Today we dive into Discord 4 by Audio Damage to see if it is a worthy addition to your setup.
Discord 4 is a multi-effect plugin combining pitch shifting, delays, LFOs, filters, reverb, and panning. The pitch shifters, delays, and filters run on L&R channels that can stay independent of each other or be linked with the link R to L switch.
At the high level, there is a lot of functionality on offer if you want to add more complexity and left/right variation or if you want to add texture and fattening within your mix elements.
History
Comparison to previous versions
Discord 4 was created in 2018 and modeled from the Eventide H910 Harmonizer. It is the latest pitch-shifting plugin by Audio Damage, with versions 1-3 still available for download as legacy products from their website. Visually, the look is very different from version 3. Version 4 is more streamlined and minimal, with knobs instead of faders and LFO-animated displays.
The sections flow from left to right with the LFOs at the bottom of the interface, and there have been significant changes to the shift and delay sections with more modulation options added in. Filters have been given their section next to the reverb and pan.
The tempo-synced delays and bandpass filters from previous versions have remained, and the original LFO has been updated to the new Flexible LFO (FLFO) design. Version 4 includes the new features of panorama (pan) controls for stereo settings, improved soft saturation/limiting, improved sound quality, and vintage-style warmth.
Features
Modes and Signal Path
Discord4 has three modes, Vintage (P1), Modern (P2), and Granular (P3). P1 and P2 modes control the shift effect, and P3 runs on a different algorithm opening up more shift modulation. The signal path starts with the pitch shifters, then flows to the delays, the adjustable-width filters, and the reverb, but it doesn’t stop there.
A unique aspect is that the signal feeds back into the pitch shifters. You can imagine the possibilities this creates for soundscapes, atmospheres, and cinematic projects. There are three modes P1 (Vintage) which is a reproduction of previous hardware pitch shifters, and P2 (Clean), which is similar but with a cleaner sound.
Both modes have a buffer size control, from 32 to 2048 samples, and independent control over pitch shifting. The third mode is G2 (Granular) is fundamentally based on granular synthesis. The G2 mode runs on a different algorithm than P1 and P2, opening the shift controls to include period and chaos.
For P1 and P2, the buffer controls the size of the pitch shift delay buffers. When you are in G2 mode, the size control sets the length of each sound grain, period controls the processors, and chaos adjusts the level of randomization.
The left and right sides of the pitch shifters can be adjusted to six octaves (3 up and three down) and can work together when the link r to l is activated or separately when it is not.
The audio below is on a vocal to hear the contrast of processing and right-left channel linking and unlinking.
The audio clip below is of a less dense, ethereal vocal.
The dual delays have a tempo sync option that can toggle on or off, regen (regeneration) control for the amount of output signal, and x-regen, which feeds some of the signals into the opposite (L or R) channel.
Low pass and high pass filters work in tandem with a and act as a band pass filter, reverb with size, color, mix, and freeze controls with the freeze button activating infinite sustain. The final effect in the chain is panorama which controls the stereo field.
Except for the modes, when the link r to l feature is turned off, all sections operate together so that modulation in one area will have automatic flow-on effects to the sound. There is a MIDI shift function I could not get working on a Macbook with Korg Microkey; however, there would be workarounds for this.
The FLFOs (flexible LFOs) controls are:
- Rate and shape, which are self-explanatory.
- Skew, which adjusts the horizontal symmetry of the wave.
- Warp which applies curve changing the vertical symmetry.
The shifter, delay, and filter sections all have LFO controls, these controls determine how much of the LFO is applied to the connected section.
User interface
I won’t repeat the features, but I will say that the signal path and flow from left to right work well. It is intuitive, everything has its place, and I can’t fault the design. The one thing I did not pick up immediately is that the left and right shift controls have a ‘semi’ option which can activate by clicking the word semi and will change the display to showing increments of 100 (100 is one semi note).
The parameters for the filters are adjusted manually instead of with controls which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on user preference. The switch from faders to knobs in V4 provides a cleaner and more user-friendly view. The interface is resizable, which is always convenient, the modulation naming is clear, and the LFO animations work well with the rest of the design.
Sound
I recorded it on a guitar loop and expected some unwanted resonance, as I have heard on plug-ins of a similar style. This was not the case, and I found that the newly processed sound maintained a clear and defined quality across a range of parameter changes.
The vocal audio clips above showed some interesting reverb effects applying to two vocals. From cycling through the presets to get an idea of the sound, The results were better on the guitar’s more heavy and dense sound. The sound quality is good, as with any plugin it depends on how you use it and what results you will get.
The audio clip below is of the preset called ‘an octave up’ on bass.
The audio clip below is the ‘cloudy with chaos’ preset applied showing the vintage style warmth.
The audio clip above moves through the ‘sickly grain chorus’ and then the ‘stuttering rise’ presets on the guitar.
Compatibility
Discord 4 comes in VST, VST3, and AAX format; it is compatible with Windows 8.1 or newer, iOS 11 or newer, and Ubuntu 18 or newer (64-bit).
Value for Money
This plugin allows you to create entirely new sounds efficiently, as you don’t need to switch between and open/close a stack of plugins to achieve the same results. There are 20 user presets to get you started and the option to create your user presets.
A wide range of modulation parameters and functions allow for detailed fine-tuning. These combined functions also minimize the need to add other after-effects to achieve a clear yet full sound.
Category |
Rating |
Summary |
GUI |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
The user interface is well-designed and intuitive. The visual aspect matches the signal flow and control naming makes sense. |
Features |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
The modulation for this plugin accommodates a lot of control for shaping your sound specifically for left and right variation and complexity in sound texture. |
Sound |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
The sound quality remains constant through both minimal and more intense settings. Word of warning, the glistening setting is extreme, proceed with caution. |
Value For Money |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
This is a powerful plugin and essentially 6 in 1. Good value for the price point. |
Verdict
This plugin is great if you spend hours tinkering away, finding new and unexpected sounds. The introduction of the LFLOs and animations, the options for left and right linking, or independent channels add another element to an already quality plugin. These functions combined create a powerful tool to add minor or major adjustments to any sound.
Discord4 is ideal for pads, atmospheres, or fx to fatten and texturize with a unique and original sound.
AK is a self-taught producer from Australia who started producing while living in London after a friend gave her a copy of the DAW Reason. She started learning drum loops and electronic music which quickly became her main focus. That’s when it all started. Since then AK has worked on perfecting the craft, learning new programs, and finding her sound. She has a growing catalog of releases on major/ independent platforms, her main style is dark electronic. All music/sound is produced and mixed by AK in Sydney.