AUDIO PROCESSING

Audio consoles originally gave the ability to control sound volume and placement in a left-right stereo field.  Eventually other devices such as EQ were plugged into consoles and were eventually built into each channel.  Digital versions of mixing consoles have digital versions of these other devices called PLUGINS.

Processing audio can be performed in both subtle and obvious ways.  In some cases processing allows an Engineer to mix a song so that a specific feeling is expressed without being obvious, in others a signature effect is used for its recognition (such as extreme auto-tune).  Processing sounds in specific ways can create a musical genre, such as the Reggae Dub, and can be an extension of the Avante Garde concepts of the studio as an instrument and musical tracks as raw materials.

Regardless of if you are using actual pieces of equipment or virtual plugins, it is important to consider how the processes you use affect the gain structure of the sound you are working on and even the entire mix.