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Distortion: Difference between revisions
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OS's distortion works by changing the amplitude of a signal based on a distortion function. Without distortion, signals at a low amplitude are played at a low amplitude, and high-amplitude signals are played back at a high amplitude. This can be described as a linear response to amplitude. A distortion function takes the instrument's amplitude and applies a function that modifies it to behave non-linearly. | OS's distortion works by changing the amplitude of a signal based on a distortion function. Without distortion, signals at a low amplitude are played at a low amplitude, and high-amplitude signals are played back at a high amplitude. This can be described as a linear response to amplitude. A distortion function takes the instrument's amplitude and applies a function that modifies it to behave non-linearly. | ||
Distortions can sound wildly different from instrument to instrument, with [[#Percussion|drum kits]] behaving very differently from most other instruments. Also, please note that these names often are not very helpful to understand what they do so it's recommended to listen to each one and understand the effect it has on an instrument. | Distortions can sound wildly different from instrument to instrument, with [[#Percussion|drum kits]] and [[#8-bit instruments|8-bit instruments]] behaving very differently from most other instruments. Also, please note that these names often are not very helpful to understand what they do so it's recommended to listen to each one and understand the effect it has on an instrument. | ||
==List of distortions== | ==List of distortions== | ||
*''Limit - Clipping'' | *''Limit - Clipping'' | ||
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== Melodic Instruments == | == Melodic Instruments == | ||
For most of the instruments in OS, distortion can be difficult to work with. Most of the distortion presets may sound interesting with single notes | For most of the instruments in OS, distortion can be difficult to work with. Most of the distortion presets may sound interesting with single notes but will cause chords or intervals to sound unrecognizable, or even result in static. If you want to distort an instrument, you may have to use only 1 note at a time, which only allows you to carry a melody, or arpeggiate chords. If only simple chords and consonant intervals are used, such as power chords, major chords, or an octave, the result can sound clear. In combination with reverb, distortion on some instruments will produce desirable sounds. Some notable ones are listed below. | ||
== 8 | == 8-bit Instruments == | ||
Using distortion on the 8 bit instruments works differently from all other instruments, | Using distortion on the 8-bit instruments works differently from all other instruments, due to their consistent nature and simple waveforms. Distortions usually behave similarly between the various 8-bit instruments. As with other instruments, chord progressions tend not to fare well, but monophonic melodies should work. However, by using singular chords (or arbitrary groups of notes that hardly resemble a chord), and transposing them up and down, new synth sounds can be created. Due to the consistency of 8-bit notes, transposing something will cause it to have the same timbre and different pitch. Unique timbres can be created by using parallel intervals with heavy distortion on them. | ||