Using Saturation

[Guest]

More like WTF.

[Folderol]

As an effect, tape and transformer saturation are very similar. Fundamentally it's the same magnetic behaviour, although the tape curve is 'fatter'.

You can also get a very approximate saturation effect with two germanium diodes back-to-back fed via a fairly high value resistor - although there is no hysteresis at all of course, so it's never going to be quite right.

[Martin Walker]

You can also get a very approximate saturation effect with two germanium diodes back-to-back fed via a fairly high value resistor

Ah, the components so beloved by electric guitarists everywhere (it sounds so much more natural then silicon diode clipping )

[Sam Inglis]

To return to the OP for a moment, typically I'd only apply noticeable levels of distortion or saturation to electronic instruments such as synths and drum machines, the occasional weedy-sounding bass drum, and hand percussion such as shakers and tambourines. Distorted vocals have become a bit of a cliché to my mind. When I do use saturation I'll usually also roll off a lot of top end to stop something becoming too harsh (especially on a tambourine).

I often use a clean tape emulator on the master bus, but I think of that as a form of compression and tone shaping rather than saturation really.

[tea for two]

I look at saturation as how much I want to dunk my biscuit in tea.