The heart of Trash is the Trash module. This is a distortion
module that provides selectable distortion types controlling input gain, overdrive, output gain, wet/dry mix
and distortion character.
You can select different distortion algorithms from the
list box on the right.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Depending on your
input signal and gain controls, selecting different distortion algorithms can result
in very different output levels. Please turn down the output gain initially when selecting
different algorithms.
Controls:
Input Gain: An input gain control. Use this to normalize your input levels, compensating for any previous module's level changes.
Overdrive: For most distortion algorithms, this controls the amount of drive or distortion.
Mix: This controls the mix between the processed distorted signal (100%) and original unprocessed signal (0%)
Output Gain: Controls the gain after distortion. For most distortion algorithms, you'll want to turn down the output gain as you turn up the overdrive.
Character:
Some distortion algorithms provide additional "Character"
control. Increasing the Character slider for these algorithms will generally trash the
sound more. For example, the "Retro - Bit Wrench" algorithm is a sample and
bit rate reducer, providing a lo-fi digital effect. When this algorithm is
selected, the Character slider becomes enabled (brighter) and increasing the Character
will lower the bit and sample rate
of the audio, providing a greater Trash effect.
Dual Stage
Distortion
In many "real life" situations, distortion is a combination of two or more effects. For example, a distortion stomp box might be driving the distortion in the preamp of a amplifier. Adding two stages of distortion is effective for creating complex yet natural sounding distortion, as the "dual stages" interact to drive each other and create complex harmonics.
Trash allows you to chain two distortions together with the "First" and "Second" tabs. You have identical controls for each tab, with the output from the First tab leading into the distortion settings of the Second tab. This allows you to place a Fuzz effect before an amplifier distortion algorithm, for example.
Note that the output gain of the First stage becomes the
input gain of the Second stage. Since many distortion algorithms are gain
dependent, you can often get more or less distortion in the Second stage by
adjusting the output gain of the First stage.
Multiband Operation:
You can apply multiband distortion in the Trash module by clicking on the multiband button in the upper right corner of the module. This allows you, for example, to apply Fuzz distortion on a lower band while using overdrive on a higher band, or simply alter the amount of distortion applied to different bands or ranges of frequencies.
In multiband mode, each band has its own controls for setting the level of distortion in that band. There are by default three bands, as shown by the sections in the multiband section at the top.
To select a band, click on its corresponding section in the multiband spectrum. The Trash controls will be updated to display the currently selected band.
You can learn more about multiband operation here...
Note: This help file is a quick reference for basic Trash functions and controls. We have separate "how to" guides that provide tips and techniques for getting the most out of Trash. You can download these guides from http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/trash/guides.html