MANGLE is one of the four plugins created for my third year university portfolio project. Initially this started as a distortion plugin with 3 algorithms but has evolved into a monster. Its main goal now is to make the input sound as awful (or great depending on your point of view) as possible by the time it has left the plugin.
It does this by using a combination of comb filters and aggressive distortion algorithms to ‘mangle’ the sound into something unrecognisable. While this can be an successful musical effect I have found it to be almost more of an FX tool due to the strangeness of the sounds that it produces.
There are two main components to this plugin.
- The Comb Filter Bank
- Distortion Block
Block Diagram
Compared to LATE this is a very simple block diagram
Comb Block
The comb filter block was actually an afterthought added at the end of development but I think it provides a massive improvement to the effect. There are three different modes the filters can be used in.
- Two in Parallel
- Two in Serial
- Solo Comb
These different options provide variety in the length of the ‘reverb’ created by the combs.
As far as adding to the distortion, the comb filters don’t do this. What they do provide is a weird, ringing, delayed blanket of sound that the distortion algorithm is ‘confused’ by resulting in the sounds heard below in Test 2.
Distortion Block
Just before the Distortion Block this plugin features a White Noise generator to add more grit to the distortion.
Here you have six different distortion algorithms all with their own characteristics.
FuzzExp is a fuzz emulation (as suggested by the name) and is the least aggressive distortion algorithm provided. It is modified from the FEXP2 algorithm from (Pirkle, 2019).
GLORPY is a mess of an algorithm. It combines a mix of sine waveshaping, exponentials and rectifying to make a truly horrible sound and has the effect of sometimes sounding like a broken speaker. GLORPY is an example of an algorithm that really changes when used with the COMB filters, shown below in Test 2.
RECTANGLE is a simple function that combines the absolute and negative absolute value of the input to create a weird effect that modulates the pitch of the input.
HARDCLIP is a hardclipping algorithm.
SATDOWN is very similar to the hardclipping algorithm but interacts with the saturation slider differently to create a less aggressive distortion.
HARMONIC adds even harmonics in the signal together to create an effect similar to RECT but with its own character.
Examples
Test 1 – Example
The first test here shows the difference between some of the distortion types
RECTANGLE
HARMONIC
GLORPY
FUZZ
DRY
Test 2 – Weird Sound Creation
For the second test I’m going to show the ways this can be used to make weird / awful (depending on your taste) sounds.
GLORPY 1 WET (Warning very loud)
GLORPY 1 DRY
GLORPY 2 WET (Also very loud please be careful)
GLORPY 2 DRY
Test 3 – It’s Not A Guitar
Finally I want to show that this can be used with something other than a guitar
RECTANGLE DRUMS
I will not include the dry sample here as it is from Splice although the name is “KJS_drum_loop_various_beat_4bar_04_150.wav”
DOWNLOADS
VST3: GitHub Link
AUv2: GitHub Link
SOURCE: GitHub Link
Due to macOS’s security policy, the VST3 version of the plugin is blocked. This means on macOS only the AU Version of the plugin is allowed to run.
However when both Logic and Ableton are scanning the plugins you need to manually allow the plugin to run through “System Settings” -> “Privacy & Security” and then allow.
Logic also requires the track to be in stereo mode for the plugin to appear in the effects list.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Supported Formats: VST3, AUv2
Supported Operating Systems: macOS, Windows, Linux
REFERENCES
Pirkle, W.C. (2019) Designing audio effect plugins in C++: for AAX, AU, and VST3 with DSP theory. Second edition. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.