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Hellu! I wonder if anyone here have a good suggestion for plugins that applies transient intemodulation distortion as an effect? Right now I use crappy old amps, really old reel to reel-tape, and dynamic mics, but they give me absolutely no control, and when it's recorded it is there to stay. Of course the tape-players are re-amped, but it would still be easier to only use a dedicated plugin when I want that very effect and only use the hardware when I want the full characteristic of the gears. As a Nuendo-user, I work exclusively in the VST-format.

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http://www.michaelkingston.fi/retroband/

I'm not familiar with TIMD in analog gear, but it sounds like it could be analogous/similar to forms of digital waveshaping, in which case a flexible/variable waveshaper VST could also get what you want?

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  • Thanks for the reply and page! As such TID is a slowness in response not measurable in ordinary ways as it only affects very hasty events. It doesn't really change the way the waveform looks, but dampens transients and, in some cases like loudspeakers and dynamic mics, actually makes the sound ring a little longer. It's what makes most dynamic mics much softer than condenser mics :-) The effect can be compared somewhat to a mild compressor, except it kills transients instead of enhancing them. I use it mainly for very loud sounds and to "cheapen" up recordings :-) Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 12:30
  • According to Wikipedia the effect could maybe be more described as a compressor, which behaves nonlinearly above the threshold and the threshold itself varies too. But because intermodulation also includes the production of sidebands, it's a form of distortion, thus perhaps equivalent of a "nonlinear" waveshaper? Unless TID specifically doesn't create sidebands. Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 16:05
  • Not exactly sure where you found that, myself the only pages I've found there was about harmonic intermodulation, ie regular audible dist, which is not the same thing. Even though TID and normal distortion often go hand in hand, which is why I don't wanna use it in hardware more than necessary the first place, it is in itself not waveshaping at all after the initial attack or peaks, though transients sometimes can get somewhat smeary. As a contrast, a good dist-pedal have a nasty harmonic dist but no TID whatsoever :-) Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 22:42

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