Distortion on Cymbals?

[Chainsaw Calligraphy]

Not full on Nine Inch Nails style sludge, just enough on the spot mics so that you can't hear any clipping. It sounds like ass on some cymbals but for chinas and some crash cymbals it seems to add sustain and bring out the harmonic overtones. I suppose it's kind of like tape saturation but without the high end roll off that seems to come with alot of the analogue modeling plugins. The triode distortion in Slate Drums seems to work especially well for this.
I was wandering if anyone else did this? Or is it just a nasty byproduct of my love for over saturated drum sounds?

 

[Wolfeman]

I've seen some guys crank API or Neve pres on cymbals, to the point of getting some natural compression and clipping from them, which sounded really cool.

 

[derekmoffat]

I've seen some guys crank API or Neve pres on cymbals, to the point of getting some natural compression and clipping from them, which sounded really cool.

That's what I do with my APIs! I love it, but you have to be careful. I cranked them too much a couple of times and had to do a shit ton of automation and sample replacement because one crash ride was naturally clipping way too much. You generally want to avoid distortion on cymbals though. As hipassed as they typically get already its probably going to sound just like fetus dick.

 

[waltz mastering]

You generally want to avoid distortion on cymbals though. As hipassed as they typically get already its probably going to sound just like fetus dick.

Specially once they get to mastering. Distortion tends to be cumulative and the high frequencies aren't hidden under the mids of the guitars so much, so once you get through the limiter and bounce it down to mp3 you end up with wank...unless and of coarse, that's what you're after...

 

[Chainsaw Calligraphy]

Specially once they get to mastering. Distortion tends to be cumulative and the high frequencies aren't hidden under the mids of the guitars so much, so once you get through the limiter and bounce it down to mp3 you end up with wank...unless and of coarse, that's what you're after...

Thanks for the heads up on that. Mastering isn't a strong point for me, so the using and abusing of limiters is still a bit of a mystery.