For example to introduce a change in timbre of the original sound or to create a sense of cultural or stylistic context.
Flanging and distortion were originally regarded as sonic artifacts; as time passed they became a valued part of pop music production methods.
It is valid to consider the genuine surface noise such as pops and clicks that are audible when a vintage vinyl recording is played back or recorded onto another medium as sonic artifacts, although not all sonic artifacts must contain in their meaning or production a sense of "past", more so a sense of "by-product".
[clarification needed] Other vinyl record artifacts include turntable rumble, ticks, crackles and groove echos.
They are also the primary focus of the practice of circuit bending: making sounds from products that were unintended by the makers of the circuitry.