  We study the response of star clusters to individual tidal perturbations
using controlled $N$-body simulations. We consider perturbations by a moving
point mass and by a disc, and vary the duration of the perturbation as well as
the cluster density profile. For fast perturbations (i.e. `shocks'), the
cluster gains energy in agreement with theoretical predictions in the impulsive
limit. For slow disc perturbations, the energy gain is lower, and this has
previously been attributed to adiabatic damping. However, the energy gain due
to slow perturbations by a point-mass is similar to, or larger than that due to
fast shocks, which is not expected because adiabatic damping should be almost
independent of the nature of the tides. We show that the geometric distortion
of the cluster during slow perturbations is of comparable importance for the
energy gain as adiabatic damping, and that the combined effect can
qualitatively explain the results. The half-mass radius of the bound stars
after a shock increases up to $\sim$7\% for low-concentration clusters, and
decreases $\sim$3\% for the most concentrated ones. The fractional mass loss is
a non-linear function of the energy gain, and depends on the nature of the
tides and most strongly on the cluster density profile, making semi-analytic
model predictions for cluster lifetimes extremely sensitive to the adopted
density profile.
