[chuck-users] simple distortion/clipping

[eduard aylon]

Hi Steve,

> I've been trying to figure out how to do some simple distortion /
> clipping in Chuck.
> I'm not sure I fully understand the GenX objects.  Is this the best
> way to do it?

Can you show your patch?
Clipping involves waveshaping, so you should know the expression of  
the clipping function  (i.e. x-x^3/3) and substitute x with audio  
samples. Possibly, with GenX functions you could multiply your  
samples at time t with your GenX sample at time t but you should  
hardclip your output so it does not exceed 1. Otherwise you get  
unexpected behaviour as you say:

<quote>
> I find my audio output significantly degrades (i.e., sound
> pops, goes silent, or makes strange unpleasant noises) when I exceed
> this limit, so I always have to fight to keep it within the correct
> range.
<quote>



You could try this. Don't know if it's the best way, but it's some  
way...

fun float softclip( float x )
{
     if( x > 1. ) return 2./3.;
     if( x < -1. ) return -2./3.;
     return x-x*x*x/3.;
}

fun float hardclip( float x )
{
     if( x < -1. ) return -1.;
     if( x > 1. ) return 1.;
     return x;
}

adc => Impulse imp => Gain vol => dac;
10 => adc.gain; // pre amplifying input signal, Change accordingly
1./adc.gain() => vol.gain; //   keep same headroom. you can skip this.



while( now < later )
{
     hardclip( adc.last() ) => imp.next;
    // softclip( adc.last() ) => imp.next
     1::samp => now;
}

Plug-in your guitar, now! There may be some errors, as I have not  
execute the patch.

Alternatively, you may use atan(x) for waveshaping instead of x-x^3/3.


hope it helps,

eduard