What is Saturation in Mixing and Mastering?

Ever wondered why vintage recordings sound so warm? Here we explain what is saturation in mixing and mastering

Imagine listening to a song that feels lifeless and flat, no matter how well the elements are arranged, but If you compare that to a track that has warm, textured elements. What is the secret behind that extra depth and character? 

What is Saturation and how does it work in Mixing

Saturation is a subtle form of distortion that adds pleasant-sounding harmonics to elements of a song. The effect from the analog days when audio recording ran through various pieces of hardware. Audio saturation is the essence of what makes analog hardware sound pleasing to the ear. Driving sounds through tape, tubes, transistors, and circuits has long been an essential element in great productions.

ALSO READ: Top 7 Tape emulation VST plugins for adding analog warmth

This type of effect has a significant role when it comes to music production. Using saturation on single tracks, bus groups and the master channel will highly improve the overall mix of a song. Even more it adds desired analog sound that is most frequent in popular songs.

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How to use Saturation in music production. 3 prime examples

The mysterious factor that gives your track warmth, body, and analog flavor. When used the correct way, saturation is a powerful tool for enhancing the quality of your music. Here we take a look at the way it is most effective 

Adding warmth to a sound using Supercharger GT from Native Instruments.

Sometimes we think that adding “warmth” is about removing high frequencies from a sound but in this case, adding some upper harmonics to the bass sound is actually going to help it feel more thick and enjoyable to the listener. Here we are only looking at the saturation controls on the left-hand side. To get the saturation we are looking for. Flick the saturation mode toggle from Mild to Moderate. Then boost the saturation dial until the bass starts to sound thicker and richer.

SUPERCHARGER GT

Emulate the analog sounds using DIRT

Dirt is an organic-sounding distortion plugin that is perfect for adding subtle but sharp saturation. The plugin features two distortion stages, let’s look at both as an example to add flavor and texture to the desired sounds. Steadily boost the two drive dials until the synth starts to sound rough and slightly crunchy, from there, dial back the Drive just a little, and this will add the texture you are looking for. This will give a more authentic sound. 

DIRT

Overdrive using the Fabfilter Saturn 2

Overdrive is a slightly more mild form of distortion, it adds a warmer, more sparkly effect by pushing the signal into gentle clipping. This is used more frequently on guitars and can be effective on vocal as well as drums to add a touch of edge without overwhelming the natural character of the sound. Using the fabfilter you can move the drive wheel to increase the audible distortion on the loudest part of the sounds. Too much will over distort the sound, but just enough can give a clean euphoric sound.

Fabfilter Saturn 2

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How can audio saturation be applied to your mix?

Use on Individual elements within a track:

• Vocals. Applying slight saturation to vocals adds warmth and brightness, making a very dry sounding vocal sample into something that sounds more alive and expressive. 
• Drums. Adding slight saturation to a kick can give it more punch and fullness, particularly on hi hats, snares, and percussion loops. This can be applied to individual drum hits or on the drum bus.
• Bass. Saturation on a bass makes it more present and blends better with other instruments within the mix. A design like this can enhance the harmonics and give the bass more character as well as adding a more unique sound.
• Keys. Saturation on melodic elements can lighten up the sound of electric guitars, keys and synths, giving these elements a more dynamic and warm tone.

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Why saturation is crucial for music producers?

As a producer, the world of audio production is everything, Yet most producers find their tracks don’t sound how they want them to. Either lacking depth and not hitting the sweet spot, or maybe just missing that authentic touch.

Applying the in-depth quality of Saturation can provide a highly trustworthy tool that amplifies a song to a new level. Saturation provides harmonic richness, making all stand-out elements in a track sound fuller and more cohesive to the listener, this is typically known as “Mix Saturation” in the producer world.

Hip-Hop and trap genres, where beats and bass are a more fundamental part of the track. The right type of Saturation can make your drums hit harder, and your bass sound bolder in the mix.

Beyond just the sound enhancement, saturation plays a key role in mastering too. 

By adding more harmonic details to a specific party of the master, saturation can help you cut through the mix. Making them way more audible without having to turn up the volume

As digital clipping can sound harsh, Saturation can offer a more musical way to add loudness to any production.

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Saturation In Music: Final Thoughts

This is not just a fancy terminology thrown around by music producers. Saturation is a very important and highly efficient technique that can seriously uplift a track, really allowing your production to cut through all the noise and stand out as a professional song within the industry.

However, the real magic happens when you combine together the knowledge of saturation in music with practical hands-on experience. Incorporating these techniques into your music will not only enhance the quality of your tracks but also speed up your workflow, allowing you to produce at an expert level.

Also Read:

1. What are Low Pass and High Pass Filters in Music
2. VST Plugins Recommendations by Top Artists