"Sidechain" distortion

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RobC
Posts: 1833
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

23 May 2018

Ahh, I know so much about audio that intelligence turns into stupidity. xD

So, today's freaking rad idea, bros, is:

Taking for example sub bass from your kick drum (20-40 Hz for example - nothing beats FIR, Linear Phase filters here in my experience; unless something does!) and using that as an "invisible" distortion source. Whether just one sound, or a whole song, you turn it up with a distortion device on, as much as you like. Then you cut below 40 Hz. You maybe even follow the envelope of the original and apply it to taste to the distorted sound. Then you take that and mix it to the original sound to taste. Yeah, sure you might need to make adjustments, but it sounds so rad! Works really well with an instrument distorting itself, too.

Here are two shitty examples of mine from 2015 - gets half of the point through, though (self-distortion - which is not the best example, as it's like saturation, but sounds good, and if you use different sources on each-other, it sounds even better).



They said, 'sounds like some crap made for Sonic games' \o/


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Loque
Moderator
Posts: 11176
Joined: 28 Dec 2015

23 May 2018

Interesting idea to layer a sound like this...
Reason12, Win10

RobC
Posts: 1833
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

23 May 2018

Loque wrote:
23 May 2018
Interesting idea to layer a sound like this...
Oh how stupid I am! We could just follow the envelope of a source sound, and use that to trigger the overload for distortion.

Can work really nice if you have a lead for example, and distort it with the envelope of a bass (or anything, really).

jimmyklane
Posts: 740
Joined: 16 Apr 2018

23 May 2018

RobC wrote:
23 May 2018
Ahh, I know so much about audio that intelligence turns into stupidity. xD

So, today's freaking rad idea, bros, is:

Taking for example sub bass from your kick drum (20-40 Hz for example - nothing beats FIR, Linear Phase filters here in my experience; unless something does!) and using that as an "invisible" distortion source. Whether just one sound, or a whole song, you turn it up with a distortion device on, as much as you like. Then you cut below 40 Hz. You maybe even follow the envelope of the original and apply it to taste to the distorted sound. Then you take that and mix it to the original sound to taste. Yeah, sure you might need to make adjustments, but it sounds so rad! Works really well with an instrument distorting itself, too.

Here are two shitty examples of mine from 2015 - gets half of the point through, though (self-distortion - which is not the best example, as it's like saturation, but sounds good, and if you use different sources on each-other, it sounds even better).



They said, 'sounds like some crap made for Sonic games' \o/

Your examples actually sound like FM or AM. And if I understand the concept of what you’re actually doing, you may be actually be “riding” the signal similar to what a compressor does to bass notes when a very fast release is set...

It’s an interesting thought and technique that I’m definitely going to attempt. Thanks for the tip/trick!!!
DAW: Reason 12

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RobC
Posts: 1833
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

23 May 2018

jimmyklane wrote:
23 May 2018

Your examples actually sound like FM or AM. And if I understand the concept of what you’re actually doing, you may be actually be “riding” the signal similar to what a compressor does to bass notes when a very fast release is set...

It’s an interesting thought and technique that I’m definitely going to attempt. Thanks for the tip/trick!!!
One is certainly made with FM.
Well, I think it's like sidechain compression with zero attack and release (aka clipping) ~ if we're talking about the method, that's using envelope followers that I mentioned in a comment.

People liking what I post? That's a new one. xD

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