how to properly bitcrush?

[grimsin]

So i use cmt bitcrusher or at least i try to and i have only successfully done this once and can't remember how i did it. Anyways so my question is hiw do you bitcrush? Every time i turn it up i get the sound the bitcrusher does but its always so staticky (making up words ) it just,doesnt sound right.. Do i need to water it down? Add some reverb? Chorus? What am i doing wrong? I'm just not sure if i need to add more wet to get it to sound betyer? Or what can some one elaborate?

[NinjaEdit]

You don't have to bitcrush. Fiddle with the dials and if it doesn't improve the sound, take it off.

[adover]

It all depends on the sound going in, and the processing you do after. If the sound going in isn't good after any sort of bitcrushing, dont bit crush it. Either that or be subtle. Try putting a really tight delay (<3ms) on before as well, can sometimes do some good.

[grimsin]

I'll try the delay thing see if that works... I got a track going and im trying to get a good yoy or something going on i dont know exactly hiw tgis works i think its with a crusher and a formant with vowel? ever heard the zeds dead remix of eyes on fire? There is a sound in that song that i can compare to what I'm trying to pull off but i just cant do it. I'm not by any means as good as zeds dead but i really wanna make that sound. I guess i could sample but i dint like doing it makes me feel unoriginal.

[nameless133]

I don't think really need bitcrush. If you are making glitch music, it's ok. If your mix sound shit and you really share it, bitcrush and then you can say if someone complainig: "yes i planned to sound like this"

[accordionfan]

dont use downsampling unless u rely mean it

[accordionfan]

i literally use bitcrush on all track in every song bcuz im a f****8ing maniac + moron i think it sounds good u just have to use a little bit at a time

[grimsin]

I rally like the effect it has when you down sample but its always so staticky

[RandoRando]

Use it creatively rather than dynamically.

I used it creatively in the first tune in my sig, on his voice before the drop

[grimsin]

That drop was fuckin epic! So basically a bitcrusher needs to be used sparingly. Ok well I'll try anyways but I'll probably have to try a different method. Thanks guys

[NinjaEdit]

Maybe you were after a waveshaper with some modulation?

[grimsin]

Maybe? Idk I'm not quittre sure. If.your familiar with example maybe that would help give a better answer im not to good at using waveshapers haven't really used them to much...maybe i should give it a shot

[Barka]

Use it sparingly, or use it on a send, maybe even with an EQ on the send before it.

[NinjaEdit]

The waveshaper would be used like a bitcrusher, but actually it didn't work.

Turn up the downsampling on CMT. I also happened to use the second distortion type.

Run your synth into a lowpass, then into the bitcrusher. Go back and find where to modulate the frequency.

I also got a smoother sound with the free TAL-Bitcrusher.

EDIT: You can go back and tweak your synth.

[Aphile]

The waveshaper would be used like a bitcrusher, but actually it didn't work.

Turn up the downsampling on CMT. I also happened to use the second distortion type.

Run your synth into a lowpass, then into the bitcrusher. Go back and find where to modulate the frequency.

I also got a smoother sound with the free TAL-Bitcrusher.

EDIT: You can go back and tweak your synth.

Bitcrushing ADDS harmonics

I've always found it better to do one of two things:
1) Low Pass before crushing; you "replace" the high end harmonics with the newly created bitcrushed harmonics.
2) Use it as a send, high passed. You never want to crush your sub and keeping your harmonics untouched below 120 isn't a bad idea either. Blend with volume as this is a layer on top of the original dry signal.

The third "rule" is that I always pay with tape distortion and saturation in order to bring more life out of the crushing. Its not a sure thing like the first two are, but you can really get positive results and nice harmonic structures.

Use bitcrusher in one of those two ways and you will find dramatic improvements

[JTMMusicuk]

Good tips aphile, never thought of using with a send

gunna have a play tonight

[narcissus]

lol.... there's no right way to bit crush. it's a distortion effect.. originally designed to emulate the artifacts of digital sampling in the days before digital sounded good.. it's meant to make it sound "undesirable," as any 80s audio engineer would have put it ... it's just funny that when a trick gets big everybody thinks that's the 'right' way to do it

sigh. i always thought that zeds' sound was a bit weak. it's a saw wave, a low pass filter, and a downsampler. figure it out...

[legskeattch]

I ave found them most effective when used at the beginning of an effects chain.

Synth ---- > Bitcrush ---> EQ ----> Distortion -----> EQ -----> Chorus -----> EQ etc etc.

[kundara]

This magnificent tool need to be used carefully, depended on so many things it cannot have rules.
Having stereo difference on the input can make it interesting. If its hard down-sampling, even the key is a matter, you should play and listen and adjust the amount, just don't follow any rules.
Having LP before it may help, because it adds harmonics, and adds them well
Having LP that is enveloped can make it interesting and trigger weird harmonics.
Another important thing is to find the best amount of reduction that sounds good with your key scale.

Don't tie yourself to others FX chains and specific things, give more attention to play with the effects rather than find automatic solutions, then it'll be easy to know where to put what.

[Aphile]

Good tips aphile, never thought of using with a send

gunna have a play tonight

I rarely use "sends" I make two or 3 parrallel chains in ableton and layer that way. It's the same thing, but you have the added advantage of processing the summed signal as opposed to losing your send to "master out" or then having to route the send back into something...pain in the butt.