Saturator - Bitwig Studio

[@brooklynkayak]

I use the saturation to simulate classic analog tape style compression. I often group my drum sounds together on one buss and run it through the saturation. If you boost the highs on the input and cut the highs by the same amount on the output, you end up with an effect similar to the emphasis used in classic analog recording. It can really fatten up drums. A small amount of this is also good at the master stage of the whole mix, if you are going for that analog real-to-real tape sound.

[@PolarityMusic]

nice tip pinned!

[@nosy-cat]

Your setup with dc offset in front and oscilloscope at the back makes it all so clear! Thanks for this.

[@amadeuspaulussen]

Immer wieder interessant zuzuschauen/zuzuhören, wenn jemand ein Bitwig Device bis auf den Grund anschaut/anhört/auseinandernimmt und das Ganze dann auch noch gut erklären kann. Danke für das aufschlussreiche Video und liebe Grüsse aus der Schweiz!

[@ancient_observer]

Hey Robert! It's great video but i think it needs more examples how to use saturator. It's cool that you show what's going on with signal but we should also know and hear how sound changes. And it's better make on cool examples which could give some real inspiration. Applying knobs just on sine wave isn't cool. Yes, it's very visual but we make music and we care about sound after all. Some guys show how to aplly it in some cases but results are about nothing. Yeah, we can destroy drums with saturor but most of the cases i need not distorted drums in my tracks. And you show here how saturor can work as a gate but most of the times i don't need such destorted tale. I prefer to take classic gate and have cleaner effect for such case. So real examples with cool enjoyable results would be much appreciated in such videos! Big ups!

[@nebroskitheraut6705]

Oh man i've been wanting a thorough video on this device! Thanks dude :D

[@ImaplanetJupiteeeerr]

This is an amazing tutorial! One of the best ones I've ever seen in Bitwig! Thank you for this! ^_^

[@digitalFig]

Great video! I've been using the Saturator device for quite a while now without knowing much of these specifics of the controls. That was super informative and using an LFO curve to show the changes to the actual waveform was a great demonstration. Thank you!

[@salif130]

good video, extremely explicit and efficient, as usual

[@dusanspasic9687]

Thank you for the detailed demonstration! :)

[@StefanSauer]

Great explanation. Another hint on the big graph is the the input values go in from the top and are mapped to the output values to the right. So if the yellow/orange line makes a straight diagonal from bottom-left to top-right, the sound is basically not changed.

[@PolarityMusic]

true!

[@plusheldergod]

Terrific tutorial. Thank you. Unclear why anyone would choose to cram two quadrants into one ... why not simply put the little window on the top left in the center, add some handles and users draw their own waveforms? Trash 2 works that way, for example. That said, using super slow moving DC offset signals plus oscilloscope is a wonderful way to explore not only this but many other plugins.

[@pau1_r3d61]

Great watch. Often overlook this as it looks complicated as F. 🙏🏼

[@briancase6180]

I just noticed that the FX grid saturator module has exactly the same parameters and functions. This makes it extremely useful in the grid! Also, I just noticed that the audio output module in the grid has a clipping mode: off, hard, soft. Bitwig is thinking ahead.

[@BishopsWest]

Super helpful - thanks!

[@T.H.W.O.T.H]

New haircut looking good 😁 Any chance you could explain/demonstrate a practical use for the Grid's Array module? Might be a bit super nerdy for general consumption though.

[@PolarityMusic]

sure!

[@konskift]

Topic idea: Build a paraphonic synth (not polyphonic) in the Grid. Good way to cover voice handling as a general topic.

[@briancase6180]

OMG. I feel quite stupid: I didn't realize the saturator can be used as a kind of gate. I will make use of this immediately! I think it will save me some sample editing time. Thanks!!

[@GeorgeLocke]

When there's a single fold in a distortion process, I've seen it called "fold back distortion."

[@gaudinni]

Thanks Polarity!

[@MagicCvstle]

This is great thanks man!!

[@ToragDMT]

dank Dir! ;9)

[@endosick3998]

yeah

[@impolitikful]

What does quiet threshold do?

[@PolarityMusic]

the same like the loud threshold but for quiet signals. the more quiet the signal gets it surpasses at one point the quiet threashold and then the quiet curve is applied. with a steep curve, you can limit the signal in the quiet direction, which means the signal gets removed, which means it´s gated

[@impolitikful]

@@PolarityMusic thanks! so is this kind of a saturator and a clipper because you can adjust the threshold?

[@PolarityMusic]

A Saturator is always a clipper but you can adjust the curves in this one.

[@aunghein9326]

your face should be on left side of screen. i cant see the instant wave. your face cover it.