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Hi! This is Shana Bethune on behalf of Expert Village and I am going to talk to you about
using effects. Effects are wonderful tools if you use them correctly. They can help bring
out certain instruments, particularly vocals but if you over use effects, you will get
the opposite of what you want. Your sound will be muddy and vague. The trick is to figure
out what needs effects and what doesn't. Experiment with reverb delay and chorus. Chorus on base
guitar rounds out the sound of the base and gives it more edge. Delay on guitars make
it sound spacey and exciting. You will probably want to use some reverbs on the vocal. Be
careful though use it sparingly else where. Too much reverb can make everything sound
crazy. This is particularly true when you have different kinds of reverb on instruments.
I like to use just enough reverb on the vocal so they don't sound naked. That way the vocal
still sounds clear in the mix. If you are feeling experimental, try playing the vocal
through the guitar amp plug in. Mis-using effects if you do it right, can have great
results. Before you go crazy with effects, remember that bringing a part forward in a
mix is often a better way of highlighting it and drenching it in effects. The whole
point of effects is to strengthen your sound, not bury it.