Snapping recorded notes to the timing grid to tighten up the rhythm.
Quantizing is a DAW feature that automatically nudges recorded notes — usually MIDI, but sometimes audio — onto the nearest point of a rhythmic grid, correcting small timing imperfections so a part sits tightly with the beat. If you play a drum pattern slightly out of time, quantizing to, say, sixteenth notes will pull each hit precisely into place. It is a hugely useful tool for beginners and for achieving the crisp, machine-tight feel of electronic and pop music. Used heavily, though, quantizing can strip out the human feel that makes a performance breathe, so producers often quantize partially or leave parts loose on purpose to preserve groove.
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