No music theory needed. Here's what every free BandLab effect does, when to reach for it, and where to start the knobs for each layer of your cover.
Think of every layer as someone in a group photo.
| You'll see | It means | Everyday comparison |
|---|---|---|
| dB | Loudness. + is louder, – is quieter, 0 dB is unchanged. | 1–2 dB is subtle; 6 dB is clearly noticeable. |
| Hz / kHz | Pitch range. Low numbers are deep, high numbers are bright. | 100 Hz = rumble, 1 kHz = telephone voice, 10 kHz = sparkle. |
| ms | Time. 1000 ms = 1 second. | 10 ms is instant, 300 ms is a short pause. |
| Ratio | How strongly a compressor squashes loud parts. | 4:1 = 4 dB over the line comes out 1 dB over. |
| Mix / Wet / Dry | Dry = your voice, wet = the effect only, mix = the blend. | Milk in tea: 0% black tea, 100% only milk. |
| 1/4, 1/8 | Note lengths that follow the song tempo. | Clapping on every beat vs twice per beat. |
| Range | What lives there | Too much sounds like | Too little sounds like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below 80–100 Hz | Rumble, mic bumps, AC hum | Muddy, boomy | Nothing — cut it on vocals |
| 100–250 Hz | Body, warmth, chest voice | Thick, boomy | Thin, weak |
| 250–500 Hz | Mud and boxiness | Singing in a cardboard box | Hollow |
| 800 Hz–1.5 kHz | Nasal, honky area | Like a telephone | Distant |
| 2–5 kHz | Presence: where words get clear | Harsh, shouty | Dull, words hard to hear |
| 5–8 kHz | Sibilance: s, sh, t, ch | Sharp S's that hurt | Lispy, dull |
| 10 kHz and up | Air, breathy sparkle | Hissy, brittle | Dark, closed-in |
Effects run top to bottom. Run Denoise on the clip itself (right-click it) before any of this.
Removes steady background noise: fan hum, AC hiss, computer whine. Right-click the audio clip and choose Denoise. It runs automatically and has no knobs.
When your voice is loud enough, the door opens and you are heard. When you stop singing, the door closes and the noise in between (breaths, room hum, headphone bleed) goes silent.
Turns down only the sharp “s”, “sh”, “ch” and “t” sounds, leaving the rest of the voice alone.
Listens to each note you sing and pulls it to the nearest correct note in the song's key. 6 styles are free: Classic, Modern Rap, Big Harmony, Duet, Robot, Simulacrum.
A simple 3-band tone control, plus a knob that chooses which mid range to adjust.
Each slider controls one fixed frequency band, from deep (left) to bright (right). Push a slider up to boost that band, pull it down to cut.
Its Mode picks the filter shape. High-pass removes everything below the Frequency, low-pass removes everything above it, shelves turn one side up or down, and a peak boosts or cuts a bump.
When you sing loud, it turns you down a little. When you sing soft, it leaves you alone. Loud and soft words end up closer together, so your voice stays clear the whole song.
The same job as DIGI Comp with the standard compressor controls: evens out loud and quiet words.
A copy of a famous smooth vintage compressor. The easiest compressor for beginners: only a couple of knobs, and very forgiving.
A copy of a famous fast, punchy compressor. Great for making a lead vocal sound upfront and energetic.
Repeats your voice after a short time, in time with the beat.
Simulates your voice bouncing around a space: a small room, a hall, a church. The more reverb a layer has, the further back it sounds.
Makes sound lo-fi and crunchy by lowering its digital quality.
Like Bit Bandit: lowers the digital quality for a lo-fi, crunchy sound.
Overdrive: pushes the sound until it gets warm, then gritty, then distorted. Mostly meant for guitars.
Vintage vibrato.
Makes the whole song louder and more even at export, so it sounds right next to other songs. Free presets: Universal (balanced, start here), Fire (louder, punchy), Clarity (brighter, good for vocal covers), Tape (warmer, vintage).
| Layer | Volume | Pan | EQ | Compression | Delay | Reverb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mains | 0 dB (loudest) | Center | High-pass ~100 Hz, a little air | BA-2A medium | 1/4, low | Light (10–20%) |
| Doubles | ≈ -7 dB | Center / slight L-R | High-pass ~150 Hz | Firmer than mains | 1/8, low | ≈ 30% |
| High harms | ≈ -10 dB | 30% L | Cut lows, soften highs | Medium | None | ≈ 40% |
| Low harms | ≈ -10 dB | 30% R | High-pass ~150 Hz | Medium | None | ≈ 40% |
| (Adlibs) | ≈ -4 dB | Off-center | Normal | Light | None / short | More |
| [Bg vocals] | ≈ -10 dB | Wide L-R | High-pass ~200 Hz | Strong | None | Lots |
| {Echo} | ≈ -10 dB | Wide | Low-pass 3 kHz + high-pass 300 Hz | Medium | Long, repeats | Medium |
| Problem | Most likely fix |
|---|---|
| Muddy / boomy | High-pass at 100 Hz; cut 250–500 Hz a little |
| Boxy, like in a cardboard box | Sweep and cut around 300–500 Hz |
| Nasal / telephone-y | Small cut around 800 Hz–1.5 kHz |
| Dull, words hard to understand | Small boost 2–5 kHz; less reverb |
| Harsh, tiring | Cut a little around 3–5 kHz; reduce the High boost |
| Sharp, painful S's | DeEsser (lower its threshold); reduce the high-end boost |
| Some words too loud, others vanish | Compressor (more Squeeze / lower Threshold) |
| Flat and lifeless | Less compression; slower attack |
| Breaths too loud | Less compression; Noise Gate; or lower the breath clips by hand |
| Background hiss | Denoise the clip; Noise Gate for gaps |
| Sounds far away | Less reverb Mix; add pre-delay |
| Dry and pasted on top | More reverb Mix or a little delay |
| Harmonies fight the lead | Turn harmonies down; pan them out; cut more low end from them |
| Robotic, warbly long notes | Lower the AutoPitch Level; check the key |
| Whole mix too quiet vs other songs | Mastering preset (Universal first) |
BandLab's own tutorials often mention these. Use the free swap instead.