Bit Reduction : Useless?

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#65

Yep! I do a lot of DSP development. The integer-only bitcrushing method is usually the cheapest method to use and has been the most common. However, a lot of modern products (like Decimort or Dent in software or Malgorithm mk 2 in Eurorack) use a different approximation method that allows for “between the bits” rounding. A good, publicly available example is this one:
http://musicdsp.org/archive.php?classid=4#139

Again, it sounds great as a static effect, but I’m mainly concerned about the usage of a stepped algorithm in a modulation/automation focused unit. If it were a set-and-forget guitar pedal, it’d make total sense.

EDIT: Just an edit to emphasize that I’m currently using the effect a lot and that I think that the Digitakt in general is top-notch. This was just a polite suggestion for an improvement and not intended as a harsh criticism.

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#66

first i got also to that impression.
It has changed radically, so i had to disagree with you. even had to lough :wink:

as DaveMech sayed: its much about what samples you feed.
but is not allways like this ?

often the sweetspot is around 70 ± , even more often is the sweetspot area around 100 ±,
which would go conform with what you say.
this doesn´t mean the effect is shit. Its kind of in the nature of that effect, isn´t it ?
its nothing linear and finally relies much on the frequenzy content .

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#68

I think it does matter because many of us find it a not very musical effect at all. Would love a phaser or flange or just about anything else.

#69

cant you do a phaser effect with the filter, like on the rytm?

#70

Just chiming in to say that I’ve also not been perfectly happy with the BR. It can work nice in some situations but it’s a bit too harsh at the extreme levels to really use often. Which is a shame because I love BR.

#71

AFAIK the phaser effect is achieved by using the notch filter mode which the DT doesn’t have (yet!!).

3 Likes
#72

uhh okay. Man, the DT is so different from the other elektrons that I better steer clear of any DT threads for now, as many of the things of the other boxes do not apply to DT it seems.

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#73

Yeah, the omission of that filter type in particular is a bummer. That said, I love the DT more than I loved my AR :slight_smile:

#74

Have a new love for the BR, or BRR effect, as it is… finding it very musical, it adds some great and subtle texture to some samples… especially when you’re going for more decrepit/deteriorating -sound zones.

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#75

i find the bitreduction of the rytm much better than the digitakts one

#76

The Bitcrush on the Digitakt is (edit: not really) a new experience for me as well. I’m so used to the typical “smooth” degradation of both bitdepht and/or sample freq. On the digitakt there’s 6 or so stages(?). I wouldn’t want it gone at all though. At lower settings it adds a bit more lovely lofi noise/sound to a lot of sounds, and…lofi is a good thing. The highest stages (edit: lower, I meant lower…bitdepht) I use if need a distorted kick, or anything distorted for that matter.

What’s the effect used in the noise section on the a4/ak? To me that one sounds like a typical bitreduction/decimator effect, and would prolly be awesome to have in the digitakt as well.-:slight_smile:

#77

Ok so after going back to basics, relearning said basics that I learned back when the Earth was still flat and we had no Tesla cars, I’ve learned something!

So I’m confusing bitdepth and sample frequency, also confusing the effect names. In my head “Bitcrush” = “Decimator”, which I think is the more common FX name when both bitdepth and sample frequency changes.

So the Digitakt Bitcrush seems to start at 10bit or something and ends at…3-4bit or thereabouts? I checked out some other Bitcrush effects, like Korgs Bitcrush algorithm that they’re using everywhere. The actual bitdepth feels (feels) are a bit more prominent at higher bitdephts, it does have a 2nd knob for the frequency as well. I say go ahead and steal their Bitcrush, merge the 2 bit/freq knobs into one knob, slap it in the Digitakt and name it “Decimator” (as a new effect). :ok_hand::ok_hand::ok_hand::ok_hand::+1:

Edit: I like the current bitcrush though as well, so please don’t do away with that one! It’s just that the Digitakt have made me a bit more aware of how it all behaves & sounds depending on source material, filter, drive and so on. This is a good thing. And the reason for above ramblings. Ugh I’ve become so lazy last few years I just go for the simplest plugs, turn a dial and be done. Bought the AK last year, the Digitakt this year, both instruments have ignited that spark for learning and trying new things etc again.

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#78

DTs Bitcrush is meh

#79

New digitakt user here (also my first Elektron device). I definitely agree that the bit reduction effect is a little lacking for the reasons already mentioned.

What I would love to see is a few different distortion algorithms, including a rat distortion style one. Perhaps they could be switched through by pressing the encoder? Or even just one algorithm that has a couple different parameters.

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#80

Coming back on this topic to ask, is it just an effect, or is the sample or sound really bit crushed ?

TY

#81

The sample remains at full fidelity.

You can think of Bit Redux as a 100% wet effect, the single parameter affects the amount of reduction. Since it’s an effect, it’s non-destructive to the original sample.

Bit Depth tends to sound like a noisy binary distortion as the depth is reduced. (Whereas Sample Rate effects impart a ringing low-resolution grain that degrades as the rate is reduced.

3 Likes
#82

A much more pleasant and usable effect IMHO. Instant SP-1200 feel :slight_smile:

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#83

Some Bit Reduction on some semi long hi hats sounds oh so lovely

#84

I use the Digitakt bit reduction on snares a lot. I like the noise tail it tends to give them.

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#85

sounds good on a long 808 bass drum too , adds a bit of sizzle using low values.

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