How It Works
Technical view
Null Drive uses the same basic single-stage overdrive topology seen elsewhere in the drive family: the signal is high-passed, shaped with a low shelf and a broad 930 Hz peak, run through one tanh saturation stage, then trimmed with a post-drive high shelf before `mix` blends it with the dry stereo preview source. `drive` raises the saturation input, `contour` increases the low shelf and 930 Hz peak, and `tone` opens the final high shelf before the shared DC-blocking, output-gain, and soft-limiting stage.
- ninetysix Originals
- 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 the shared 19-sample right-channel delay before it hits the current single-stage drive core.
- 1internal picked-string demo phrase
- 2shared stereo spread with a short right-channel delay
- 3high-pass cleanup
- 4low-shelf and 930 Hz contour shaping
- 5single tanh saturation stage
- 6post-drive high-shelf trim
- 7dry / wet mix
- 8DC blocker
- 9output gain trim
- 10final tanh limiter
Preview source
An internally generated picked-string phrase is widened to stereo with the shared 19-sample right-channel delay before it hits the current single-stage drive core.
Effect core
Single-stage tanh overdrive with low-shelf, mid-peak, and post-shelf tone shaping.
Signal path
The static waveform and the live player both reflect this compiled signal chain.
- internal picked-string demo phrase
- shared stereo spread with a short right-channel delay
- high-pass cleanup
- low-shelf and 930 Hz contour shaping
- single tanh saturation stage
- post-drive high-shelf trim
- 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: Crossfades or scales the current wet layer against the dry stereo preview source.
- output_gain_db: Applies final post-effect level trim after DC blocking and before the output limiter.
- drive: Raises the input multiplier feeding the tanh stage.
- tone: Sets the post-drive high shelf.
- contour: Raises the low shelf and broad 930 Hz peak before saturation.
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
Crossfades or scales the current wet layer against the dry stereo preview source.
Higher settings make the processed layer more dominant relative to the dry phrase.
Applies final post-effect level trim after DC blocking and before the output limiter.
Matches loudness without changing the underlying effect structure.
Raises the input multiplier feeding the tanh stage.
Higher settings add more breakup, sustain, and compression.
Sets the post-drive high shelf.
Higher settings make the driven tone brighter and more open.
Raises the low shelf and broad 930 Hz peak before saturation.
Higher settings add body and mid push before the drive stage.
Analysis
Code-derived notes
Current implementation uses the same general single-stage overdrive topology seen elsewhere in the drive family, with different control defaults and gain structure.
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/ninetysix-originals/null-drive.dsp
- Output stage: DC blocker -> output gain trim -> final tanh limiter
- Library position: 275