[PD] Big distortion ?

[derek holzer]

Hi Oliver,

Olivier Revollat wrote:
 > Hi,
 > I am looking for an abstraction/external (or even a LADSPA plugin loaded
 > in plugin~) to have a big distortion sound in pure data (for an electric
 > guitar).

In PD you could use waveshaping, either by table-lookup or by using 
[expr~] if you're one of those mathematician types that haunt this list 
;-) For the former, check 3.audio.examples/E05.chebychev.pd  And have a 
look at the "Analog/good-sounding oscillators in PD" thread, which 
covers similar grounds and purposes.

I used the LADSPA Crossover and Foldover distortions together, but make 
sure to put a [hip~ 5] or something else to remove the DC offset after 
this, because one of them (I can't remember which!) gives a huge amount 
of offset. There are also some Overdrive and Tube Warmth LADSPAs, as 
well as the mysterious Barry's Satan Maximizer.

I have to say that all the modeling of guitar-style analog distortion I 
have tried using PD or LADSPA didn't sound very satisfying in comparison 
to what can be done easier with a $25 guitar pedal. Yes, I got 
distortion that could be mistaken for a guitar pedal by a casual 
listener, but on close listening it came across different. The warmth 
wasn't there and the crunch was very digital-sounding. Sometimes the DC 
offset actually turned the foldover/crossover into silence with low bass 
sounds. I guess you could say it was be a rather "academic" exercise. 
Your results may be different, depending on what you're going for.

good luck,
d.





-- 
derek holzer ::: http://www.umatic.nl
---Oblique Strategy # 122:
"Not building a wall but making a brick"