Talk:Distortion

message: Altered def of distortion into more general form. I know its not perfect but better than it was. Any comments on this def would be appreciated. Light current 21:29, 26
 August 2005 (UTC)
:* New def does seem better
:* I agree with NeilUK,noise causes a difference,but as such noise and hum are not lumped with standard forms of distortion.Perhaps a section on misc distortion is required? Could include noise,hum,crossover distortion,etc
:* Also,my image on harmonic distortion was removed.I had tagged it wrongly,was that why it was removed? I feel more images are also required on this section to make the different forms clearer.
:* I could contribute means of reducing mentioned distortion as well. Would this be too detailed for Wiki,or would it be useful?Xcentaur 16:58, 12 March 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: If the "expected" output is for non-linear behaviour, then a deviation from this will be consisdered distortion under this definition. Perhaps it should be that the system output is different from the input, even when the non-distorting effects of frequency-independant gain and delay have been allowed for. Noise causes a difference, but is not usually lumped in with the other distortion mechanismsNeilUK 09:25, 12 March 2006 (UTC)

text: Yea, I know, I should have seen the link to THD. hrf 07:59, 6 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Definition of 'Distortion' 

message: It does not look quite right to me to send to Clipping as main article. Isn't there more than clipping to produce harmonic distorsion? I'm thinking of limited slew rate, for instance. That'll distort the slopes of the sinusoid, and add a lot of harmonics of all orders, if I'm not confused. Saturation of iron in transformer will do something of the kind also.
PolBr (talk) 22:23, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Harmonic and clipping 

message: The article says:
When output is not in this portion, two forms of amplitude distortion might arise
# harmonic distortion
# intermodulation distortion
But is it really correct to call them "two forms" of distortion?  If you put a single sine wave through a clipper, it produces harmonic distortion.  If you put the sum of two sine waves through the same clipper, it produces intermod distortion. — Omegatron 03:15, 30 March 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: With a nonlinear device, you need two input signals to get intermodulation dist. You only need one signal to generate harm dist. See mixer--Light current 17:39, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

text: I agree with what the page says on this!--Light current 22:31, 30 March 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  I'm asking if it's correct to call them two different "forms" of distortion, since they are caused by the same process and exist in the same device. — Omegatron 05:39, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

text: I think we can call them two different forms since IM gives a lot more mixing products than pure harmonic dist. They are different processes. Both cause distortion but IMD is much nastier as it splatters mixing products all over the place and not in a simple harmonic relationship to the originating signals.(I think)--Light current 05:43, 31 March 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  I know they give different results; it's just that the results depend on the input signal, and not on the device.  I guess it's ok to call them "forms", but it seems to me to imply that you can have one without the other, which, as far as I know, isn't true. — Omegatron 14:23, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

text: Yes the cause of the distortion is the same (ie nonlinear device) but the two sorts of dist are treated differently in RF circles as they have greater significance there. I agree that in audio, youll get both sorts with complex programme material as i/p (anything other than a sine wave). But in the RF world the harm dist can be LP filtered out, IM dist generally cant (cos its everywhere). Which is why RF designers are always talking about it!!--Light current 15:00, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

text: Yeah, I guess it's fine the way it is. — Omegatron 15:43, 31 March 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Harmonic vs intermodulation 

message: Does distortion actually increase the output power of an amplifier such that the  percieved increase in volume is solely due the that power increase? Well, say you had 20% distortion. Does that mean that the output power is increased by 20%? If so, what is 20% in dB? Would you hear any difference in loudness? No!
OK. Some fuzz boxes actually do clip. This will double the power out of the amp. This is a 3dB increase. Can you hear a 3dB increase? Yes - just about!--Light current 16:58, 17 April 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, most intentional distortion is a form of clipping.  It allows more area under the curve for the same peak amplitude.  It's a minor issue, but it is slightly louder. — Omegatron 17:12, 17 April 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Distortion and output power 

message: It has intrigued me how greats like Metallica, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and others have used such an unusual source to provide a more unique and (pun intended) distorted sound. The talk box, wah-wah pedals, and distortion used in "Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains have no match from any rock or band over all. brainybassist 22:59, 19 April 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Use of distortion in rock, and any other genre of music 

message: For example a sound file of an undistorted guitar, and then a distorted guitar?Ollie the Magic Skater 22:44, 11 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Difference between undistorted and distorted electric guitar? 

message: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Light_current#Distortion_page:_Guitar_section
MichaelSHoffman 19:23, 6 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Guitar distortion should go on guitar effects page apart from a brief mention here to say that it is in fact used s a guitar effect. THis page is a general page on distortion; the latest edit to this page tended to unbalance the page far too heavily in favor of guitar dist. Ishall move the remainder to guitar effects and paste Mikes latest edit ther as well.--Light current 19:35, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

text: If you lokk at Guitar effects page, youll see all your content on distortion there, but the page does need balancing up with the other effects. Im sure you could help there!--Light current 20:03, 6 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  How much should Distortion page cover guitar? 

message: moved from my talk--Light current 20:01, 6 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Michael, I have moved your contribution to the revived Guitar effects page where I think it sits more comfortably. I should have done that before rather than reverting > Sorry! It was a bad day yesterday. It may be that the page on effects pedal should be merged int this page. What do you think?--Light current 19:49, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

text: Link your proposed pages to see whats already here. Do you really think a separate page on guitar distortion is warranted? Or would it be best lumped with all the other guitar effects?--Light current 21:12, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

text: Also theres one you may have missed called Bass instrument amplification--Light current 21:17, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

text: OK. Go to it! 8-)--Light current 00:48, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Distortion page: Guitar section

message: --- FINAL PLAN ---
GUIDING PRINCIPLE: Articles about guitar gear should have 'guitar' in the title.
JUSTIFICATION: The distinction between general theory about a technology, versus the popular *application* of that technology to electric Rock guitar, justifies a set of articles explicitly devoted, in the title, to *guitar* application.  Several articles claim in their title to be general-focused, when in fact, they are focused largely or almost exclusively on guitar application.  Titles should match common, de facto, popular usage.
PROPOSED ARTICLE TITLES AND CHANGES:
* Guitar
* Electric guitar
* Effects unit
* Guitar effects - move most content from "Effects pedal"
* Effects pedal - move most content to "Guitar effects"
* Electronic amplifier
* Instrument amplifier - move most content to "Guitar amplifier"
* Guitar amplifier - move most content from "Instrument amplifier"
* Bass instrument amplification
* Distortion
* Distortion (guitar) - move general distortion content from "Guitar effects"
* Attenuator (electronics) - move guitar aspects to "Power attenuator (guitar)"
* Power attenuator (guitar) - move guitar aspects from "Attenuator (electronics)"
-- Michael Hoffman, BSEE, Amptone.com  MichaelSHoffman 17:13, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I assume you will be leaving something under instrument amplifier for those musical insts that are not guitars. Otherwise, it looks fine to me 8-)--Light current 17:17, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

text: Well maybe someone should try to break out hifi and other inst amps from the guitar articles? What do you think 8-?--Light current 17:12, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Proposed Article Titles and Changes 

message: The slight distortion of analog tapes and vacuum tubes is considered pleasing in certain music listening situations. I read this sentence several times without understanding anything.  I have been in this business for quite a long time and I don't remember anybody thanking me for the distortion. Besides, classifying the tapes and triods together may be new idea. I hate to interfere. But I feel this statement must be cleared out. Nedim Ardoğa (talk) 19:18, 11 January 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: The statement is not supported in the article body so I have removed it. --Kvng (talk) 17:12, 12 January 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Triodes are more useful in preamplifier stages. Output stages often used push-pull pentodes. I was "in the music business" a long time ago, you see. Magnetic tape recording/playback has its own non-linearities, alignment issues, and compensations, along with its own distortions, much depending on the quality and adjustment of the record/playback equipment. While I have a sense of where the removed statement is coming from, I do agree that it is best left out of the article until someone finds reliable sourcing for it. __ Just plain Bill (talk) 20:22, 12 January 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: This sort of material is probably better included in Distortion (music) or somesuch. --Kvng (talk) 13:50, 13 January 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Distortion pleasing.. What ? 

message: There's another type of distortion that none of the Wikipedia articles I've seen covers -- distortion of a field variable in an aerodynamic / aerospace application.  Distortion is a measure of unevenness in the profile of a field variable.  The most common example is the total pressure distortion at the inflow face of a fan or compressor.  The formula for distortion is simple: D = (Fmax - Fmin) / Faverage, usually expressed as a percentage.  I'm not sure if this use of the term distortion is appropriate on this page or elsewhere, but I wanted to suggest it as an addition somewhere.
Mermaldad (talk) 18:13, 6 July 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Distortion in Aerospace