Help me understand saturation and its uses please

[jamcat]

Every piece of analog hardware imparts some amount of THD. This saturation is dynamic, and will grow more intense as the signal gets louder. Hence it is saturating.

Accurately modeling this saturation in analogue modeled plugins lends it realism.

When saturation is introduced at a particular processing stage, it leaves a sonic fingerprint that tells you something about it. Transformer saturation, tube saturation, tape saturation, diode saturation, etc., all have different characteristics. The order of processing, whether tracks were processed individually or as a group, this is all encoded in the saturation. Most importantly, due to the dynamic nature of analogue saturation, the loudness of a part is encoded in the saturation. When you squash it with compression later, that dynamic saturation survives, so a sense of hitting loud peaks is preserved. It conveys dynamics after those dynamics have been flattened. It makes parts stand out from one another because differing saturation levels will create separation in the mix, even when everything is more or less the same volume, because different “loudness” levels are encoded by the saturation.

Saturation should be mostly subtle and layered. It you’re laying it on thick enough to change the sound in a noticeable way, you’re using too much. It shouldn’t be used as an “effect.” You shouldn’t notice it at all, unless you take it away. Then you’ll notice the recording loses energy and excitement, and becomes a little flat and boring by comparison.

The following track is a good example of dynamic saturation on a vocal that conveys loudness at certain points even after heavy compression. There’s also a general harmonic excitement across the mix and some tape splatter on the snare.

The track is not being destroyed by distortion, but subtly (and at times not so subtly) enhanced by it. If you took it away, it would lose all its excitement and live feel. It was recorded in 1980, so of course it’s all real.



The idea of saturation modeling is to inject some of this into otherwise flat, boring, sterile digital recordings. But this is really a sound for raw, live, real instruments in a hard rock or punk tradition. If you’re making techno music then it’s probably not for you.

[carrieres]

The idea of saturation modeling is to inject some of this into otherwise flat, boring, sterile digital recordings. But this is really a sound for raw, live, real instruments in a hard rock or punk tradition. If you’re making techno music then it’s probably not for you.

oh no, and what about saturation on kick for (hard) techno ?
touche pas au fader laisse le à fond putain

[Mind Riot]

This is completely wrong. Clipping isn’t ever transparent. No distortion is “transparent.” Clipping is one of the most noticeable types of distortion.

I'm more than willing to be completely wrong in the pursuit of knowledge. So if you can be patient I'd appreciate it, because this is a subject I'd like to be more informed about. What I'm referring to are practices where clippers are used on single tracks to increase loudness without audible distortion, and where clippers are used either in front of or in the place of limiters on full mixes to do the same thing. From what I read, clippers are supposed to be able to achieve more loudness (if that's your thing, it's not mine) with less audible artifacts than limiters, or at least limiters on their own. I've read about clippers being used this way from a few different sources.

Are the people advocating these uses just making distorted tracks and none of them can hear it? I've used a clipper here and there to reign in a track or two if the processing I've put on it is causing it to run out of headroom, but I've never used one on a full mix.

If not these, what uses are clippers made for?

EDIT: Everybody, thank you for contributing! Please keep it up, I've already become more informed on the subject than when I started.

[jamcat]

The idea of saturation modeling is to inject some of this into otherwise flat, boring, sterile digital recordings. But this is really a sound for raw, live, real instruments in a hard rock or punk tradition. If you’re making techno music then it’s probably not for you.

oh no, and what about saturation on kick for (hard) techno ?
touche pas au fader laisse le à fond putain

That’s just distortion. It’s an effect. Same as using a fuzz pedal on a guitar.

Saturation should be treated more like a side effect than an effect. I never use “saturation” plugins. I use plugins that model analogue hardware, including the unit’s dynamic harmonic distortion. So I’m getting saturation as a side effect of preamps, tape machines, compressors, etc. Simply the sound of running the signal through transformers and electronics, transferring to oxide, etc. It’s the sound of a recording studio.

[zerocrossing]

This is completely wrong. Clipping isn’t ever transparent. No distortion is “transparent.” Clipping is one of the most noticeable types of distortion.

I'm more than willing to be completely wrong in the pursuit of knowledge. So if you can be patient I'd appreciate it, because this is a subject I'd like to be more informed about. What I'm referring to are practices where clippers are used on single tracks to increase loudness without audible distortion, and where clippers are used either in front of or in the place of limiters on full mixes to do the same thing. From what I read, clippers are supposed to be able to achieve more loudness (if that's your thing, it's not mine) with less audible artifacts than limiters, or at least limiters on their own. I've read about clippers being used this way from a few different sources.

Are the people advocating these uses just making distorted tracks and none of them can hear it? I've used a clipper here and there to reign in a track or two if the processing I've put on it is causing it to run out of headroom, but I've never used one on a full mix.

If not these, what uses are clippers made for?

EDIT: Everybody, thank you for contributing! Please keep it up, I've already become more informed on the subject than when I started.

All I can say is that you’re so far off you need to go back to zero and find some good information on the topic. I’m sure there’s some good explanation about all of this on YouTube.

[jamcat]

This is what clipped vs non-clipped audio looks like.



Not sure how anyone wouldn't hear that.

[Mind Riot]

Yes, I'm very aware of the Loudness Wars and its consequences. That's not what I'm talking about.

[Mind Riot]

All I can say is that you’re so far off you need to go back to zero and find some good information on the topic. I’m sure there’s some good explanation about all of this on YouTube.

So what are clipper plugins for?

Because they're being used all over the place in exactly the way I described. Most are soft clippers, rounding off transients to bring up overall volume in as transparent a way as possible, and they can do it on individual tracks or buses or full mixes.

It's common knowledge that clippers are used this way. I've never run into anyone before who disputes it.

[_leras]

Saturation have become the buzzword because how music nowadays is also different than music of the old days.

Everything is distorted and loud now. And you need to use saturation to get that kind of sound.

Drums distorted, basses distorted, synths, and most of all Vocals are all distorted now. It is what it is. What was once considered noise, is now the norm.

Nah.... Saturation isn't distortion. Though distortion can be saturated, it's still distortion.

[_leras]

Clean digital sound is great for some things.

For me though I like the fact that sounds can be crafted with saturation and be made more organic. Pure itb sounds can sometimes be a bit sterile.

Of course there are many treatments a sound can he given so it is somewhat down to taste. That said I'm confident I can improve any clean mix with some very subtle, perhaps hardly noticeable, saturation.

There are many options for saturation and distortion out there, some are great for somethings and not for others. I'd suggest experimenting to see what works for people's own tastes.

[_leras]

This is what clipped vs non-clipped audio looks like.



Not sure how anyone wouldn't hear that.

That's distortion though, right.

[jamcat]

Yes. That's what distortion does. It clips the peaks. Clipping ⇔ Distortion.

[zerocrossing]

Saturation have become the buzzword because how music nowadays is also different than music of the old days.

Everything is distorted and loud now. And you need to use saturation to get that kind of sound.

Drums distorted, basses distorted, synths, and most of all Vocals are all distorted now. It is what it is. What was once considered noise, is now the norm.

Nah.... Saturation isn't distortion. Though distortion can be saturated, it's still distortion.

The misinformation flying about on this thread is amazing.

[Mind Riot]

Nah.... Saturation isn't distortion. Though distortion can be saturated, it's still distortion.

The misinformation flying about on this thread is amazing.

Here's your chance to set things straight. Be the hero of digital audio you know you can be.

That youtube video and stuff I've looked up all line up with everything I've been saying about using clippers when mixing as well as during mixdown or even mastering. So I don't know where I'm so far off, as you put it. All the uses for clippers I mentioned seem totally normal.

[_leras]

This is completely wrong. Clipping isn’t ever transparent. No distortion is “transparent.” Clipping is one of the most noticeable types of distortion.

If not these, what uses are clippers made for?

Digital clipping is the hardest edge distortion there is. Literally direct to flat at the top of a waveform.

This can be useful if you have spiky sounds like hi hats or cymbals, which are already distorted, as you can just take the sharp peaks off and this can be a fairly transparent way to raise overall volume. It can also make a waveform more manageable for subsequent compression.

But... If you do this too much you get a very audible harsh distortion. If you clip multiple tracks this harshness can also build up.