Bitcrusher

Shape category, instrument-level.

Throws away sample rate and bit depth on purpose, the way old game consoles and early digital hardware did by necessity.

Controls

Crush. Reduces the sample rate and the bit depth together. Turned down it adds a fine graininess, the sound of listening through cheap digital gear. Turned up it tears the signal apart into staircase edges and aliasing, which is the retro console sound. Bright, complex material such as cymbals and pads shows it most; a plain sine bass barely shows it at all.

Mix. Balances the crushed signal against the untouched one, and it is what keeps the effect usable. Fully wet with heavy crush is noise. Blend most of the dry signal back in and the original carries the pitch and the melody while the crushed layer sits on top as texture. That is how lo-fi production uses a bitcrusher: as a flavour, not a replacement.

Presets

Retro Console, Lo-Fi Radio, Glitch, Telephone.

When to use it

Lo-fi beats, chiptune textures, or grit on drums and synths. Reach for the mix control before you reach for less crush.