From grimoire
Determines optimal audio processing order for plugins and hardware to maximize headroom and sound quality, covering gain staging, EQ, compression, and time-based effects.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/grimoire:design-signal-chainThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Determine the correct order of processing tools in an audio signal chain to maximize headroom and achieve the intended sonic result.
Determine the correct order of processing tools in an audio signal chain to maximize headroom and achieve the intended sonic result.
Adopted by: Bob Katz's gain staging approach is used universally in mastering; UA Apollo console design reflects decades of hardware signal chain research Impact: Bob Katz established the K-System metering standard adopted by the AES (Audio Engineering Society) precisely because signal chain gain staging errors are the most common cause of quality loss in digital audio
Why best: Processing order is not arbitrary — it determines what each subsequent processor "hears." A compressor after a distortion pedal hears a different signal than a compressor before it. Incorrect order causes the wrong problems to be compressed, the wrong frequencies to be EQ'd, and saturation to occur at the wrong stage. Getting the chain right once prevents hours of remedial work.
Vocal chain: High-pass (100Hz, 12dB/oct) → De-esser (6-9kHz dynamic cut) → Compressor (4:1, fast attack, auto-release) → Saturation (subtle tape emulation, +0.5dB drive) → Additive EQ (air shelf +2dB at 12kHz, presence +1.5dB at 3kHz) → Send to Reverb bus. Gain at output: peaks -8 dBFS, RMS -14 dBFS.
npx claudepluginhub jeffreytse/grimoire --plugin grimoireDeep expertise in audio effects for sound design and mixing. Covers distortion/saturation taxonomy, modulation effects, time-based processing, creative effect chains, and effects automation. Use this skill whenever the user wants to choose effects, design sounds, build effect chains, make creative processing decisions, add warmth or grit (saturation/distortion), set up reverb or delay, create specific sonic textures (ethereal, lo-fi, massive, underwater), understand the science behind effects (harmonics, comb filtering, all-pass filters), or automate effects for dynamic transitions. Also use when the user asks about making something "bigger," "wider," "warmer," or "more interesting" -- those are effects engineering questions even if they don't mention specific plugins.
Designs the full vocal production signal chain from microphone selection through EQ, compression, de-essing, reverb/delay, and automation for polished lead vocals.
Polishes raw Suno audio by processing per-stem WAVs with targeted cleanup, EQ, and compression, then remixing into a polished stereo WAV ready for mastering.