Hysteresis Shaper FAQ

Most saturation applies a static curve: the same input produces the same output. Hysteresis is history-dependent: the output depends on the input and on the previous magnetic state. That state-aware behaviour is what makes magnetic saturation feel different from tubes, clipping, or ordinary waveshaping.

Memory controls how much influence the previous magnetic state has on the current output. Higher values make the saturation more history-dependent: transients round off more and the tone reacts more to what came before. Lower values make the response more immediate.

When magnetic domains in real magnetic material change state, the movement is not entirely smooth. Those tiny jumps can produce stochastic crackling known as Barkhausen noise. The Barkhausen control adds a controlled magnetic-grain layer for extra texture.

Live (1x) is the lightest mode for tracking and reports 0 samples latency. Design (2x) and Mix (4x) add oversampling to push aliasing further above the audible band, with Mix using the higher-order RK4 integrator. Master (8x) is the highest-quality mode for final renders. Higher modes cost more CPU and may add host-compensated latency.

No. Live (1x) runs at the native sample rate with no lookahead and reports 0 samples latency. Oversampled modes may introduce fixed, host-compensated latency from the oversampling filters.

Coupling represents interaction between neighbouring magnetic states inside the model. It adds subtle inter-sample behaviour that increases harmonic complexity without radically changing the character. Default is 20%.

The X-Y Loop displays the hysteresis loop: input vs. output as a 2D trace. A wider loop usually means more history-dependence and stronger harmonic behaviour. It is the visual signature of the saturation process.

The demo is fully functional: every control is active and there is no time limit. A 0.5-second noise burst plays every 60 seconds and will be printed in renders. No account is required to download it.