Upgrade Manual

Appendix A: "Audio Plugins" 71
Appendix A: "Audio Plugins"
DSP Effects - A Primer
Band-in-a-Box is capable of producing high-quality 'rendered' DSP effects in
software. These effects are designed to simulate 'outboard effects' (i.e. rack-
mount devices or 'stomp-boxes') without the additional cost of extra equipment.
Since each software effect is actually a small 'program', they are much more
flexible than the hardware they simulate, providing for many more parameter
changes and 'presets' than are usually available in outboard equipment
Additionally, unlike most hardware outboard effects, software DSP effects are
applied directly to the digital waveform, and require no analog-to-digital
conversion process to impact a track- the result: no 'A to D' noise! These
features combine to make internal software-based DSP effects an indispensable
tool for the computer audio engineer.
Real-time effects can aid in both the recording and playback process, while
'rendered' effects are used more in the mix-down process. Band-in-a-Box offers
'rendered' effects, which aids in this 'mix-down' process.
Rendered effects
are effects that are applied to tracks
after
the recording
process, and when applied, take some time to generate before the affects can be
auditioned. They are generally of much higher quality than their real-time
counterparts. Rendered effects are also much easier to create, so there is usually
more of them; and a more varied selection of different effects to choose from.
Tip: When using more than one effect on a given track, it is best to plan the
order in which you apply the effects, as the order in which they are applied can
significantly vary the end result. (e.g., Compression/Expansion is usually added
last, whereas Reverb or Echo is added after Distortion and/or Chorus, etc.).
The Band-in-a-Box effects 'plug-ins' are all accessed under the
AUDIO
menu.
What follows is a list of some of the 'rendered' effects and the user-definable
settings that Band-in-a-Box ships with at the time of this writing, with more
being added all the time.
Compressor
A compressor can "squeeze" the dynamics of a performance. In other words,
compression reduces the difference between loud and soft parts of a track.
Compression is useful for leveling a performance. If sections of a performance
are too loud, and other sections too soft, compression can level the performance.