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Whenever we add effects to sounds within a mix, those effects tend to fall into one of two categories: insert effects to individual sounds or auxiliary effects that can be shared by a number of sounds at once. Broadly speaking, EQ and compression are best suited to the former, while reverbs and delays, which we'll usually want to access for a number of different sounds, work best as auxiliaries.This tutorial, however, focuses on parallel processing techniques, which form a grey area between these approaches. It's worth remembering that when we set up a reverb effect via an auxiliary, the whole of our dry sound continues to play back via its own channel, with a second channel of reverb mixed in; these twin channels combine in the output to produce a mix between the two. While we don't tend to refer to reverb effects set up this way as a parallel process, this is exactly what we've created: two channels running side by side to produce a sonic result we like. Parallel processing can be used to create all kinds of sonic treatments, however, and through this tutorial, we'll discover that swapping the reverb effect in the example given above for other effects we'd normally use as inserts—EQ, compression and distortion—can add powerful mix weight to our tracks.Of course, we have level control over this parallel treatment, too. If the compressed drum treatment is dominating the dry drum sources, we can simply drop the fader level of the auxiliary bus to more subtly blend these reinforced drums under the original programmed beats. That, of course, will depend on the requirements of the mix, which are impossible to judge until our track has been fleshed out to a fuller arrangement.loud now, in fact. So, to blend this parallel treatment to a more appropriate level, all we need to do is drop the fader level of the auxiliary bus where the parallel compressor is inserted and put it at a level where it will be less domineering. We settle for a fader position of -4.2 dB.Of course, the level of the parallel channel may need to change as the track undergoes further development; if the arrangement suddenly expands to include a range of more powerful sounds, we may need to increase its volume, whereas if it drops back to a sparser arrangement, less level may be required. It's common for mix engineers to use extensive automation on parallel channels to ensure that they're at the right level. In whichever DAW you work with, don't be afraid to create volume automation lines to keep parallel channel volumes under control.What's clear is that just like regular inserts on individual sounds, we can construct chains of effects on our parallel channels to compose the best possible treatments for our tracks.The pad sound is quite dull and muted at the moment, as it's being filtered. However, the core sound works well, so we don't want to open the filter to change the frequency balance of this. However, we could try enhancing the pad with a second tonal treatment to breathe some air and life into it.Of course, if that stereo movement is too stark, we could smudge it by sending the parallel EQ treatment to the delay on Auxiliary 2, which adds a further step of mix complexity. So now we know that not only can different effects be used as parallel treatments, and that those effects can be further enhanced by longer effects chains, we also know that we can route our parallel auxiliary treatments into other ordinary auxiliary treatments such as reverb and delay.In our final example, we're going to look at using distortion as a parallel treatment. For a long time, distortion was seen as a guitar-only effect, but, due to the grit it can provide, it's become an essential addition to signal chains for electronic producers of many genres. As we'll soon see, even at low levels, various forms of distortion can be fantastic effects to add as parallel treatments to lead vocals. Distortion expands the harmonic range of input signals, so if your vocal is soft and floaty, for example, reinforcing lower frequency content with parallel distortion can be hugely effective.This shows us that parallel treatments can play a vital role even when set deep in a mix. As always, it all depends on context, and your ears informing the choices you make. Now that you've seen how parallel treatments are set up, you can explore your own approaches to techniques for compression, EQ and distortion and any number of other creative applications.