How to add a "crackling" sound?

[Dr. Mindermast]

I'm putting ideas together for a song, and one idea is that I would like it to have a staticky "crackling" sound, as if it was an old degraded recording. I haven't yet figured out how to do this with any of the effects plug-ins I have, although that could just mean that I need to set things a certain way that I haven't stumbled upon yet. But you folks are more experienced than me, maybe you already know the answer - is there a certain effect that will do this? Possibly one that's available as a free VST plug-in? Or, alternately, does it make more sense to just create noise in some fashion on a separate track instead of applying it as an effect to the mix? (if I can I might want to apply it to the vocal track only, which pushes me strongly in the direction of "I want an effect that does this," but I haven't played around with it enough yet to know for sure that this is what I want)

 

[jimmys69]

Google your question.

'crackle vst' gave some options:

https://www.google.com/search?q=cra...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

 

[guitaristic]

I had one on my old laptop that was free and was quite good. It let me add hiss and crackle, and also had some pretty nifty eq filters that made it sound generally more old. Can't remember the name of it though. They're definitely out there!

 

[Armistice]

Use a cheap interface...

 

[witzendoz]

I actually recorded a scratched record, the needle drop and the intro part of the record before the music started, then looped the intro part in time with the scratch.

Used it as an intro to one of my albums.

Alan.

 

[TimOBrien]

Find a sample (freesound.org has some) or use iZotope's free Vinyl vst.

 

[guitaristic]

Find a sample (freesound.org has some) or use iZotope's free Vinyl vst.

I think that was the one I was talking about. Mine looked a bit different though.

 

[mdainsd]

Do it old school. Wad up a piece of cellophane or even bubble wrap. Put it up next to the mic and mess with it. Works great.

 

[Guitargodgt]

I think the izotope plugin works great.

 

[Dr. Mindermast]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll play around with these and see what works well...

 

[johnnyboy31]

I'm guessing sampling an old scratched vinyl and layer it ! Other options are interesting though...

 

[grimtraveller]

I still, after all these years, find it hilarious that having spent the better part of half a century finding ways to minimize and finally eliminate scratchiness, that there are now so many artificial ways to put it back in !
We're hopelessly human, never satisfied !!