Using Effects for Energy

Effects aren’t just polish — they’re compositional tools that shape energy and emotion.

Effects and Energy Relationship

More Effect	Energy Change
More reverb	Lower energy (floating, distant)
Less reverb	Higher energy (present, punchy)
More delay	Lower energy (spacious, hypnotic)
Less delay	Higher energy (tight, direct)
Lower cutoff	Lower energy (dark, muffled)
Higher cutoff	Higher energy (bright, aggressive)

Section-Based Effects

Intro (Atmospheric)

with_fx :reverb, room: 0.8, mix: 0.5 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 1, decay: 5, mix: 0.45 do
    arp 0.5
  end
end

High reverb + long delay = distant, building.

Build (Opening)

with_fx :reverb, room: 0.65, mix: 0.4 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 0.75, decay: 4, mix: 0.35 do
    melody 0.7
  end
end

Moderate effects = presence increasing.

Main (Present)

with_fx :reverb, room: 0.6, mix: 0.35 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 0.5, decay: 3, mix: 0.3 do
    melody 0.8
  end
end

Tighter effects = full energy, present.

Break (Floating)

with_fx :reverb, room: 0.95, mix: 0.65 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 1.5, decay: 8, mix: 0.55 do
    melody 0.5
  end
end

Maximum effects = tension, floating, yearning.

Peak (Punchy)

with_fx :reverb, room: 0.5, mix: 0.25 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 0.5, decay: 2.5, mix: 0.25 do
    melody 0.95
  end
end

Minimal effects = maximum impact, energy.

Outro (Fading)

with_fx :reverb, room: 0.9, mix: 0.6 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 1.25, decay: 10, mix: 0.55 do
    melody 0.4
  end
end

Long decay = notes fade into infinity.

Effect Parameter Ranges

Reverb Room Size

Value	Character	Use
0.4-0.5	Tight	Peak, drops
0.6-0.7	Medium	Main sections
0.8-0.9	Large	Builds, intros
0.95-1.0	Huge	Breaks, outros

Echo Decay

Value	Character	Use
2-3	Short	Tight, punchy
4-5	Medium	Standard
6-8	Long	Atmospheric
10+	Very long	Outros, fades

Mix (Wet/Dry)

Value	Character	Use
0.2-0.3	Subtle	Peak energy
0.35-0.45	Balanced	Main
0.5-0.6	Prominent	Atmospheric
0.65+	Drenched	Breaks, ethereal

Effect Automation

Reverb Building

# Increasing reverb over a section
[:0.5, :0.6, :0.7, :0.8].each do |room|
  with_fx :reverb, room: room, mix: 0.4 do
    melody 0.7
  end
end

Delay Increasing

# Longer delays as section progresses
[3, 4, 5, 6].each do |decay|
  with_fx :echo, phase: 0.75, decay: decay, mix: 0.4 do
    arp 0.6
  end
end

Contrast for Impact

The break’s heavy effects make the drop feel more powerful:

# BREAK: Maximum effects
with_fx :reverb, room: 0.95, mix: 0.6 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 1.5, decay: 8, mix: 0.5 do
    melody 0.5  # Floating, distant
  end
end

hit 1.5

# DROP: Minimal effects
with_fx :reverb, room: 0.5, mix: 0.25 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 0.5, decay: 2, mix: 0.2 do
    drums 1.15, 1.05, 0.85  # Punchy, immediate
    melody 0.95
  end
end

Element-Specific Effects

Drums (Usually Dry)

# Little to no reverb on kicks
with_fx :reverb, room: 0.4, mix: 0.15 do
  drums 1, 0.9, 0.7
end

Bass (Dry)

# No reverb on bass (keeps it tight)
bassline 1, 80  # No effects wrapper

Leads (Wet)

# Reverb + delay on leads
with_fx :reverb, room: 0.6, mix: 0.4 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 0.5, decay: 3, mix: 0.3 do
    melody 0.8
  end
end

Arps (Very Wet)

# Heavy effects on arps
with_fx :reverb, room: 0.75, mix: 0.5 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 0.75, decay: 4, mix: 0.4 do
    arp 0.6
  end
end

Quick Reference

# Low energy (atmospheric)
with_fx :reverb, room: 0.9, mix: 0.6 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 1, decay: 6, mix: 0.5 do
    # Floating, distant
  end
end

# Full energy (present)
with_fx :reverb, room: 0.6, mix: 0.35 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 0.5, decay: 3, mix: 0.3 do
    # Present, driving
  end
end

# Maximum energy (punchy)
with_fx :reverb, room: 0.5, mix: 0.25 do
  with_fx :echo, phase: 0.5, decay: 2, mix: 0.2 do
    # Tight, impactful
  end
end

# Effects by section:
# Intro:  room 0.8, decay 5
# Build:  room 0.65, decay 4
# Main:   room 0.6, decay 3
# Break:  room 0.95, decay 8
# Peak:   room 0.5, decay 2.5
# Outro:  room 0.9, decay 10

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