by "regulating" amma means that the stitch regulator automatically coordinates the speed of the needle with the speed with which you are moving the fabric around...this ensures that your stitches will be of equal length...without a regulator, if you are barely moving the fabric and the needle is going really fast, you end up with very tiny stitches...and if you are moving the fabric really fast and the needle is moving slowly, the stitches will be really long, which is not a good look for machine quilting. A quilter can successfully machine quilt without a stitch regulator...many have and do...but having one makes it a lot easier to get the look you want the first time. If you don't have a stitch regulator you'll probably need to practice, practice, practice before your stitches look consistent.