How To Bitcrush Audio
First, let's start off with what Bitcrushing is. Remember the old days of synthesis, Speak & Spell and early samplers? If you were to hear one today, you'd probably say to yourself, 'Damn, it sounds like someone beat up R2-D2.' They really have an ugly edgy quality in the recordings. It's a very distinct sound.
The Bitcrush can be used to create distorting effects that sound like that of scraping analog radio, or inherently lo-fi sound sources, like old video games. It simulates the audio being sampled and replayed using a low quality sampler with limited sample rate and bit depth. Rate - Down sample the signal to a minimum of 200 Hz. How To Bitcrush Using Resampler Rack Extension In Propellerhead Reason Synthetic Rig 3 Tutorial Apr 13, 2018 by Hollin Jones Bring downsampling, bitcrushing and a retro feel to your Reason tracks with this module from Synthetic Rig V3. Bitcrush simulates the audio being played back using a low quality sampler with limited sample rate and bit depth. It can be used to create distorting effects that sound like that of scraping analog radio, or inherently lo-fi sound sources, like old video games.
But it wasn't just electronic devices geared towards electronic music that had a sound like this. There were also loop pedals for guitars that had a very lo-fi sound, early digital guitar pedals, distortion pedals, certain amps, etc. Really, when you think about it, every decade that used digital recording (80s, 90s) had a particular sound.
So, again, what is Bit Crushing? It's a process by which you lower the sample resolution and bit rate of a recording. For example: changing the recording from an audio CD'which has a sample rate of 44.1 kHz at 16-bit'to make it sound like it's being played on a Commodore 64. Or, taking a piano recorded at a sample rate of 96 kHz and 32-bit, using the best mic in the world (the *enter favorite mic here*) , and adjusting the bit rate in real-time to 8-bit so that it resembles an Atari 2600 game.
Why Bitcrush Anything?
But again, why would you do this?! I can answer this:
- Pristine sound = Classical track.
- Pristine sound + bit crusher = Dirty, growly recording with a lot of character.
Keep in mind, it's not for every song, every instrument, etc. It's for tracks that need a raw, evil character.
Step 1
Let's take a look at the Logic Bitcrusher now and also listen to a little before and after:
The dry audio sample:
To look at this plug-in, one might think that it would be more suitable for space-age romps through the stratosphere. There'd be dragons here.
Step 2
The Drive slider is what you use to introduce an overdrive effect into your bitcrushed track. If you increase it, you'll notice that the graphic in the middle changes. Basically, you're getting that distorted speaker sound, without getting making the signal peak. Yes, it does increase the overall signal, but not a ton. I would still recommend slapping a limiter on this bad boy. Perfect for nasty drum loops, guitars, growly synths, etc.
How To Bitcrush Audio In Audacity
Let's hear this bass synth with the Drive cranked:
Step 3
Next up would be the Downsampling, which controls the simulated sample frequency, and the Resolution slider, which lets you adjust the bit rate.
Let's adjust the Resolution and Downsampling slider and see what we've got.
Lower Resolution sample:
Step 4
Finally, you've got the Mode buttons which determine the type of digital distortion you are getting. These modes are much more fun when you actually experiment with them, other than reading about them. But the Clip level is critical to cover, as it sets the threshold of the channel strip of basically where the distortion starts. And, if you click the arrow at the bottom, you actually can adjust the mix of how much bitcrushing is applied.
Alright, there's my sermon. Hopefully, this has sparked an interest in trying out the old Bitcrusher. If you're looking for a little dirt in your recording, you couldn't get a filthier partner in Logic Pro!
You may have already used Ableton's bitcrusher effects Redux and Erosion to downgrade and degrade your audio material, but have you used it in a creative manner to construct breakdown sections in your productions? I'll show you how you can use these bitcrushers in combination with automation to create breakdown sections.
Step 1 ' Add The Redux
To get started, I have opened up an Ableton project of mine. I want to add a breakdown section after the second chorus. I'm going to extend the Chorus section. On this extended section I am going to automate some of the effect parameters on a Redux plug-in.
I'll be adding the processing effects to the Master Track. Add the Redux plug-in to the Master Track. Playback you track, and start tweaking the Bit Reduction and Downsample parameters, and see what effect it has on your audio.
Step 2 ' Automate The Downsample
I prefer setting the Downsample to Soft than to the default Hard when the effect is launched. Leave the Bit Reduction set at 16, as it is the Downsample that I want to automate. Make sure you are in the Arrangement View (View > Arrangement), then start moving the Downsample parameter, it should now be selected as the automation parameter in the Arrangement View. Or else go to Redux > Sample Soft. You'll see when you move the red line on the Arrangement View that the Downsample parameter on the Redux moves as well. Let's draw in an incline from the start of the breakdown section to the end of the breakdown section. To enable the draw tool, you can use the shortcut Command-B. This inclination will increase the Downsample rate and degrade the audio.
Step 3 ' Automate the Bit Reduction
You can get a greater degrading effect by automating the Bit Reduction as well. First enable the Bit Reduction, by switching the Off box to On. Then to view the Bit Reduction parameter, either tweak it on the plug-in to view it in the Arrangement View, or by choosing Redux > Bit Depth in the Automation lane box.
Now draw in some automation over the course of the breakdown. This time draw in a decrease on the Bit Depth automation lane.
Take a listen to the bit reduction and edit it if there are any sections that can sound smoother.
Step 4 ' Try The Erosion
I am also a fan of the Erosion plug-in. Add this after the Redux. I'm going to leave Erosion set to its default parameters when it is launched. I want to automate the Amount parameter, and this will be working with the Sine wave as the wave source.
As we did before, change the value of the Amount parameter so that you can see this lane in the Arrangement View. Now draw in an increase in this parameter over the course of the breakdown. This Sine Noise will further degrade the audio.
Audacity Bitcrusher
Step 5 ' Even Better, Add Some Reverb
Once you are happy with the bit reduction, let's add some other processing to further enhance the effect. I find long automated reverbs can really add to this. Add the Reverb plug-in. I have a long Decay Time of 1.84 seconds. Set the Dry/Wet to 0%. Increase this parameter over the course of the breakdown. Hear how this heightens the effect.
One last thing I want to do is drop the master volume slightly through the duration of the breakdown. Then when it hits the next section, the volume will jump back up to the original volume, making it appear louder when it kicks in.
In this article I have applied the bit reduction to the master track to demonstrate its effect, but you could apply the same steps to individual tracks so that some elements get degraded while the other tracks remain unprocessed. This will depend on your track, but just keep this in mind that you can apply the processing in different ways, not only on the master track.
Conclusion
Bitcrushing is a great way to add to your song arrangements through automation over a course of time in Ableton. I find that this combined with other processing effects can really push the track back in the mix, and then you can bring the whole arrangement back to the forefront when it kicks back in. These dynamic effects can really create interest in your productions. Try them out in your next Ableton project.
Download the Ableton Live Project file here.
For further tips and techniques on Ableton take a look at the following tutorials:
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