Effects and DSP (Digital Sound Processing) are some of the subtle changes that can set your music apart from the rest. Big Phasers & Chorus are the key to Pendulum’s tearing basslines. Long Flangers with huge feedback give Fat Boy Slim his ego. And the Compressor is the most versatile tool in Daft Punks rack. Ok, here's the terminology.

Modulation - "The process whereby some characteristic of one wave is varied in accordance with some characteristic of another wave" Modulation consists of two components; A Modulator and Carrier. A good example is if you were humming a note and you used your hand to vibrate your throat, then your hand would be the Modulator and your humming would be the Carrier. Modulation effects include Flanger, Chorus & Phaser

Filter - A filter is used to remove frequencies from a waveform. For example; a Low Pass Filter filters out high frequencies and lets low frequencies 'pass'. Visa versa for a High Pass Filter. Also Low Cut/High Cutremove frequencies respectively.

Dynamic - Probably the most effective yet subtle effects you have to hand Equalization or EQ Fine tune your instrumentation across the frequency spectrum. Boost as well as cut. Remember less is definitely more. Compressor will squash the dynamic range of a signal, reducing the loud and increasing the quiet. Very subtle changes will have big effects as will the Limiter; Limits the signal at a given threshold. Similar to compression but when you gain experience differences are made clear.

Reverb - Reverberation An essential tool for creating depth and colour. Recent breakthrough's mathematics has ensured the birth of IR or Impulse Response. This enables you to physically 'record' a room’s dimensions or reverberation/reflections. An absolutely fascinating tool breathing reverbs only previously available with ultra-expensive hardware. Reverb units sporting IR are Alti-Verb (£300 approx) and Logic's Space Designer (inc with Logic 6/7).