[FR] graphical custom curve distortion

[_al_]

So although Melda are able to cover almost everything I expect from my VST collection, I have to be honest and say that distortion is the one area that Melda leaves me feeling a little uninspired.

I can see them being good for guitarists and stuff, but when it comes to things like creating a custom distortion that sounds good on a particular electronic bassline, I always end up removing the Melda and inserting Trash2.

There's just something about Trash that makes it so easy to mess around and quickly find a sound that makes an aggressive bass sound absolutely amazing.

Curently Trash and Vertigo are my goto distortions (Vertigo for bus processing), but really, I would love to replace Trash with a Melda plug.
It's just that every time I try, I fail miserably.
Maybe it's because Vojtech has a background in live / band playing, or maybe it's just that I don't know his plugins well enough?

All I know is... there's something about that graphical grid in Trash, that makes it sooo easy to come up with unexpected and attention grabbing sounds.
Well... it's that, coupled with the way you can just change the distortion type on the left, and your custom curve now draws a completely different shape!
Such an engrossing and rewarding process, when you are making things like Techno etc.

So I guess I am asking if we are ever gonna see something from Melda that can rival this plugin.

And Vojtech, don't take this as a personal attack on your plugins... there is literally nothing that can compare with Trash for me. But if I could name one developer as the person I think could make a useable alternative, it would be you, 100%

Ok that's all I have to say.
Would be interested to know though, if I am missing something in his other plugins?

I use MwaveshaperMB for saturating kicks and bass sometimes, and sometimes choose that over Vertigo, but I've never tried to use it in the same way I use Trash. It just doesn't feel expressive enough, so I can't imagine it giving the same results.

[MeldaProduction]

Well, I'll check this Trash thing at some point then . I remember I tried it years ago without "being inspired" , so...

[_al_]

Well, I'll check this Trash thing at some point then

Please do!
The other modules are not as important. It's just the distortion module with graph and list of dist types.
In all honesty, I think it that graphical custom drawn distortion would fit into the Melda Ecosystem like a duck in water. In fact, it would become a Super-Duck, with all the Melda shaping goodies.

We are already doing it with your comps and spectral plugins, so why not with a distortion!
Your waveshaper is already set up for it, but it doesn't have all the distortion algorithms that would send it into another dimension lol

Getting sick of spellchecking "algorithms" ffs

But yeah... and you would have the bonus of having another "unique" tool, as there is nothing else I can find that does this, and I refuse to believe it can be that hard to do!

Seriously though... Trash with pitch and transient detection mods?

[gjunk]

Yeah a melda replacement for Trash 2 would make a lot of sense. Call it MTrash

[_al_]

So then!
Trash 3 has been quickly put together and released. (Guessing they read KVR, and realised they dropped the ball on that one?)

Well either way, they have royally fkd it up, that's for sure.
Buggy interface, and no more node editing!

It sounded nice enough to make me glad I bought it, but still... there is a LOT of unhappy people, wondering wtf iZotope were thinking.

So Vojtech... I know you said you were gonna have a think about this request, and right now, it looks like an ideal time to do just that?

It's almost like they removed node editing, because they knew you would destroy them in every way, if you decided to go through with it

[vanerio]

I created in the past several trash distortions with MWaveShaperMB, MConvolutionEZ and MEqualizer as Trash is basically EQs, waveshapers and IR-convolution effects. Melda has all components, but not in the same plugin.

[_al_]

I created in the past several trash distortions with MWaveShaperMB, MConvolutionEZ and MEqualizer as Trash is basically EQs, waveshapers and IR-convolution effects. Melda has all components, but not in the same plugin.

Yeah, I thought about that, but for me, the magic happens when I'm tweaking the nodes in Trash.
And doing that, when you change to a different distortion algorithm, the drawn curve totally changes and gives a completely new and unexpected sound.
It just makes for a very fast workflow, when looking for drastic sound altering.

That's really what my request was for.

Without Trash, I would be constantly having to try 5 or 6 different plugins, to see if it can work with my sound.

But anyway...

I remember I tried it years ago without "being inspired" , so...

I think Vojtech is into more traditional sound manipulation, so I guess this idea just isn't appealing to him

[Hexspa]

I created in the past several trash distortions with MWaveShaperMB, MConvolutionEZ and MEqualizer as Trash is basically EQs, waveshapers and IR-convolution effects. Melda has all components, but not in the same plugin.

Yeah, I thought about that, but for me, the magic happens when I'm tweaking the nodes in Trash.
And doing that, when you change to a different distortion algorithm, the drawn curve totally changes and gives a completely new and unexpected sound.
It just makes for a very fast workflow, when looking for drastic sound altering.

That's really what my request was for.

Without Trash, I would be constantly having to try 5 or 6 different plugins, to see if it can work with my sound.

But anyway...

I remember I tried it years ago without "being inspired" , so...

I think Vojtech is into more traditional sound manipulation, so I guess this idea just isn't appealing to him

Do you have MXXX? Not possible there?

[_al_]

Do you have MXXX? Not possible there?

I have the core version, and I also have creative bundle, so I guess that would be enough to knock something up manually, I don't know.
So you think that Trash's distortion module is just a waveshaper and nothing else?
I would have a go, if you were sure that's the case, but I find those distortion algorithms change the sound much more drastically than I can with a waveshaper.

But on top of that, having it all in one low cpu plugin would be absolutely ideal, I think.
Having Trash2 with Melda's node system would be a goto for me, for so many things

[Hexspa]

Do you have MXXX? Not possible there?

I have the core version, and I also have creative bundle, so I guess that would be enough to knock something up manually, I don't know.
So you think that Trash's distortion module is just a waveshaper and nothing else?
I would have a go, if you were sure that's the case, but I find those distortion algorithms change the sound much more drastically than I can with a waveshaper.

But on top of that, having it all in one low cpu plugin would be absolutely ideal, I think.
Having Trash2 with Melda's node system would be a goto for me, for so many things

Isn't all distortion waveshaping?

[sparella]

In the literal sense of the word, I suppose it is, but the process we call wave shaping doesn't introduce the layers of complexity that a distortion device typically would. Frequency dependent and time dependent behaviors come to mind.

[_al_]

In the literal sense of the word, I suppose it is, but the process we call wave shaping doesn't introduce the layers of complexity that a distortion device typically would. Frequency dependent and time dependent behaviors come to mind.

Yeah, exactly this. when I'm switching T2's dist algos, it literally sounds like it's playing in a different "space", or material, if you like. And this is even without having the convo active.
This is why it's algos have strange names like rubber hammer and hot tin roof.

Maybe it's just clever EQing or complex waveshaping that mimics Eqing, but however they do it, I really don't have the time to replicate these techniques, just to see if it would fit my track.

Imagine hand-drawing one of these complex shapes in a wave shaper, then placing an EQ after, to try and create a certain vibe... yeah, you can have a go... but you have a 99% chance that the sound won't be "quite" right.

So you then have either 2 choices.

1: Spend hours modifying the waveshape and EQ settings, until you think it's good enough, then realise you've heard the sound for so long, you don't even know if it sounds good anymore.

or

2: Use trash, flick through a few algorithms and move a few sliders.

Hopefully you see my point?
(talking to Hexspa, not you, Sparella)

[Alan Valdez]

Would be amazing to see that, most of the time I use the MSaturatorMB as if my life depended on it!