Bitrness Select Switch; Configure Switch - Alesis ModFX Bitrman Reference Manual

BITRNESS select switch

The up/down rocker switch above the [BITRNESS] knob on the
right side of the unit selects the type of Bitrness effect. The LEDs
next to the switch light up to indicate the current mode. There are
six kinds of Bitrness effects available, explained previously.

CONFIGURE switch

As explained on page 25, this switch controls the order of the four
effects of the Bitrman, from input to output. Whatever LED is lit
to the left of the switch shows the current order, with "1" standing
for the COMPRESS effect, "2" standing for the DISTORT effect,
"3" standing for the DUAL PHASOR effect, and the letter "B"
standing for the BITRNESS effect.
What configuration should you use?
There's no "ideal setting" here; the difference between one order
of effects and another depends very much on the individual knob
settings for each. Typically, the last effect in a chain will be the
most clearly heard, but when you're setting out to make a unique
sound, it's not always true. The location of the compressor is
crucial for distortion-based effects: do you want things to clip
first, then be compressed, or should the input to the distortion
module already be compressed? The position of the Dual Phasor
in the chain is also sensitive relative to the DISTORT and
BITRNESS modules; if the Phasor comes before them, its effect
can be somewhat lost if the distortion or modulation is dramatic.
The Bitrness Mode is another "wild card" in selecting the
configuration: having a comb filter last in a chain is very different
from having a Bit Reducer last in a chain. The only answer is to
experiment for yourself and try lots of configurations with
different settings.
Using the Bitrman
Relating Bitrness to
other effects
Cer ta in Bitrn es s e ffe cts ar e
r elativ e s to th e oth er e ffe cts.
For e xa m ple, CO MB a n d th e
Pha so r a re b o th filter -p h as e
n otch e ffe cts , so in c er tain
o rd er s the y' ll ad d tog eth er in
inter es tin g way s. The BI T
RED UCER co mb ine s
d is to rtion a n d co mp r es sio n
tog ethe r . Ex pe rime n t with
d iffe re n t co n figu ra tio ns
whe re th e CO MPRES S b lo ck
is be fo r e or afte r the BI T
RED UCER bloc k , an d y ou 'll
g et m uc h m or e p ower th en
e ithe r o ne a lon e.
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