Obtaining a clean sound While using Distortion?

[AfterEmpire]

Hi Guys, this is something that I have pondered and I was wondering if any of you guys had a little insight on.

Through Distortion and resampling I notice from time to time that i get a very desirable sound but it often get muddied up with too much noise that is hard to listen to.

And when i try and remove the plugins that i feel are making the sounds i dont like it often ends up removing the particular effects that i found desirable in the first place as well.

Is there any information that anyone has on how to basically clean up a Resampled or distorted mid bass sound so that i can still retain the qualities that i like without all the other garbage i dont?

Plugins, techniques, whatever.

I typically find that i just deal with the undesirable elements or just go for something less processed and more generic.


Thanks guys!

[efence]

try eqing out unwanted noise each time you resample

[wub]

Couple of things you can try;

- Try band splitting the sound that has the distortion on it, and see if you can isolate the frequency band that carries the most of what you don't like. Then try processing the sound again without the effect applied to that band, and see if it makes a difference.

- Create a 100% wet (that is, fully effected) version of the sound, then bounce out another version that is 100% dry (no effects). Mix the two back into each other to try and balance out the sound.

- Not as accurate, but you could (and I mean COULD as this is really weird experimental shit here) try applying an EQ VST before each effect in your effect chain. Left alone, the sound would be as it was. However, it might give you a level of control over each individual effect, being able to roll off certain frequencies as and when you find them. If you do do this, it might be best to turn off the relevant EQs/effects further down the chain until you reach them in the signal processing, else fine tuning would taking f^cking ages.

[AfterEmpire]

Couple of things you can try;

- Try band splitting the sound that has the distortion on it, and see if you can isolate the frequency band that carries the most of what you don't like. Then try processing the sound again without the effect applied to that band, and see if it makes a difference.

- Create a 100% wet (that is, fully effected) version of the sound, then bounce out another version that is 100% dry (no effects). Mix the two back into each other to try and balance out the sound.

- Not as accurate, but you could (and I mean COULD as this is really weird experimental shit here) try applying an EQ VST before each effect in your effect chain. Left alone, the sound would be as it was. However, it might give you a level of control over each individual effect, being able to roll off certain frequencies as and when you find them. If you do do this, it might be best to turn off the relevant EQs/effects further down the chain until you reach them in the signal processing, else fine tuning would taking f^cking ages.

Thanks for the tips there Wub!

I will most definitely try the first one, i had only tried Eqing out the frequencies i dont like to little end. Ended up making my synth sound flat and boring

The second one seems like it could go either way depending on the exact nature of the sounds you are working with but u know what, for some reason the third one seems like a fantastic idea and a very groundbreaking approach to sonic sculpturing. I assume tho that the EQ must be used in small doses ya know, nothing too heavy.

[wub]

I assume tho that the EQ must be used in small doses ya know, nothing too heavy.

As with everything sound design based, it's very much trial and error. Some will sound shit, some will sound amazing.

[AfterEmpire]

I just think that using this method it would give you much greater control of the outcome of your effects processing don't you think?

Is this something you have tried and used b4?

If by using small amounts of eq you could sculpt the outcome of your effects as you use them and in that order it just seems so revolutionary. But simple as well.

why didnt i think of that?

[Basic A]

Couple of things you can try;

- Try band splitting the sound that has the distortion on it, and see if you can isolate the frequency band that carries the most of what you don't like. Then try processing the sound again without the effect applied to that band, and see if it makes a difference.

- Create a 100% wet (that is, fully effected) version of the sound, then bounce out another version that is 100% dry (no effects). Mix the two back into each other to try and balance out the sound.

- Not as accurate, but you could (and I mean COULD as this is really weird experimental shit here) try applying an EQ VST before each effect in your effect chain. Left alone, the sound would be as it was. However, it might give you a level of control over each individual effect, being able to roll off certain frequencies as and when you find them. If you do do this, it might be best to turn off the relevant EQs/effects further down the chain until you reach them in the signal processing, else fine tuning would taking f^cking ages.

Thanks for the tips there Wub!

I will most definitely try the first one, i had only tried Eqing out the frequencies i dont like to little end. Ended up making my synth sound flat and boring

The second one seems like it could go either way depending on the exact nature of the sounds you are working with but u know what, for some reason the third one seems like a fantastic idea and a very groundbreaking approach to sonic sculpturing. I assume tho that the EQ must be used in small doses ya know, nothing too heavy.

Its nothing terribly new but he hit the nail on the head here... Audio engineers have been controlling effects that way for a long time though...

Consider an overdrive or hardclip distortion unit... If you put the overdrive to 12db of drive and it makes harsh noise in a band, lower that bands with an EQ by 12db and those frequencies wont be effected (theoretically)...

Db per octave becomes a concern with this though, linear phase EQ with gain might be safer, then you know your truly reducing those frequencies, not just sloping them off if that makes sense?

[Hedknot]

Just use distortion more subtly, sometimes its better to use a few distortions with less mix then one cranked up on full.

[BeastModeForDummies]

Just use distortion more subtly, sometimes its better to use a few distortions with less mix then one cranked up on full.

this, just from my limited knowledge and experience if youre resampling just add a little each time instead of alot of better results

[nowaysj]

Just use distortion more subtly, sometimes its better to use a few distortions with less mix then one cranked up on full.

this, just from my limited knowledge and experience if youre resampling just add a little each time instead of alot of better results

I know what you mean by clean distortion, op, but this is it really. Distortion is distortion, if you're having a problem with your sound being too distorted, decrease the distortion!

Ohmicide is king distortion in the vst field because of its psychotic flexibility. Its a multiband distortion with tuns of flavors of distortion, with feedback and thresholds and envelopes and mix controls. Bro, it is madness.

[Eridu]

i found that distortion works great on the quieter parts of my sound, for example if i have a bandreject filter then distortion will sound good on the "rejected" part of sound. Filter`s resonace peaks dont like distortion much.

[lyons238]

i like to use some tape distortion at the end. seems to really smooth out the sound. then again i dont really know what im doing i just try what sounds best

[makemerich]

when you resample, record it at 24 bit or higher.