Explain distortion
Distortion in the context of audio is an alteration of sound, especially the introduction of new
frequencies in the original signal, altering the timbre of the original signal. We can also refer to
'clipping', which is the alteration of the original frequencies, flattening the peaks of the original
signal, which makes the sound harsher (with higher harmonics), and more compressed (with less
dynamic range).
Distortion can be both wanted and unwanted. For example, an overdriven guitar amp, or the
alteration of the signal through an effects unit (for example, a guitar pedal for an analog example, or
a DAW plug in for a digital one), can produce a sound that is desirable, and widely used in many
different genres of music.
On the other hand, digital distortion, for example, the type of distortion that is produced in the
DAW when we reach 0 dBFS, or, put more simply, when we overdo it in the gain stages and we
produce a signal that reaches the limits of the digital representation, is a type of distortion that is
usually undesirable, and sounds like a glitch.
That's it for today. I really like this course, and I hope I have more time in the future to delve into
this concepts in depth.