What is the most unique distortion algorithm you've ever come across in a VST?

[CinningBao]

thanks! Gotta have a bit of character in these things right?

It's a very deep rabbit hole so have fun! I've got a couple more (how to use macro snapshots and it's probably time to do some generative auto-music type vids too) in the workings so keep your eyes peeled for those

[osiris]

I love the ones Audio Damage codes for its plugs.

[motomotomoto]

Aren’t they all unique in their own way?

Able to get some insane sounds out of output thermal lately

[vitocorleone123]

Blyss, because they actually know what analog distortion sounds like. That’s pretty unique - most companies/plugins attempting it fail.

[imrae]

What's exceptionally rare (and I would like to see more of), are plugins that remove harmonics in interesting ways. Or add harmonics in unconventional ways completely different than analog tube/tape emulations, etc.

When it comes to distortion, adding/removing harmonics really depends on the source material. Put a saw->sine shaper on a saw wave and it removes harmonics, put it on a sine wave and it adds them. Put it on a square wave and it does nothing (or makes it quieter).

Be aware that in general if your signal chain is oscillator -> waveshaper -> [filters, amp, effects] then you are just doing a crude implementation of wavetable synthesis anyway.

I think Absynth lets you use create waveshapers with whatever transfer function you like.

Most unique? That would be silly things knocked together in Reaktor. But my preferred approach for aggressive distortion is to loop stuff out-of-the-box through guitar pedals. Can push them as hard as you like and no aliasing...

[El°HYM]

Most unique? That would be silly things knocked together in Reaktor. But my preferred approach for aggressive distortion is to loop stuff out-of-the-box through guitar pedals. Can push them as hard as you like and no aliasing...

Might be one of the most critical (and true) comments ever made on #kvr.

[mothra]

Really unique distortion VST for me is: Steinberg QuadraFuzz (first version). At some point in history, this little plugin significantly impacted PsyTrance music because it gives a very specific and different sound to basslines.
It's so unique to the point where the current, second version of QuadraFuzz, while richer in features, lost its uniqueness. Now it's just a "4 band distortion that gives typical distorted sound".

Quadrafuzz is one of the reasons I came back to Cubase a couple years ago (last version I owned was 5/VST32). The OG one was pretty gnarly, it was instant destruction. I loved using it on drum loops thanks to the 4 bands.

I think the new one will get you in the same spot, you just need to spend more time tweaking it. There's a ton of options on every band now, but it will get you to the same place if you play around with it.

I don't know if they're that unique, but just to throw my preferred dirt plugins in Coldfire, Rift and Quadrafuzz for the most part. If its the master bus that's either the Arturia Culture Vulture or the PA Black Box..