrow boosts ring, and when to use each, in a live EQ lab.

    Comparison12 min

    Low cut vs low shelf

    A low cut removes the bass below its cutoff and keeps falling; a low shelf turns it down or up by a set amount. Hear and compare both in a live EQ lab.

    Comparison12 min

    Parametric vs graphic EQ

    A graphic EQ gives you fixed sliders, while a parametric lets you set frequency, gain and Q. Hear both in one lab and learn when each one is the right tool.

    Lesson11 min

    What is reverb pre-delay?

    Pre-delay is the gap before a reverb starts. Hear it in a live lab, see where it comes from in a real room, and set it for vocals and drums, with tempo charts.

    Lesson13 min

    What is reverb decay time (RT60)?

    What reverb decay time and RT60 mean, how RT60 is measured, typical times for real rooms, and how to set decay to your song's tempo, with a reverb lab to try.

    Lesson13 min

    What are early reflections?

    Early reflections are the first echoes of a sound off nearby walls, inside 50 to 80 ms. See how they set room size and distance, then shape them in a live reverb lab.

    Lesson14 min

    What is convolution reverb?

    What convolution reverb is and how it uses an impulse response, shown on a live lab: trim, stretch and reverse an IR, see a sine sweep measure one, load your own.

    Lesson12 min

    What is reverse reverb?

    Reverse reverb plays a reverb tail backwards so it swells into a sound. Learn how to make it in any DAW, time it to the tempo and hear it in a free interactive lab.

    Lesson12 min

    What is delay feedback?

    Delay feedback sets how many echoes you hear and how fast they fade. Learn the dB-per-repeat maths, tail lengths at any tempo and what happens at 100%.

    Lesson12 min

    What is ping-pong delay?

    Ping-pong delay bounces echoes between the speakers. Hear it in a live lab, get the timing maths per side, fix the lopsided bounce and set it for vocals and synths.

    Lesson12 min

    Delay times and note values

    Work out delay times from BPM: 60,000 ÷ tempo gives one beat. Dotted 1/8, triplets and straight notes in ms, with a tap-tempo calculator and a delay lab.

    Lesson11 min

    What is slapback delay?

    Slapback delay is one fast echo 80 to 150 ms after the sound. Learn where it came from, the times, feedback and filters to use, and hear it in a live delay lab.

    Lesson13 min

    What is the Haas effect?

    The Haas effect explained: why a copy under 30 ms late sounds like one wider sound, how to widen a mono part with it, and what it does to your mix in mono.

    Lesson13 min

    What is ducked delay?

    A ducked delay turns its echoes down while the dry sound plays and lets them swell in the gaps. Hear it in a live lab, then set one up with a sidechain compressor.

    Lesson14 min

    What is tape delay?

    Learn what tape delay is and why tape echoes sound the way they do: darker repeats, saturation, wow and flutter, multiple heads and runaway feedback.

    Comparison11 min

    Reverb vs delay

    Reverb vs delay: delay gives separate repeats you can count, reverb thousands of echoes that blur into a wash. Hear both on one sound and learn when to use each.

    Comparison13 min

    Plate vs hall vs room vs spring reverb

    Plate, hall, room and spring reverb compared in a working lab: how each one starts, how its decay changes with frequency, and which to use on vocals and drums.

    Comparison13 min

    Algorithmic vs convolution reverb

    Algorithmic reverb builds a space from delay lines you can reshape live; convolution plays back a recorded impulse response. Hear both, captured from one space.

    Comparison13 min

    Insert vs send effects

    Insert vs send effects: what each routing does to the dry sound, why reverb and delay go on a send, and pre vs post-fader sends, with a two-channel mixer to try

    Comparison13 min

    Tape delay vs digital delay

    Tape delay vs digital delay compared in a live lab: darker repeats, saturation, wow and flutter, pitch bends and feedback, with settings for when to use each.

    Lesson13 min

    What is a chorus effect?

    Hear a chorus effect in a live lab and learn how rate, depth and mix set its pitch drift, how chorus differs from vibrato, and how to keep it safe in mono.

    Lesson13 min

    What is a flanger?

    A flanger mixes a sound with a copy delayed by under 10 ms and sweeps it. Hear the comb, feedback and the jet sound in a live lab, with settings for drums and guitar.

    Lesson13 min

    What is a phaser?

    Hear a phaser sweep in a live lab and see how chained allpass filters cut a few wide notches, what stages, rate, depth and feedback do, and how to use one.

    Lesson13 min

    What is tremolo?

    Hear tremolo in a live lab: set rate, depth and LFO shape, sync the pulse to your tempo, turn it into auto-pan, and learn how it differs from vibrato.

    Lesson13 min

    What is vibrato?

    What vibrato is, how a vibrato effect bends pitch with a moving delay, and how rate and depth set the swing in cents, with a playable lab and an ear quiz.

    Lesson13 min

    What is auto-pan?

    Auto-pan moves a sound between the speakers with an LFO. Hear it built from two tremolos, set rate, depth and shape, and see what pan law does to it in mono.

    Lesson13 min

    What is ring modulation?

    Ring modulation multiplies a sound by a carrier, turning each frequency into a sum and a difference. Hear why it sounds metallic, how it differs from AM, and more.

    Lesson13 min

    What is frequency shifting?

    A frequency shifter moves every frequency by the same number of hertz. Hear why that sounds metallic, how it differs from pitch shifting, and try it live.

    Lesson14 min

    What is a rotary speaker?

    Hear how a Leslie rotary speaker bends pitch, level and stereo with a spinning horn and drum, then set the speeds, ramp, balance and mics in a live lab.

    Lesson14 min

    What is an LFO?

    An LFO is a slow wave that moves a setting for you: tremolo, vibrato, filter wobbles and auto-pan. Hear every shape, rate and destination in a live lab.

    Comparison12 min

    Tremolo vs vibrato

    Tremolo moves the volume, vibrato moves the pitch. Hear both on one sound, see the numbers, and learn which to use, how to set them and why the names get swapped.

    Comparison12 min

    Ring modulation vs frequency shifting

    Ring modulation gives two copies of every frequency and frequency shifting gives one. Hear both on the same sound, with worked numbers and when to use each.

    Lesson12 min

    What is polarity in audio?

    What polarity means in audio, what the Ø invert button does, when to flip a snare bottom mic or layered kick, and how it differs from phase, with a live lab.

    Lesson13 min

    What is comb filtering?

    Comb filtering explained for beginners: why a late copy of a sound cuts evenly spaced notches, how to work out where they land and how to fix it, with a live lab.

    Lesson13 min

    What is stereo width?

    Stereo width explained for beginners, with a live lab: widen and narrow real loops, read correlation and the goniometer, and hear exactly what mono takes away.

    Lesson13 min

    What is mid/side processing?

    Mid/side processing explained for beginners, with a live lab: hear the mid and side on their own, change the width, mono the bass and compress the centre.

    Lesson13 min

    What is mono compatibility?

    Mono compatibility explained for beginners, with a live lab: press Mono on a real mix, hear wideners, Haas delays and polarity flips cancel, and learn the fixes.

    Lesson12 min

    What is a pan law?

    Pan laws explained for beginners, with a live lab: switch between 0, −3, −4.5 and −6 dB, sweep a sound across the speakers and hear what each does in mono.

    Lesson12 min

    How to read a correlation meter

    Learn to read a correlation meter: what +1, 0 and −1 mean, how a reading predicts mono loss, what goniometer shapes show and what the needle misses.

    Lesson13 min

    How to phase align drums

    How to phase align multi-miked drums: flip the snare bottom mic, nudge the overheads to the snare and hear each fix on a four-mic kit in a free interactive lab.

    Comparison12 min

    Phase vs polarity

    Phase vs polarity explained: a flip turns a wave upside down at every frequency, while a delay shifts each one differently. Hear and measure both in a live lab.

    Comparison12 min

    Stereo widener vs mid/side

    Stereo widener vs mid/side, explained with a live lab: hear why side gain leaves mono untouched while delay and chorus wideners comb filter when summed.

    Comparison12 min

    Haas effect vs panning

    Panning moves a sound with level and the Haas effect moves it with time. Hear both in a stereo lab and see why only the Haas delay comb filters in mono.

    Lesson13 min

    What is gain staging?

    Gain staging explained for beginners: set the trim, a plug-in and the fader on a live channel strip, see why -18 dBFS matters and hear where clipping really happens.

    Lesson13 min

    What is a decibel?

    What a decibel is, how to work it out, and what dBFS, dBTP, dBu, dBV and dB SPL mean, with a loudness lab that shows every 6 dB step on a real mix.

    Lesson14 min

    What is headroom in audio?

    Headroom is the gap between your loudest peak and 0 dBFS. How much to leave when recording, mixing and mastering, with a live meter to try it on real loops.

    Lesson13 min

    What is true peak?

    True peak is how high a waveform really goes between its samples. See intersample peaks up close, compare sample and true peak limiters, and set a safe ceiling.

    Lesson13 min

    What are dynamic range and crest factor?

    Crest factor is the gap between a sound's peaks and its RMS level. Measure it, and loudness range and PLR, on real loops in a free lab, and see limiting shrink it.

    Lesson13 min

    What is loudness normalisation?

    How Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music normalise loudness, with a live LUFS lab: hear loud masters turned down, quiet ones held back by their peaks, and why.

    Lesson13 min

    What is dither?

    What dither is, why rounding to 16 bits distorts quiet sounds, when to dither an export and what noise shaping does, with a live lab that rounds a loop to any bit depth.

    Lesson14 min

    What are sample rate and bit depth?

    What sample rate and bit depth mean, why 44.1 and 48 kHz exist and why you record at 24-bit, with a live converter you can set from 8 kHz and 2 bits.

    Comparison13 min

    LUFS vs RMS vs peak

    Peak, RMS and LUFS meters compared on real loops: what each one measures, why two sounds with the same peak can sit 8 LU apart, and which meter to use when.

    Comparison12 min

    dBFS vs dBu vs dBV

    dBFS counts down from digital full scale; dBu and dBV measure voltage against 0.775 V and 1 V. Hear how your converter links them, with +4 dBu vs −10 dBV.

    Comparison12 min

    Normalising vs limiting

    Normalising moves a whole file by one fixed gain; a limiter turns only the loudest peaks down so the track gets louder. Hear both at the same peak in the lab.

    Comparison11 min

    Sample rate vs bit depth

    Sample rate sets the highest frequency a file can hold and bit depth sets its noise floor. Hear each one lowered on the same loop and see which matters more.

    Lesson13 min

    Oscillator waveforms: sine, saw, square and triangle

    Hear sine, triangle, square, saw and pulse waves on a live synth, see their harmonics on a scope and spectrum, and learn which wave to start each sound from.

    Lesson13 min

    What is a filter envelope?

    Learn what a filter envelope does on a synth: cutoff, envelope amount and filter decay explained with real numbers and a playable synth lab you can hear.

    Lesson15 min

    What is FM synthesis?

    Learn what FM synthesis is: carrier, modulator, ratio, modulation index and sidebands explained with real numbers, a playable two-operator FM lab and a quiz.

    Lesson13 min

    What is wavetable synthesis?

    Learn what wavetable synthesis is: frames, wavetable position and how envelopes and LFOs move it, with a playable wavetable synth lab and an ear-training quiz.

    Lesson13 min

    What are unison and detune?

    Learn what unison and detune do on a synth: voices, cents, stereo width, mono checks and how to make a supersaw, with a playable unison lab and an ear quiz.

    Lesson13 min

    White, pink and brown noise

    White, pink and brown noise explained: what each colour means in dB per octave, how they sound and where to use them, with a live noise lab and ear quiz.

    Lesson15 min

    How pitch shifting and time stretching work

    How pitch shifting and time stretching work: varispeed, grains, WSOLA, formants and DAW warp modes, with a lab that stretches and pitches real loops as you listen.

    Comparison13 min

    Subtractive vs FM vs wavetable synthesis

    Subtractive filters a bright wave, FM bends sine waves to add partials, wavetable blends stored shapes. Hear all three at matched level and learn when to use each.

    Comparison12 min

    Time stretching vs pitch shifting

    Time stretching changes tempo and keeps the key; pitch shifting changes the key and keeps the tempo. Hear both, plus varispeed, and learn which fits each job.

    Technique15 min

    How to build a vocal chain

    Build a vocal chain one plug-in at a time: high-pass, EQ cut, compressor, de-esser, saturation and tone EQ, in a working lab you can hear with your own voice.

    Technique14 min

    How to set up a drum bus

    How to set up a drum bus: routing in your DAW, then EQ, glue compression, saturation and a clipper in order, with starting settings and a lab you can play with.

    Technique15 min

    How to mix kick and bass

    How to get a kick and bass to share the low end: pick who owns the sub, tune the kick, carve with EQ and duck the bass with a short sidechain, in a live lab.

    Technique14 min

    How to build a mastering chain

    How to build a mastering chain: EQ, gentle compression, soft clipping and a limiter, in order, with a working chain that measures LUFS and true peak as you go.

    Technique14 min

    How to order effects in a chain

    What order should effects go in? Hear EQ, compression, drive and reverb swapped in a live chain, with measured results and a common order that works.

    Technique14 min

    Signal flow in a DAW mixer

    Signal flow is the order a sound meets every control on its way to the speakers. Follow a DAW mixer from trim and inserts to fader, bus and master in a live lab.

    Technique14 min

    How to use reference tracks

    Learn how to use reference tracks: pick them, match their loudness in LUFS, and compare low end and brightness band by band in a free interactive lab.

    Comparison12 min

    Mixing vs mastering

    Mixing balances every track of a song; mastering finishes the stereo mix for release. Hear one bass fix done both ways in a lab that measures what each costs.

    Comparison13 min

    EQ before or after compression?

    Should EQ go before or after compression? Cuts before, boosts after. Hear why in a lab that runs one EQ before, after, split or in the sidechain of a compressor.

    Comparison12 min

    Clipper vs limiter vs transient shaper

    Clipper vs limiter vs transient shaper: what each one does to a drum hit, which adds punch, which adds loudness, and the order to use them in, with a lab.

    Comparison12 min

    Mono vs stereo

    Mono vs stereo audio explained: one channel against two, what a mono sum does to a stereo mix, and what to record, mix and export in each, with a live lab.

    Technique15 min

    How to make drums hit harder

    Make drums hit harder with a transient shaper, slow-attack compression, parallel compression and clipping, with a live lab that measures punch on every hit.

    Lesson13 min

    How to protect your hearing when you make music

    How loud is too loud? The 85 dB(A) limit, the 3 dB rule, safe mixing levels, earplugs and tinnitus signs, with a lab that works out your listening dose.

    Lesson14 min

    What is compression?

    A compressor turns loud moments down so the quiet detail sits closer to the front. Learn threshold, ratio, attack and release on a free compressor in your browser.

    Comparison12 min

    Soft clipping vs hard clipping vs limiting

    A clipper cuts the top off the wave; a limiter turns the level down. Switch between all three on one sound, watch the waveform change and learn which to use when.

    Lesson15 min

    What is EQ?

    EQ turns chosen frequencies up or down. Drag the bands on a live equaliser, hear each range of the spectrum on its own and learn when to cut, boost or filter.

    Lesson13 min

    What is saturation?

    What is saturation? Hear tape, valve, clipping, wavefolding and bitcrushing on a live lab that measures the harmonics each one adds, at matched loudness.

    Lesson14 min

    What is reverb?

    What reverb is and how to set it: pre-delay, decay, damping and mix explained on a live stereo reverb with room, hall, plate, spring and chamber types.

    Lesson13 min

    What is delay?

    Learn what a delay effect does on a live stereo delay: tempo-synced note values, feedback, ping-pong, filtered and ducked repeats, slapback, and ear training.

    Comparison13 min

    Chorus vs flanger vs phaser

    Hear chorus, flanger and phaser side by side in a live lab, see how each one sweeps notches through a sound, and learn which suits a guitar part or a vocal.

    Lesson14 min

    What is phase in audio?

    Phase in audio explained for beginners, with a live lab: flip polarity, delay one side, hear comb filtering and stereo width collapse when you press Mono.

    Lesson14 min

    What is LUFS?

    What LUFS is and how a loudness meter works, with a live BS.1770 meter: push a master into a limiter and hear Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music turn it down.

    Lesson14 min

    What is sidechain compression?

    Sidechain compression explained for beginners: hear a kick duck the bass live, set threshold, ratio, attack and release, and learn ducking versus pumping.

    Lesson13 min

    What is an ADSR envelope?

    Learn what an ADSR envelope does on a synth: attack, decay, sustain and release explained with times in ms, a playable synth lab and an ear-training quiz.

    Article6 min

    Murmur vs Baby Audio Grainferno: the closest comparison

    Both are granular instruments with two morphable samples and grains that reach audio rate. One ships a library, the other assumes you bring one.

    Article6 min

    Murmur vs Output Portal: an instrument and an effect

    Portal granulates whatever is on the track; Murmur is a sample you play from the keyboard. Which job you have decides which one you want.

    Article6 min

    Murmur vs Audio Damage Quanta 2: two granular instruments

    A genuine like-for-like. Quanta is the deeper synth, Murmur is built around slicing and playing a recording, and one of them is free to try.

    Article6 min

    What Murmur's free version does, and what a licence adds

    The whole grain engine is free and does not expire. A licence buys modulation, a second layer, the sequencer, the FX rack and saving presets.

    Article9 min

    What is granular synthesis? Explained with grains you can move

    Granular synthesis explained by doing: drag position, grain size, density and jitter on a live grain cloud and watch what each one changes.

    Article6 min

    The Murmur walkthrough video, transcribed

    The full 13-minute Murmur tutorial with a clickable transcript: every control from loading a sample to Morph, timestamped so you can jump.