Exploring The Distortion Effects In Massive

In this tutorial, learn how to use the different distortion effects in Massive and how they can be used on certain types of sounds.

The distortion effects in Massive are some of my secret sound design weapons. They are very flexible and can completely change a sound and often times are what takes a good sound to that next level.

If you haven’t caught the first two parts in this series covering the most useful effects in Massive check them out before continuing!

PART 1 ADD DEPTH TO YOUR SOUNDS WITH REVERB AND DIMENSION EXPANDER

PART 2 LEARN HOW TO USE THE SYNCED DELAY IN MASSIVE

There are three distortion effects in Massive that can be applied in the FX1 slot. They are the Classic Tube, Tele Tube and Brauner Tube. Each one has  slightly different sound.

The Classic Tube simulates the effect of running your sound through a tube amplifier to make a warmer and dirtier sound. Tubes are very popular in outboard studio gear like preamps and compressors and of course, guitar amps because they add character to a sound. The Classic Tube distortion does just that. It definitely imparts a sonic character that is really great for basses and wobbles!

The Tele Tube is another tube simulator that is bit less harsh sounding than the Classic Tube. It’s great for a wide range of sounds.

The last of the distortion effects in Massive is the Brauner Tube. This is specifically good for lead sounds because it is the brightest of the three distortions.

Massive also has some shaping effects that you can load up in the Insert Effect slots that can add some “Distortion” to your sounds. The Sine Shaper is a Godsend for Wobbles and Basses that have quick changes in amplitudes. It basically sends your sound through a wave shaper in which the signal’s amplitude is mapped to the rising and falling shape of a sine wave.

The Parabolic Shaper (or P Shaper) is similar to the Sine Shaper except the shape that the sound passes through is different. The P Shaper uses an S-like curve.

Using a combination of some of the distortion effects in Massive with the shaping tools like the Sine Shaper and Parabolic Shaper can create deadly amounts of distortion!

Cheers,

Echo Sound Works