distortion

Distortion

Adds consistent crunch or grit, saturating the signal.

Overdrive

Provides gain boost, sensitive to dynamics, 'overdrives' valves.

Fuzz

Aggressive compressed distortion, alters waveform to square.

Tape Saturation

Warm, slightly distorted sound from pushing levels on tape.

Amp Modelling

Simulates amplifier tones digitally, e.g., Line 6 Pod.

Bit-Crushing

Reduces bit depth to 8/12 bits, creating lo-fi sounds.

Soft-Clipping

Valves round off peaks, introducing harmonics to sound.

Hard-Clipping

Transistor-based distortion slices waveform harshly.

Gain

Sets distortion effect by increasing signal gain.

Tone

Shapes distortion frequencies with EQ/filter settings.

Level

Sets output volume, inversely related to gain.

Soft-Clipping vs Hard-Clipping

Valves round peaks, transistors slice waveforms harshly.

Typical Uses

Adds warmth, limits dynamic range, blends parts in a mix.

History & Development

Overdrive discovered in 1940s/50s, favored by blues & rock artists.