Nat 3Nat 4Nat 5HigherAdvanced Higher
Distortion
Distortion changes the waveform by adding harmonic content, often producing a rougher or more aggressive sound.
Level relevance: introduced at Nat 3; tagged for every later level where the same concept remains useful.
Explanation
Distortion can happen accidentally when a signal is overloaded, but it can also be used deliberately as a creative effect. In production, distortion can add character, energy, or edge to guitars, synths, drums, or vocals. The important distinction is whether the effect is controlled and musical, or an unwanted technical fault.
Topics
EffectsSound designProcessing
Curriculum statussupporting vocabulary
Review statusdraft