A HAIRy question about parallel distortion

[proxy]

How are you putting hair on your tracks that need it? I'm a fan of parallel compression (ITB or OTB), to give a track tightness but still allow it to breathe. As I'm focusing on more rock projects I find myself doing something similar with distortion - tuck a very distorted track underneath certain instruments (drums, bass, vocals) and they jump more, seem like they're comin' at ya.

I find McDSP's Analog Channel AC1 actually holds up well to abuse if you crank the settings, and I've been enjoying that. Are you all doing something similar? Often? How?

As the subject goes...

- proxy

[Mike Tholen]

I'll almost always track a distorted track of a vocal at the same time as a clean track...I hate the box stuff for distortion. I'll do the same with drums and bass.

[everybody's x]

Im doing it with a sansamp bass di as an effects send

lovin it

[max cooper]

There's a plugin made by Audio Damage called "Master Destrukto" that I've been using for a while.

It's part of a bundle called "Mayhem".

It's got a few different ways to make distortion and the price is right. I use it on all kinds of stuff.

[proxy]

Originally Posted by Mike Tholen

I'll almost always track a distorted track of a vocal at the same time as a clean track...I hate the box stuff for distortion. I'll do the same with drums and bass.

I end up blending parallel tracks so often, I started wondering about splitting my signal and always tracking either a comp squashed track at the same time and/or a distorted track. Do you have a particularly slutty way of splitting your signals?

- proxy

[Chris Kress]

Originally Posted by proxy

I end up blending parallel tracks so often, I started wondering about splitting my signal and always tracking either a comp squashed track at the same time and/or a distorted track. Do you have a particularly slutty way of splitting your signals?

- proxy

Not that you asked me, but I'll end up placing an SM57 right behind the drummers back (to get rid of cymbals) and crushing it through an 1176. The plug ins do not distort the same way. Also, DI's usually have a thru so you can send it to something else nasty and raunchy sounding. Just use more mics...... or thrus or something.... Happy crushing.

[LAU]

izotope trash

http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/trash/

lotsa ways to F***k yer sounds real bad.

but i have also ran tracks through some heavy screaming valve units. just run the source signal through whatever distortion device and record to to another track and mix to your liking....

i have even ran tracks through broken speakers, wich is a very nice complex way of distortion, plus you get the room sound

[Mike Tholen]

Originally Posted by proxy

Do you have a particularly slutty way of splitting your signals?

- proxy

I just use mults at the patchbay...not so slutty.

[kosi]

Mike, do you use extra gear for distortion or you just pump up the gain ?

thanks,
kosi

[Mike Tholen]

I'll use other gear to get the right distortion, usually a pair of compressors strapped in series. LA-2A's or TAB U73b's.

[kosi]

yummi !

[proxy]

Originally Posted by Mike Tholen

...not so slutty.

I dunno, looks pretty slutty to me...!

[Mike Tholen]

Originally Posted by proxy

I dunno, looks pretty slutty to me...!

Yeah the gear is slutty but I was responding to the way I split the signal via a mult at the patchbay...which is not so slutty.
But then again what could method of signal splitting could be slutty?