Bitcrusher
Bitcrusher is a low-resolution digital distortion effect. You can use it to emulate the sound of early digital audio devices, to create artificial aliasing by dividing the sample rate, or to distort signals until they are unrecognizable.
- Resolution slider and field: Sets the bit rate (between 1 and 24 bits). This alters the calculation precision of the process. Lowering the value increases the number of sampling errors, generating more distortion. At extremely low bit rates, the amount of distortion can be greater than the level of the usable signal.
- Downsampling slider and field: Reduces the sample rate. A value of 1 x leaves the signal unchanged, a value of 2 x halves the sample rate, and a value of 10 x reduces the sample rate to one-tenth of the original signal. (For example, if you set Downsampling to 10 x , a 44.1 kHz signal is sampled at just 4.41 kHz.)
Note: Downsampling has no impact on the playback speed or pitch of the signal.
- Mode buttons: Set the distortion mode to Folded, Cut, or Displaced. Signal peaks that exceed the clip level are processed.
Note: The Clip Level parameter has a significant impact on the behavior of all three modes. This is reflected in the Waveform display, so try each mode button and adjust the Clip Level slider to get a feel for how this works.
- Folded: The start and end levels of the clipped signal are unchanged, but the center portion is effectively folded in half (halved in the level above the threshold), resulting in a softer distortion.
- Cut: The signal is abruptly distorted when the clipping threshold is exceeded. Clipping that occurs in most digital systems is closest to Cut mode.
- Displaced: The start, center and end levels of the signal (above the threshold) are offset, resulting in a distortion which is less severe as signal levels cross the threshold. The center portion of the clipped signal is also softer than in Cut mode.