How to use distortion and saturation

plugins effectively?
Aniek de Rooij
It is often sai d that worki ng i n the di gital domain can make your sounds
seem clinical and harsh. Si nce the existence of computer -based music
people are l ooki ng for ways to make our di gital synths sound warmer and
more complex, the sounds that remi nd us of the imperfections of
anal ogue synths.

There are several means to achieve bite and movement. We can layer the
synth with multiple patches to make it more complex. There are all sorts
of pl ugins to make your sounds more vi nyl by adding crackles, bi t
crushi ng, grit and background noises. Varyi ng parameters li ke cutoff and
resonance usi ng automati on or an LFO can also breathe more life into
your synthesized sounds. The way we pl ay the synth can also make a huge
difference in if it sounds human enough.
This is all very i nteresting and can definitel y add up to a good result but
to really achieve that warm/gritty sound we will have to l ook at distortion
and saturati on so we can achieve that grungy Chemical Brothers/Prodi gy
sound ourselves and pump out fat bass li nes like Benny Benassi .

So what is distortion exactly? And whats the difference between distortion,
saturation and overdrive? Theoretically, distortion is defined as any process that
changes the signal. In an analogue situation distortion usually arises when the
circuits are overloaded. This analogue distortion causes the signal to get
squashed and clipped as the circuitrys inability to produce higher levels is
flattening the peaks.

This can add overtones and harmonics to the sound. The even harmonics
produced by for example valve distortion are considered to be pleasant.
Inharmonic overtones and odd-order harmonics most of the time are considered
very harsh and edgy, but can
add richness and depth.
Distortion is sometimes also
called overdrive, although most
of the time overdrive is a less
intense version of distortion.
Because of the added overtones,
distortion can add perceived
loudness to the sound while
peaking at the same level.


SOURCE: WWW.DONREIMAN.COM

The digital equivalent of analogue distortion is called bit crushing. It produces a
quite harsh sound caused by the deliberate reducing of quality of digital audio.
Bit crushing can produce really nice lo-fi effects.

Saturation can actually be referred to as a type of distortion. Back in the days it
was caused by too loud signals feeding into the tape machine. Magnetic tape has
the property to slowly get saturated to the point were no sound can be
recorded. This does not produce the harsh digital clipping effect, but breaks
down in an unpredictable manner.

Fortunately, tape saturation tends to sound very pleasant to the ear. It is used to
add subtle compression and distortion to a sound and can make your mix sound
bigger and louder.

So far for the theoretical background, its clear that distortion and saturation are
useful effects for achieving a boulder sound. So how can we use these effects and
in what ways? In the section below I will break down several options available
for using distortion and saturation, and give you a guideline to what tools and
plugins are best for the job.
DISTORTION
So how can we achieve distortion? Whats there available to us? There are a
few different ways to achieve a nice distorted effect:
1. Re-amping
A nice way to add some more life is to pass the
sound through an amplifier, boom box or
radio and record this. This process is called
re-amping. The amount of distortion achieved
is dependent of the pre-amp and amplifier
used. This can also add some nice room
reverberation to your synth sound.

Try re-amping with multiple microphones for
a nice stereo effect. Of course there are also
enough digital emulations to use like Guitar
Rig, Amplitube and the like.

You need a reamp box for better results when
re-amping. The reamp box converts the signal
to a +4dBu signal which is industry standard in amps and guitars.

When mixing the signal back in with the original, phase differences can occur.
You should try aligning the two signals, phase invert or use some track delay.





2. Stomp Boxes
We could also route the sound through an analog overdrive or distortion pedal.
For electronic musicians it can be very nice to use these kinds of pedals,
unfortunately we are not that common with the various types of distortion. The
following types of distortion exist:

1. Fuzz: can make the sound very bass heavy, have a mushy sound and it
can be overbearing or sound artificial.
2. Overdrive: Is made as an overdriven tube amp emulation. It provides a
nice volume boost and adds a little grit, although it often preserves a part
of the original signal. Its often used for guitar solos to give it more
presence live.
3. Distortion: normal distortion often produces a pretty heavy metal like
distortion.

3. Plugins
There is a massive amount of distortion plugins available; each one with is own
distinctive character. Below Ive put together the most useful distortion plugins.

VST Distinctive Features
Ohmforce
Ohmicide
Ohmicide is one of the leaders in the
distortion market. Its multiband
compatibility makes it a very flexible plugin
with tons of options.

CamelCrusher A great plugin
D16s Devastator The sound of this plugin is great; it can add
enough grit to make your bass sounds really
stand out.

NI Guitar Rig Guitar Rig is great to emulate classic guitar
sounds, but can work just as fine on any
synth or bass sound.

SoundToys
Decapitator
This freaky plugin can do everything from
the most subtle saturation to heavy
distortion.

IK Multimedia
Amplitube
Some say this is the better version of Guitar
Rig. The amp emulations are outstanding.

Fab Filter Saturn Also suitable for saturation, this is an
excellent plugin.

Abletons
Overdrive
Do not forget the build in plugins from your
DAW, the Ableton overdrive can produce
great results.


Example:

I routed my bass sound through an
instance of D16s Devastator and
then I used an MXR GT-OD
overdrive pedal. Which one do you
like best? (In the attachment:
2typesofdistortion.wav)


SATURATION
So now we looked at how to achieve a distorted sound, wed like to achieve
a more subtle sound. But still add harmonics and fatness to the sound. There
are a few ways to achieve a saturated sound.
Tape-Saturation
Tape saturation is the low level distortion caused by recording to tape. Driving
the meters to or over 0 dB causes analogue clipping, which is different from the
harsh digital clipping. Tape saturation can give you a punchier sound, as it adds a
slight compression and distortion. It can add some mid frequency range content
to the sound and can work well to bring elements slightly forward in the mix. It
is mainly used though in the mastering stage, and can be used instead of a
compressor.

One of the most realistic options for using saturation is of course to use a real
tape machine. Route the sound into the tape machine and drive it as loud as you
desire. Then record the output back into your computer. You can buy a used tape
recorder, but it can be difficult to find a good one and the spare parts are
becoming rare and thus expensive. So although much more fun, digital tape
emulations can save you a lot of hassle and a lot of space!
Tube-Saturation
Tube saturation emulates the sound of being processed by a tube amplifier. It
can add warmth and fatness to a sound. Tube saturation can be more invasive
than tape saturation, and is therefore less useful on the mastering bus, but can be
great to spice op individual sounds. By pushing the tube very hard, it can be
possible to obtain real distortion, but its better to use a dedicated distortion
plugin for this purpose.


VST Distinctive Features Type
112db Redline
preamp
One of the best saturation
plugins available. Customizable
saturation, odd harmonics and
Tape&Tube
soft clipping. Fast and user
friendly. Subtle, but significant.
PSP
VintageWarmer
One of my personal favorites as
I used on almost everything
from vocals, to drums to the
mastering bus. It combines
analogue saturation with a
built-in compressor/limiter.
Tape
FabFilter Saturn The FabFilter Saturn is
considered to be one of the
best saturation plugins on the
market. Its versatile, has
multiband capabilities if
required and can produce a
sound from subtle analogue to
harsh digital distortion.
Tape&Tube
D16 Group
Redopter
Just as nice as the distortion
plugin Devastator also
produced by D16
Tube
SoundToys
Decapitator
Great plugin with a lot of
possibilities. Also useful as a
distortion plugin.

Voxengo
TubeAmp
A very nice tube emulation
plugin that, on top of
everything, is also free!
Tube
Waves Art Tube
Saturator
This is an excellent plugin and
what would you expect from
waves. Its pretty CPU heavy
but for what it does, it does it
the best of everyone.
Tube
Voxengo Tape
Bus
Warms everything up just like
you want it to.
Tape
Masseys
TapeHead
Saturator
Cute plugin with just a few
parameters but it works great.
Tape


How to use it?

Distortion has always been used a lot for guitar and bass sounds, which is a
conventional but excellent approach. Besides this distortion can be a very useful
tool to make sounds sit better in your mix. Try using it on synth sounds, drums
or even vocals!

Distortion unfortunately can have a very intense effect. It can therefore be of
good practice to use the distortion as a send effect instead of an insert effect or
use multiple subtle distortion effects. It can also be useful to put a little on each
track. This counts for saturation as well. When too much distortion or saturation
is added this can lead to ear fatigue and too sharp sounds, so be careful!

If you want to sound your mix to be recorded on tape you can plaster saturation
effects across your whole mix. If you do not want this, it is better to find a good
balance between saturated and cleaner elements. Saturation can just add the
right amount of edge to your drum recordings, vocals or synth lines. Of course
you can use saturation to good effect in the mastering process and give that
analogue feel to your mix.

1. Higher harmonics tend to sound very unmusical. You can roll of higher
frequencies to make everything more earfriendly. In a natural

Sources:


The following sources were all found on Monday 24
th
june.

http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/distortion-saturation-and-
bitcrushing-explained-549516

http://www.loopblog.net/tutorials/plugin-tips/effects/best-distortion-plugins-
2012/

http://getthatprosound.com/16-of-the-best-saturation-plugins-in-the-world/

http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/production/how-to-use-saturation-
effectively/

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr10/articles/distortion.htm

http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/production/how-to-choose-the-right-
distortion-for-your-song/

http://atoragon.blogspot.nl/2012/03/how-to-use-tape-saturation-tube.html

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb10/articles/analoguewarmth.htm