QUICK TIPS

1

Distorting full chords can create unpleasant tones due to intermodulation. Try distorting each note of a chord separately – duplicate your part so that each note has its own track and apply separate distortion effects to each. The results will sound very different – and potentially more musical – than distorting the whole.

2

Distortion can be heavily altered by placing other effects before or after it in a chain. A distortion after reverb can sound great, for example, for creating squashed, gritty reverb tails for shoegaze-style effects. A modulated filter before a distortion can have an interesting impact on how the effect responds, particularly with resonance. A compressor before a distortion plugin gives a more consistent tone; after, it helps to shape the resulting signal.

3

Try automating or modulating distortion parameters in order to keep the sound fresh throughout a track. Evolving the tonal colour, symmetry or level of the effect can also be a great way to add movement.