Saturation and distortion
Saturation, distortion and the harmonics they add, heard on loops you can push as hard as you like.
What are harmonics in music?
What are harmonics? Learn the harmonic series, overtones and timbre, then watch a live lab measure the harmonics tape, valve and clipping add to a 110 Hz sine.
What is tape saturation?
Tape saturation explained: why tape rounds off peaks, adds mostly odd harmonics and softens the top end, with a lab to hear it on drums, bass and a full mix.
What is valve (tube) saturation?
Valve (tube) saturation adds a strong 2nd harmonic because a valve's bias leans the curve. Hear bias and drive change it in a live lab, with settings for each source.
What is distortion?
What distortion is, how overdrive, hard clipping, fuzz, wavefolding and bitcrushing differ, and how to use it on bass, drums and vocals, with a working lab.
What is waveshaping?
Waveshaping passes every sample through a curve that maps input level to output level. Learn to read transfer curves and hear soft clip, hard clip and folding.
What is wavefolding?
What is wavefolding? Hear a wavefolder fold a sine and a bass line on a live lab, see why its harmonics rise and fall, and learn the symmetry, tone and mix controls.
What is bitcrushing?
Bitcrushing explained with a working bitcrusher: how fewer bits turn waves into steps, the 6 dB per bit rule, why quiet tails vanish, and settings for lo-fi grit.
What is sample rate reduction?
Sample rate reduction holds each sample longer, so the top end folds back as out-of-tune aliasing. Hear it in a free lab and learn how to set a downsampler.
What is parallel saturation?
Parallel saturation blends a hard-driven saturated copy under the clean sound. Hear it in a live lab, see the maths, and set it up on drums, bass and vocals.
What is aliasing, and how does oversampling fix it?
Aliasing is what happens when distortion makes frequencies above half the sample rate. Hear them fold back in a live lab and see how oversampling removes them.
Saturation vs distortion
Saturation and distortion are one process at different strengths. See where the line falls, measured in harmonics, and hear both in a free interactive lab.
Saturation vs compression
Saturation bends the shape of every wave and adds harmonics; compression turns the level down over time. Hear both at matched loudness and learn when to use each.
Tape vs valve (tube) saturation
Tape vs valve (tube) saturation compared at the same amount of distortion. Tape adds odd harmonics and rounds peaks, a valve adds a 2nd harmonic. Hear both.
Even vs odd harmonics
Even harmonics are octaves that thicken a note; odd ones add fifths and thirds for edge. Hear both at matched level and see why symmetry decides which you get.
Overdrive vs distortion vs fuzz
Overdrive, distortion and fuzz are three strengths of clipping. Hear each on a guitar at matched loudness and see what each one adds to the harmonics and dynamics.
Bitcrushing vs sample rate reduction
Bitcrushing vs sample rate reduction: one cuts levels, one cuts samples. Hear both on drums, vocal and lead in a live lab, and learn which to use and when.
What is saturation?
What is saturation? Hear tape, valve, clipping, wavefolding and bitcrushing on a live lab that measures the harmonics each one adds, at matched loudness.