An effect that deliberately overdrives a signal for a gritty, aggressive tone.
Distortion is an effect that deliberately pushes a signal beyond its clean limits so its waveform is reshaped, adding grit, harmonics and aggression to the sound. It is most associated with electric guitar, where it produces everything from a warm crunch to a screaming, saturated roar, and it is fundamental to rock, punk and metal. But distortion is used far more widely — on synths, drums, bass and vocals — to add character, edge and perceived loudness. It exists on a spectrum: mild distortion adds warmth and harmonic richness, while heavy distortion radically transforms a sound. Although it began as an accidental fault, distortion is now one of the most beloved deliberate effects in music.
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