Here we have a free VST that not many people know about but produces some amazing results. This VST has been used by many producers in the dance scene to add tasty distortion effects to vocals. While this can also be used on any sound, its most popular use is with vocals.

A Bitcrusher is a digital audio effect, which produces a distortion by the reduction of the resolution or bandwidth of digital audio data. The resulting quantization noise may produce a “warmer” sound impression, or a harsh one, depending on the amount of reduction.

A number stored digitally has a resolution given as n bits, where there are 2ⁿ possible values of the number. If one reduces the number of bits used to store the number, the number of possible values of the number is decreased, and thus the resolution decreases, leading to distortion. For example, a standard CD has a resolution of 16 bits, thus there are 2¹⁶ possible values for any given part of the musical waveform. If this is reduced to approx. 8 bits, distortions can be noticed, reducing the quality. These distortions add to the original overtone in such a way that the wave shape becomes angular. This can produce a “warmer” sound impression than the original waveform, especially if the wave is rounded off in certain ways. Often this is used with techno or electronic music consciously, without regard to sound quality.

An example of a sound distorted by a bitcrusher is in the introduction to the song “Chemicals” from the album “The Notwist”. The samples used in the Roland TR-909 drum machine, for example, has a resolution of 6 bits, leading to a similar sound.

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Z3TA+ is an award-winning analog-style synthesizer with incredible sound shaping capabilities. The exclusive bandlimited Waveshaping technology makes Z3TA+ one the best and most respected synths in the industry. As a complete instrument, Z3TA+ is oriented to the professional musician and sound programmer looking for uncompromised sound quality and features. Z3TA+ ships with DXi, VST, and stand-alone versions.

Z3TA+ (zay’-ta) is among the most expressive and inspiring virtual instruments available today, fully capable of producing the most authentic vintage analog sounds and incredible, cutting edge modern sounds. Whether you’re looking for lush, warm pads, slowly evolving atmospheres, searing leads or sparkling FM sounds, Z3TA+ delivers the goods, and includes hundreds of professional presets.

This Download Includes:

• [Vsti] Z3ta Virus Mod v2 (Excellent)
• ProSounds Z3ta Max
• RGC-AUDIO Z3TA XTRA SOUNDBANK
• Xtra Patches
• Z3ta+ DXi VSTi v1.40-H2O

System Requirements:

• 800×600 minimum resolution, 16-bit
• Windows 98SE, ME 2000, XP
• 1 GHz or faster processor
• 128 MB of RAM or more recommended
• 10 MB hard disk space

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