Bit crushers and a quick Frantabit review

[Warpsmasher]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ73jxLMTDw[/youtube]

I am liking the Bitrazer, probably gonna get that and the Scooper.

[bigchiefbc]

The Copilot Antenna also does sample rate reduction and is analog and sounds badass. Also, Adam is awesome people, and does custom shit at absurdly reasonable prices. The other one I know of is completely unobtanium at this point, but the Bugbrand Bugcrusher is also analog.

But I wouldn't sweat the analog/digital thing honestly. Digital pedals have a long, long way and don't do fucked up shit to your signal anymore (unless you want them to). My favorite bitcrusher of all time is the Hexe Bitcrusher.

[behndy]

jia. digital isn't an issue anymore. or at least i've never had problems with digital pedals being funky. i DO make sure to keep them on their own power supply, not a chain.

spammy spammers quick vidja for the Scrutator -

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsE92khwn88[/youtube]

[Lebowsky]

bugbrand [micro] bugcrusher is also an analog sample rate reducer

[solewheelin]

I was messing with the Frantabit again today and i'm getting some great sounds.
It seems that the volume needs to be compensated for with low settings on the bit depth knob though. I found a new sound there that has that kind of electric robotic fuzz thing happening. Really great. Twisting the sample rate knob is amazing before a delay.
I definitely love the Frantabit but i'm still going to look into another more simple sample rate reducer to try.
So far i'm looking at Copilot Antenna, Bugbrand bugcrusher and the Parasit Sonic Reducer circuit.
I'd also really like to try a Hexe Bitcrusher. Lol it has a telephone knob.

[goroth]

The more you crush and reduce the more volume you need to compensate. This is normal.

The sample rate reduction on a phone is pretty fun to read about.

[Inconuucl]

I just want a parametric bitcrusher.

[Warpsmasher]

A good DJ mixer will get you into that ballpark. Infinite EQs, a Xone filter and a simple, performance-oriented bitcrusher working together are pretty much as close as it gets. My Behringer DDM4000 is like an old Pioneer/Xone clone, it has buttons on each channel to select or deselect the effects being applied to the lows, mids and highs, and there are two effects engines, so I can use two instances of any effect at once, stacked together or on separate channels. Still my favorite way to bitcrush, and it's the only one I never sold, and the only one I ever got good-sounding, usable results from.

[solewheelin]

Interesting. I'm going to research it heavily. Thanks!
To catch up, I found some great scrambled spaghetti western quick-draw fuzz reminscent of old Ween songs while using the frantabit with the bit rate around 12:00,
but with that knob maxed, and i'm not sure if it makes sense, but the sample rate reducing doesn't come out clean as I think it could be.
It sounds amazing and fine tunable, but isn't it more of a custom effect within that knob?
It's a great pedal for sure but i'm looking for more something more focused and clean. Warmer and a bit more like an old video game.
Been lazy about the search though lately because i'm pretty happy with my setup.

[Faldoe]

HEXE is awesome. I had it but needed the money, and preferred it to the frantabit.

FB's sample reduction is really good but I found the Bit control was too aggressive, not as smooth in terms of control and the volume increased too much as the bits were reduced. Regarding the control, even though the Bit control is a lot and not a rotary control, it felt like a rotary in that the sound would change in jumps.

Wish IE would redo/refine the FB.

[Teej212]

I have a frantabit but not had much time to play with it yet. Does anyone have examples of songs with bitcrushers used in a band context? Just curious.

i dont know about many bands using bit crushers, but bit crushing has been huge in electronic music for a long time. You even hear it in pop a lot now, with dudes like calvin harris using it in pretty much every one of his tracks. im surprised there hasnt been much application to band music considering how widely it is done in pop music.

[D.o.S.]

Behnders uses some bit crushing.

And obviously NIN.

[Pop]

Soooooooooooooooooooo...

What would you all say is considered the "best" bit crusher pedal on the market right now? Or at least just your favorite!

The HEXE III and Scrutator caught my eye because they both have Expression.

Thanks!

[behndy]

Behnders uses some bit crushing.

And obviously NIN.

I LIKE THE CRUSHINS.

but. i always adored IDM more than bands?

PREVALENT.

[DRodriguez]

Whatever you do, make sure you get an actual bit crusher and not one of those analog ones emulating it with ring mods and other things. Digital destruction is so much better sounding, and easier achieved digitally.