BitCrush

A stereo bit-depth quantizer and sample-rate decimator — the classic digital lo-fi effect. It strips resolution off your audio to add quantization grit, aliasing, and that crushed, vintage-sampler character, from a subtle haze to full destruction.

How it works

Two kinds of degradation stack together. Bits quantizes each sample to a coarser set of voltage steps; fewer bits means bigger steps and more quantization distortion. Rate is a sample-and-hold decimator that freezes the signal for a stretch of samples before grabbing a new value, dropping the effective sample rate and folding in aliasing. The left and right channels are processed independently but decimate in lockstep, so the stereo image stays coherent even when crushed.

Controls

• Bits — resolution, from a clean 16 bit down to a gnarly 2 bit. Lower depths trade fidelity for buzz and grit.
• Rate — sample-rate reduction, from 1x (untouched) up to 128x decimation. Higher settings get progressively more aliased and lo-fi.
• Mix — dry/wet blend; fully wet by default. Dial it back to keep the original underneath the crush.

Inputs & outputs

• In L / In R — the stereo signal to crush; patch audio, or CV for stepped, glitchy modulation.
• Bits / Rate / Mix CV — voltage control over each knob; patch an LFO or envelope to sweep bit depth, decimation, or dry/wet. Each CV sums into its knob.
• Out L / Out R — the crushed stereo result.

Tips

• Sweep Rate with an envelope or LFO for sample-rate-drop movement — great on drum buses and synth stabs.
• Run a smooth CV through it: low Bits quantizes the voltage into chunky steps, turning a glide into a staircase.