Distortion: A Very Brief Introduction
In today’s polished digital age, natural distortion is seldom embraced. Omitting the obligatory amplified guitar or the sampled drum breaks seen in “Lo-Fi” hip-hop, distorted tracks are almost exclusively relegated as an artificial effect simulated by plug-ins. This was not always the case. Before the sterilization of music was ushered in by the digital generation, the analog realm was very messy.
Before I go on a tangent revolving around the history of sound recording, I am going to restrict myself to what we consider recording “analog” in today’s sense of the word: tape, vacuum tubes, and transistors (solid-state). Because of the imperfect nature of these mediums, distortion is always present to some degree and under normal operating conditions this it is unnoticed by the human ear. However, when the recording levels are pushed to the equipment’s upper limit, fun things start to happen. “Fun” is a very subjective term here. During the initial days of commercial recording this “fun” was avoided at all costs. Nevertheless, due to the infancy of recording (and playback) technology, perceivable distortion was inevitable. In early 20th century recordings this inability to circumvent distortion is most easily observed in the vocals. An example of this is seen on Billie Holiday’s rendition of “The Way You Look Tonight.” During the quiet sections, the vocal lines come in clear, but when the Ms. Holiday belts out a loud note, the hot signal being fed into the vacuum tubes in the recording console distorts. As the technology advanced, headroom increased, and recording became cleaner as a result. Still, distortion was not entirely eliminated. Some areas such as the loud peaks of a drum set or the powerful blasts of a horn section are glaring examples.
It wasn’t until the 1960s when a paradigm shift happened; instead of distortion being viewed as a nuisance, it was now being encouraged by experimental individuals (think “Revolution” by the fab four). Artists and recording engineers were beginning to record at elevated levels and pushing their equipment to its upper threshold. This is known as recording “in the red”. This practice has various effects that were carried from era to era, especially in the rock circuit. Some effects include: natural compression, added harmonics, and increased brightness to dull sounds. It wasn’t until recent years where the digital age started to reverse this trend.
The difference between recording in these two formats is stark in regards to distortion. When analog equipment is pushed above it’s normal operating limit, it gradually enters the zone of distortion, this is referred to as “saturation.” When the sound of distortion becomes perceivable by the listener, the results are pleasing to the ear. When recording digitally it’s the complete opposite, distortion happens abruptly and is crass to the ears. Many producers who are new to the game do not have any analog equipment, instead they have a digital interface that records directly into a DAW. When recording this way, it is imperative that the levels are kept below the distortion threshold to avoid any clipping. Because of this, they predictably resort to plug-ins for simulating distortion.
The sonic difference between analog and plug-in fabricated distortion is a complicated topic that deserves its own discussion. However, if you are someone who sees themselves (virtually) reaching for a plug-in to add saturation or distortion, why not try the real deal instead? Solid-state devices can be had for very little and are widely available. Push yourself to experiment with different sounds and take advantage of the natural consequences associated with analog equipment. Do not rely on the simulation of a physically occurring process and embrace the imperfectness associated with analog equipment. You will begin to see why so many continue to venerate the sound of our musical idols from before the anti-septic digital age.