PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE · KNOWLEDGE GUIDE
Distortion
Adding harmonics by overloading or clipping a waveform.
- Primary purpose
- To increase density, aggression and sustain or transform an ordinary source into new material.
- Common contexts
- 2 genres
PURPOSE
Why is it used?
To increase density, aggression and sustain or transform an ordinary source into new material.
WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE
What does it sound like?
It can be gently rough or become a dense, bright wall of noise.
How can a beginner recognize it?
01
Rough harmonics above the original pitch
02
Distortion changing with playing intensity
03
Whether layered distorted parts remain distinguishable
IN CONTEXT
Common genre contexts
These genres are common contexts, not proof that every recording in the genre uses this technique.
How examples are selected
A track is labelled as an example only when a producer interview, engineering document or reliable professional analysis explicitly supports the connection. Recordings without enough evidence are not listed here.
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