In Summary

Driven sounds can bring an addictive edge for some extra density in the mix, but our beloved saturators can do more than just add mojo. Here we show how they can be used to control perceived level and why that can be useful.

Going Deeper

Faders For Increased Loudness

Thanks to nearly a century of audio mixing convention, for decades engineers have been using mixers’ most important control: the fader. With rotary faders long replaced by rows of familiar straight-line linear faders, we take for granted the simple action of pushing up or pulling something down to get a corresponding change in level.

Saturation For Increased Loudness

Using saturation can be an interesting alternative way to increase perceived loudness. Not only can it raise the average level of audio in the same way as compression does, but also it introduces extra harmonics. Apart from some of the mojo listeners associate with cooked sounds, this increased complexity can give sounds greater presence in the mix.

Below are audio examples where saturation has been used to get the required level for the mix with extra harmonic interest thrown in for free. Where it is applied, the effect’s output can be pulled back to get back to the desired level into the mix. This shows how saturation can make things more audible than clean sounds.

To start, the bass and kick are clean in the mix below:

Next, when the bass is liberally saturated, its channel output can be lowered considerably to get a similar perceived level in the mix.

With similar treatment, the kick can also benefit from some increased perceived level, also preserving mix headroom on each hit.

Below are mixes that contrast the saturated sounds with clean sounds.

Ways To Get Heard

An interesting twist on the use of saturation for signal processing arrived recently with Cranborne Audio’s Carnaby Harmonic EQ units. These use harmonics generated from analogue saturation to create equalisation.

Although different to very different to saturation or ‘saturating’ EQ’s, compressing audio and turning up the result can give a ‘free’ increase in perceived loudness thanks to the higher average levels that result. Trying to get the same increase without it using just the fader can hit the red lights far sooner. Sometimes, however the amount of compression needed to get this increase might not be wanted.

Using faders might be the first call for determining levels, but using saturation in a similar role can provide an alternative that can add artistic value and preserve headroom at the same time.