D16 Group Decimort 2 is the best bitcrusher and sample rate reducer. Whether you need it or not, you will certainly want this. is a powerful bit crusher and sample rate reducer plugin designed to emulate the sound of vintage digital hardware. This versatile audio effect allows users to degrade audio signals in various ways, recreating the charm of early digital audio devices. Decimort 2 offers precise control over bit depth and sample rate reduction, along with additional features like anti-aliasing, jitter, and dithering. The plugin’s interface is sleek and user-friendly, featuring intuitive controls and a real-time waveform display. Decimort 2 excels at producing lo-fi textures, gritty distortion, and retro-inspired sounds, making it a valuable tool for electronic music producers, sound designers, and audio engineers seeking to add character and depth to their productions.
Pros:
• Highly customizable bit crushing and sample rate reduction
• Intuitive interface with real-time waveform display
• Extensive modulation options for creating dynamic effects
Cons:
• CPU usage can be high when using multiple instances or complex modulation
The original Decimort was a straightforward but powerful bit crushers created to mimic the sound of vintage hardware samplers. Decimort 2, its successor, is more of an evolution than a revolution in sample rate reducer. The early AKAI and EMU samplers and the D16 Group Decimort bit crusher emulate the sonic coloration of the AD/DA converters used in those samplers. Use it to add a specific edge to individual tracks or automate it for severe sound manipulation. Sweetwater’s electronic musicians thrilled at Decimort’s fat-sounding filter section, which offers four different filter kinds. Even better, you may individually process each stereo channel, allowing you to create a broad variety of space-enhancing effects. Numerous new features have been added to the D16 Group Decimort plug-in in version 2, including two quantization algorithms, a multi-mode filter, and adjustable jitter.
With over a hundred presets to pick from to get you started, Decimort 2 offers far more than your typical stock plugins because they mimic the circuits found in vintage samplers and other audio equipment. In Decimort 2, you also have a filter set of LP, BP, HP, or BR that can be set to pre- or post-mode, giving your crushing effects a varied tone depending on whether it is placed before or after the bit reduction. Playing around with this can have some entertaining results.
Additionally, there is an approximation filter setting and an images filter setting in Decimort 2, both of which can be optionally activated. Before any bit reduction occurs, the approximation filter is set, and it eliminates some or all of the harmonic frequency content over the Nyquist frequency. The Images are the artifacts left over from the resampler’s work, and you can get rid of them with the images filter if necessary.
The first thing we noticed about Decimort 2 is that the independent left/right controls from version 1 have vanished and have been replaced with a unified stereo control set. One of the characteristics of evolution is that it frequently removes features as well as adds them. Although you rarely utilize the stereo function, it clarifies everything. However, some seasoned users might miss it when it comes to bit depth.
The Quantizer is the initial step in the processing chain. Its bit depths range from 16 bits to 1 bits, enabling everything from special effects to the restoration of bygone eras. By activating it, the DC Shift button modifies the waveform’s behavior at zero amplitude, softening abrupt transients and lowering digital harshness.
The Dithering dial makes the sound brighter and more accurate (but hissier) by removing quantization distortion by the addition of white noise. The sample rate gradually decreases from 44.1 kHz to 44 Hz on the Resampler, which comes next. Many of the significant additions may be found here. The Approximative filter is the first, coming before the Resampler.
The Images Filter also has a Frq Shift knob with a tone dial-like response that removes unwanted upper-frequency artifacts after resampling, thereby acting as a “digital harshness” adjustment. Jitter, another innovation, simulates the shaky behavior of antiquated sampling technology by adding random variation to the Resampler. It provides texture, ranging from soft to “80s videogame.” Jitter may provide amazing digital distortion with no harshness at all when used with the Images Filter.
The multimode filter in Decimort stays the same. It can be positioned before or after the quantizer and resampler and can work in low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-reject modes. It also features cutoff/centre frequency, resonance, and bandwidth settings. An LFO would have been a fascinating addition and could have been used to modulate additional parameters, such Jitter and Resample, in addition to the filter’s sound. For even more accurate old-school sampling, the ability to input the left or right signal solely is also on our wish list.
A global Dry/Wet dial, output control, and level meter are where the signal path comes to a conclusion. For both real-time and offline operation, you can pick between Draft, Normal, High, and Ultra-quality processing. The Decimort GUI has two sizes.
Decimort 2’s 114 top-notch presets, which mix imaginative gems and eerily accurate hardware emulations, demonstrate how flexible it is despite its straightforward settings. The expanded selection of effects given by the Quantiser and Resampler, primarily Jitter and Approximative Filter, is reflected in the increase from the initial 42 presets.
This plugin is best for:
• Electronic music producers seeking to add grit and character to their tracks
• Sound designers creating lo-fi textures and retro-inspired effects
• Audio engineers looking to emulate the sound of vintage digital hardware
• Musicians experimenting with glitch and experimental audio techniques
Decimort 2 is a highly capable and versatile plugin that excels at creating authentic digital degradation effects. Its combination of precise control, advanced features, and intuitive interface make it a valuable tool for a wide range of audio applications. The plugin’s ability to produce everything from subtle lo-fi textures to extreme digital distortion gives users a broad palette of creative possibilities. While it may be overkill for those seeking simple bit crushing effects, Decimort 2 shines in situations that demand nuanced control over digital degradation. Its modulation capabilities and anti-aliasing features set it apart from simpler alternatives, allowing for more musical and dynamic results. Despite its potential for high CPU usage in complex setups, Decimort 2 remains an excellent choice for producers, sound designers, and audio engineers looking to add character and depth to their productions through high-quality digital degradation effects.