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Author Topic: Can distortion be good?  (Read 3282 times)

OTIOSE

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Can distortion be good?
« on: April 30, 2004, 10:02:43 AM »

I was just wondering if like certain musicians using cheap gear or distortion and effects pedals, if there might be a time when an ME might  use limiter distortion of even a poor chain to make something sound a certain way?
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Waylon

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Re: Can distortion be good?
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2004, 03:20:04 PM »

I know several mafia members think this is nessacary for every album.....
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Steve Smith

"Oh of course not, Henrik! The compressor is just one small part of this nutricious breakfast. The brains between my two ears also count as well."

jfrigo

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Re: Can distortion be good?
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2004, 05:11:54 PM »

OTIOSE wrote on Fri, 30 April 2004 07:02

I was just wondering if like certain musicians using cheap gear or distortion and effects pedals, if there might be a time when an ME might  use limiter distortion of even a poor chain to make something sound a certain way?


Often when you choose something with tubes you are choosing the distortion. Any time you use a Cranesong HEDD you are choosing distortion. Even the choice to use analog tape will often come from one's preference for it's distortion. Apart from the nasty, overdone, crunchy clipping distotion you get from agressive limiting or just simply turning it up 'til all the lights are red and it clips, there are many things that we say add "color" or "warmth" that are just milder and more pleasing forms of distorion.
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bblackwood

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Re: Can distortion be good?
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2004, 05:26:28 PM »

Well, technically, anything you do in mastering that changes the sound is distortion. Does it make it better? That's what matters...

But to answer your question more directly, there are boxes such as the Hedd192 and any number of EQs that cause a 'controlled' distortion, allowing you to add harmonic content in a pleasing (or not so pleasing) way.
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Brad Blackwood
euphonic masters

Ronny

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Re: Can distortion be good?
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2004, 01:31:47 AM »

To answer your question further, the distortion that Jay and Brad are talking about is not like the enharmonic clipping like you get with a cheap 100 dollar guitar fx pedal. That type of distortion is filled with noise from very cheap processor artifacts. It's typically more of a cleaner distortion, more pleasant and not filled with white noise. Clarity is still an issue, even if it's having the distortion that the artist intended to sound more clear. If that makes sense.  Razz
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