How It Works
Technical view
After the shared stereo preview source and pre-EQ cleanup, this version drives the signal through a hotter low shelf, a stronger 930 Hz emphasis, and two back-to-back tanh stages instead of one. The extra saturation stage and higher drive multiplier clamp transients harder, while the post-drive high shelf lets `tone` recover brightness or keep the top end controlled.
- Drive, Boost & Saturation
- waveshaping / saturation
- delay processing
- oscillator / LFO modulation
- DC blocking
Signal Path
Compiled preview chain
Preview source: An internally generated picked-string phrase is widened to stereo with a short right-channel delay and small left/right EQ offsets before it enters the distortion core.
- 1internal picked-string demo phrase
- 2stereo spread with a short right-channel delay
- 3high-pass cleanup
- 4heavier low-shelf and 930 Hz contour boost
- 5first tanh clipping stage
- 6second tanh clipping stage
- 7post-drive high-shelf tone shaping
- 8dry / wet mix
- 9DC blocker
- 10output gain trim
- 11final tanh limiter
Preview source
An internally generated picked-string phrase is widened to stereo with a short right-channel delay and small left/right EQ offsets before it enters the distortion core.
Effect core
Dual-stage tanh clipping with more aggressive pre-drive low / mid shaping and wider post-drive brightness control.
Signal path
The static waveform and the live player both reflect this compiled signal chain.
- internal picked-string demo phrase
- stereo spread with a short right-channel delay
- high-pass cleanup
- heavier low-shelf and 930 Hz contour boost
- first tanh clipping stage
- second tanh clipping stage
- post-drive high-shelf tone shaping
- dry / wet mix
- DC blocker
- output gain trim
- final tanh limiter
Controls that matter
These are the currently active controls detected in the FAUST source for this effect.
- mix: Blends the clean stereo preview source with the clipped distortion path.
- output_gain_db: Trims the final level after the distortion path has been DC-blocked.
- drive: Raises the input level into both tanh stages, with the first stage receiving the larger boost.
- tone: Adjusts the post-drive high shelf after the cascaded clipping stages.
- contour: Pushes both the low shelf and the 930 Hz emphasis ahead of clipping.
Code-backed analysis
The generated description is tied to the active helper blocks and routing found in the current DSP.
- demo
- fx
- outputStage
- leftDemo
- rightDemo
- driveTone
- phraseMono
- previewShiftSamples
Controls
Audible controls in this DSP
Blends the clean stereo preview source with the clipped distortion path.
Lower values retain more dry articulation; higher values commit to the harder clipped sound.
Trims the final level after the distortion path has been DC-blocked.
Sets overall loudness without changing how hard the clipping stages are driven.
Raises the input level into both tanh stages, with the first stage receiving the larger boost.
Adds denser clipping, more sustain, and stronger transient flattening.
Adjusts the post-drive high shelf after the cascaded clipping stages.
Restores top-end attack for aggressive bite or keeps the distortion darker and tighter.
Pushes both the low shelf and the 930 Hz emphasis ahead of clipping.
Adds heft and upper-mid focus so the distortion feels tighter and more assertive.
Analysis
Code-derived notes
Reviewed against the current DSP. This patch uses the same demo phrase and output stage as the other first-pass drive previews, but it is the first of the group to use two explicit saturation stages in series.
Active blocks
- demo
- fx
- outputStage
- leftDemo
- rightDemo
- driveTone
- phraseMono
- previewShiftSamples
- softsat
- pickedVoice
- fund
- pickEnv
- ampEnv
- triggerAt
- maxDelaySamples
Inactive helpers
- synthVoice
- organVoice
- bellVoice
- quantize
- combLP
- echoOnly
- diffuser
Warnings
No current warnings are attached to this effect.
Source
- library/drive-boost-saturation/hard-clip-distortion.dsp
- Output stage: DC blocker -> output gain trim -> final tanh limiter
- Library position: 3