Welcome to Reality Distortion

Thanks for spending some time to get more familiar with Reality Distortion.

Reality Distortion analyzes the frequency response of incoming audio and recreates it with up to 64 oscillators. Those oscillators can be pitched up, pitched down, or messed up in a variety of ways.

It’s a creative tool to explore a wide landscape of sonic possibilities. Mix a little of it under the original for thickness and shimmer, or turn it up and leave reality behind entirely.

Analyzer #

The analyzer splits incoming audio into musically spaced bands. Each band contributes one oscillator.

Bands sets how many bands are used, from 1 to 64. Higher values track the input closer. Lower values depart further from reality.

Slice sets how often the analysis runs, from 10ms to 1 second. Short slices track the input almost continuously. Long slices freeze the oscillators between updates, turning smooth material into stepped, sample-and-hold style movement.

Low and High set the frequency range the analyzer listens to. Anything outside the range is ignored, which is handy for keeping rumble or hiss from claiming oscillators. If High is below Low, the two just swap roles.

Waveform #

The morph area in the middle sets the shape the oscillators play. Drag the dot to smoothly blend between oscillator shapes. Option-click to recentre.

Oscillators #

Octave transposes all the oscillators up or down by 3 octaves.

Note transposes all the oscillators up or down by 600 cents. Small Note amounts give beating and thickness against the dry signal. Musical intervals give harmoniser-like effects.

Age detunes each oscillator by its own fixed random amount. Small amounts add chorus-like warmth. Large amounts make the resynthesis out of tune with itself.

Blur slews how quickly the oscillators move to newly analysed frequencies. At 0% they snap instantly with each slice. Turn it up and they glide.

Gate #

Thresh sets the level the input must exceed for the analyzer to hear it. At −80dB the gate is effectively always open. Raise it until the oscillators stop sounding in the gaps in your material.

Reduction sets how much the analysis feed is turned down when the gate is closed.

Attack sets how quickly the gate opens once the input crosses above the threshold.

Release sets how quickly the gate closes once the input crosses below the threshold.

Mixer #

Feedback sends the oscillators’ output back into the analyzer. As it rises, the analyzer increasingly hears and resynthesises its own output.

Input and Output trim the level going into and coming out of the oscillator bank.

Mix blends between the original audio and the oscillators. At 0% you hear only the untouched input. At 100%, only the resynthesis.

Tips #

  • Drag the waveform pad to the bottom and set Mix to 100% to audition exactly what the analyzer is finding, then shape from there.
  • Long Slice times with some Blur turn anything into slow, drifting pads.
  • Feedback with Note set to a musical interval makes the plugin climb or fall in pitch each slice.
  • If the oscillators chatter on noisy input, raise the gate Thresh a little.
  • High Bands counts with lots of Feedback can get very loud. Output is the place to bring it back in line.