ABSTRACT
The use of harmonic distortion (HD) is ubiquitous in contemporary recordings. Traditionally, HD was a byproduct of hardware, but newer software emulates this effect. Audio professionals can integrate HD hardware and/or software into all stages of workflows; however, how, where, and when to implement HD is highly debated. This chapter defines HD and non-linearity in hardware devices, discusses authenticity of HD emulators, and compares advantages/disadvantages of using HD software and hardware. A Harmonic Distortion Survey was conducted to understand how, why, and where audio professionals use HD in production workflows and why audio professionals choose HD hardware or software. Survey results suggest that audio professionals consider harmonic distortion an essential tool. Furthermore, audio engineers, mixing engineers, and producers are most likely to create HD using both hardware and software. There is no agreement as to how clients perceive HD and at what stage productions with HD should be heard by clients. Survey results were compared with previous literature research, and results suggest there is a generational affinity for software and continued interest in hardware. Understanding how to best integrate HD created by hardware and software emulation into modern audio production workflows is paramount for developing best practice for the industry.
