Bitcrusher

A bitcrusher deliberately lowers the resolution of a digital signal in two ways. Reducing bit depth coarsens the amplitude steps the signal can take, introducing quantization noise and a gritty, crunchy edge, while reducing the sample rate discards detail in time and folds high frequencies back down as inharmonic aliasing tones. Together these produce everything from subtle vintage-digital character to harsh, broken, glitchy destruction. Bitcrushing is a favorite for lo-fi hip-hop, chiptune, industrial, and aggressive electronic sounds, and it works well on drums, synths, and vocals when you want them to feel degraded or retro. Because the effect can get harsh quickly, it is often blended with the dry signal to keep some of the original clarity.