kneeling while operating two stompboxes with his hands
Distortion an instrument's
audio signal produces distortion Distortion, overdrive, and fuzz effects units add a
warm,
gritty, or
fuzzy character to an audio signal by re-shaping or
clipping it, which
distorts the shape of its
waveform by flattening its peaks, creating
warm sounds by adding
harmonics or
gritty sounds by adding
inharmonic overtones. Distortion effects are sometimes called
gain effects, as distorted guitar sounds were first achieved by increasing the gain of
tube amplifiers. While distortion effects units produce perfectly flattened peaks or
hard clipping, overdrive effects units produce
soft tube-like distortion by compressing the waveform without completely flattening it. Much like guitar tube amplifiers, overdrive effects units are capable of producing
clean sounds at lower volumes and distorted
warm sounds at higher volumes. Notable
examples of distortion and overdrive pedals include the
Boss DS-1 Distortion,
Ibanez Tube Screamer,
Marshall ShredMaster,
MXR Distortion +, and
Pro Co RAT. A fuzz pedal, or fuzzbox, is a type of overdrive effects unit that clips a signal until it is nearly a
square wave, resulting in a heavily distorted or
fuzzy sound. Fuzzboxes may contain
frequency multiplier circuitry to achieve a harsh
timbre by adding complex
harmonics.
The Rolling Stones' song "
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", with a fuzz effect featured prominently on the main electric guitar riff played by Keith Richards, greatly popularized the use of fuzz effects.
Fuzz bass (also called bass overdrive) is a style of playing the
electric bass that produces a buzzy, overdriven sound via a tube or transistor amp or by using a fuzz or overdrive pedal. Notable examples of fuzz effect units include the:
Arbiter Fuzz Face,
Electro-Harmonix Big Muff,
Shin-ei Companion FY-2,
Univox Super-Fuzz,
Vox Tone Bender,
Z.Vex Fuzz Factory. While distortion effect units are most associated with electric and bass guitar, they are also commonly used on keyboard instruments (i.e.
synthesizers,
combo and
tonewheel organs,
electric piano), as well as drums and vocals.
Dynamics audio compressors in a recording studio. From top to bottom: Retro Instruments/Gates STA level; Spectra Sonic;
Dbx 162; Dbx 165;
Empirical Labs Distressor; Smart Research C2; Chandler Limited TG1; Daking FET (91579); and
Altec 436c. Also called volume and
amplitude effects, dynamics effects modify the volume of an instrument. Dynamics effects were among the first effects introduced to guitarists. Volume effects:
Electro-Harmonix LPB-1, Fender Volume Pedal,
MXR Micro Amp,
Ernie Ball Volume Pedal.
Treadle-based volume pedals are used by electric instrument players (guitar, bass, keyboards) to adjust the volume of their instrument with one foot while their hands are being used to play their instrument. Treadle-style volume pedals are often also used to create swelling effects by removing the attack of a note or chord, as popularised by
pedal steel guitar players. This enables electric guitar and pedal steel players to imitate the soft swelling sound that an orchestra
string section can produce, in which a note or chord starts very softly and then grows in volume. Treadle-based volume pedals do not usually have batteries or require external power.
Compressor: Compressors make loud sounds quieter and quiet sounds louder by decreasing or
compressing the
dynamic range of an
audio signal. A compressor is often used to stabilize volume and alter the sound of a note's
attack. With extreme settings of its controls, a compressor can function as a
limiter. Compressor effects:
Keeley Compressor,
MXR Dyna Comp,
Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer.
Noise gate: Noise gates
attenuate hum, hiss, and static in the signal by greatly diminishing the volume when the signal falls below a set threshold. Noise gates are
expanders—meaning that, unlike compressors, they increase the
dynamic range of an
audio signal to make quiet sounds even quieter. Noise gate effects:
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor.
Filter Filter effects alter the
frequency content of an
audio signal that passes through them by either boosting or weakening specific frequencies or frequency regions.
Equalizer: An equalizer is a set of
linear filters that strengthen (
boost) or weaken (
cut) specific
frequency regions. While basic
home stereos often have equalizers for two bands, to adjust bass and treble, professional
graphic equalizers offer much more targeted control over the audio frequency spectrum.
Audio engineers use highly sophisticated equalizers to eliminate unwanted sounds, make an instrument or voice more prominent, and enhance particular aspects of an instrument's tone. Equalizer effects:
Boss GE-7 Equalizer,
MXR 10-band EQ Pedal. 's
Talk box Talk box: A talk box directs the sound from an electric guitar or synthesizer into the mouth of a performer using a tube, allowing the sound to be shaped into
vowels and
consonants with movements of the mouth. The modified sound is then picked up by a microphone. In this way, the guitarist is able create the effect that the guitar is talking. Some famous uses of the talkbox include
Bon Jovi's "
Livin' on a Prayer",
Stevie Wonder's "
Black Man",
Mötley Crüe's "
Kickstart My Heart",
Joe Walsh's "
Rocky Mountain Way",
Alice in Chains's "
Man in the box" and
Peter Frampton's "
Show Me the Way". Talk boxes:
Dunlop HT1 Heil Talk Box,
Rocktron Banshee. (1970) manufactured by JEN
Wah-wah: A wah-wah pedal creates vowel-like sounds by altering the
frequency spectrum produced by an instrument—i.e., how loud it is at each separate
frequency—in what is known as a
spectral glide or
sweep. The device is operated by a foot treadle that manipulates a
potentiometer or other electronic control. Wah-wah pedals are often used by
funk and rock guitarists. Wah effects:
Dunlop Cry Baby,
Morley Power Wah,
Vox.
Auto-wah or, more generally, envelope filter effects: A filter effect that is controlled by the volume of the input signal. The most common filter type used for this effect pedal is the low-pass filter, although many designs include a toggle for band-pass or high-pass filters as well. Additionally, some designs can switch between a down filter mode and an up filter. This effect is commonly used in funk, reggae and jam band music. Envelope filter effects:
Musitronics Mu-Tron III, Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron Plus, DOD Envelope Filter 440.
Modulation Modulation, in general electronics, means the altering of one signal based on another. In audio effects, modulation is a control feature that varies the strength or other attribute of the effect over time to alter tonal properties. Some modulation effects modulate an instrument's
audio signal with a signal generated by the effect called a
carrier wave. Other modulation effects split an instrument's audio signal in two, altering one portion of the signal and mixing it with the unaltered portion.
Chorus: Chorus pedals mimic the effect
choirs and
string orchestras produce naturally, by mixing similar sounds with slight differences in
timbre and
pitch. A chorus effect splits the
audio signal and adds a slight delay and
frequency variations or
vibrato to one version while leaving the rest unaltered. A well-known usage of chorus is the lead guitar in "
Come As You Are" by
Nirvana. Some famous uses of flanger effects include "
Walking on the Moon" by
The Police, the intro to "
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" by
Van Halen, and "
Barracuda" by
Heart. Flanger effects:
Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress,
MXR Flanger,
Boss BF-3 Flanger.
Phaser: A phaser or phase shifter creates a slight rippling effect—amplifying some aspects of the tone while diminishing others—by splitting an
audio signal in two and altering the
phase of one portion. Three well-known examples of phaser are the
two-handed tapping part on the Van Halen instrumental "
Eruption" and the keyboard parts on
Billy Joel's "
Just the Way You Are" and
Paul Simon's "
Slip Slidin' Away". Phase shift effects:
Uni-Vibe,
Electro-Harmonix Small Stone,
MXR Phase 90.
Ring modulator: A ring modulator produces a resonant, metallic sound by
frequency mixing an instrument's
audio signal with a
carrier wave generated by the device's internal
oscillator. The original sound wave is suppressed and replaced by a
ring of
inharmonic higher and lower
pitches or
sidebands. A notable use of
ring modulation is the guitar in the
Black Sabbath song "
Paranoid". Ring modulator effects:
Moogerfooger MF-102 Ring Modulator.
Tremolo: A tremolo effect produces a variation in the volume of a signal. The tremolo effect should not be confused with the misleadingly-named
tremolo bar, a device on a guitar bridge that creates a
vibrato or
pitch-bending effect. In electronic effects, a tremolo is produced by modulating an instrument's audio signal with a
sub-audible carrier wave in such a way that generates amplitude variations in the sound wave. Tremolo effects are built-in effects in some vintage
guitar amplifiers. The guitar intro in the
Rolling Stones' "
Gimme Shelter" features a tremolo effect. Tremolo effects: Demeter TRM-1 Tremulator,
Fender Tremolux.
Slicer: Combines a
modulation sequence with a
noise gate or
envelope filter to create a percussive and rhythmic effect like a helicopter.
Vibrato: Vibrato effects produce slight, rapid variations in
pitch, mimicking the fractional
semitone variations produced naturally by
opera singers and violinists when they are prolonging a single note. Vibrato effects often allow the performer to control the rate of the variation as well as the difference in pitch (
depth). A vibrato with an extreme
depth setting (e.g., half a semitone or more) will produce a dramatic,
ululating sound. In
transistorized effects, vibrato is produced by mixing an instrument's
audio signal with a
carrier wave in such a way that generates frequency variations in the sound wave. Vibrato effects:
Boss VB-2 Vibrato.
Pitch and frequency Polyphonic Octaver Generator (POG) A pitch shifter (also called an
octaver for effects that shift pitch by an
octave) raises or lowers (i.e.
transposes) each note a performer plays by a pre-set
interval. For example, a pitch shifter set to increase the pitch by a fourth will raise each note four
diatonic intervals above the notes actually played. Simple, less expensive pitch shifters raise or lower the pitch by one or two
octaves, while more sophisticated devices offer a range of interval alterations. A pitch shifter can be used by an electric guitarist to play notes that would normally only be available on an electric bass. As well, a bass player with a four string electric bass can use an octave pedal to obtain low notes that would normally only be obtainable with a five-string bass with a low B string. A harmonizer is a type of sophisticated pitch shifter that combines the altered pitch with the original pitch to create a two or three note
harmony based on the original pitch. Some hamonizers are able to create chorus-like effects by modulating of small shifts in pitch. The first mass-market digital pitch shifter was the
DigiTech Whammy, introduced in 1989. It creates a "strange and artificial" sound, with distinctive "wobbly"
artifacts. Its users include
Jonny Greenwood and
Ed O'Brien of
Radiohead,
Matt Bellamy of
Muse,
Tom Morello of
Rage Against the Machine and
Audioslave, and
Jack White of the
White Stripes.
Guitar World described the Whammy as one of the most iconic guitar pedals.
Time-based EP-2 delay effect Time-based effects delay the sound signal, add reverb or echos, or enable musicians to record and play back
loops.
Delay/echo: Delay/echo units produce an echo effect by adding a duplicate to the original signal at a slight time delay. The effect can either be a single echo (called a
slap or
slapback), or multiple echos. A well-known use of delay is the lead guitar in the
U2 song "
Where the Streets Have No Name", and also the opening riff of "
Welcome to the Jungle" by
Guns N' Roses. Delay effects:
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay,
MXR Carbon Copy,
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man,
Line 6 DL4,
Roland RE-201.
Looper pedal: A looper pedal or
phrase looper allows a performer to record and later replay a phrase,
riff or passage from a song.
Loops can be created on the spot during a performance (
live looping) or they can be pre-recorded. By using a looper pedal, a singer-guitarist in a
one person band can play the backing chords to a song, loop them with the pedal, and then sing and do a
guitar solo over the chords. Some units allow a performer to layer multiple loops, enabling the performer to create the effect of a full band. The first loop effects were created with
reel-to-reel tape using a
tape loop.
Reverb: Reverb units simulate the spacious sounds produced naturally in
any acoustic space, from hall or room to a huge stone cathedral. This is done by creating a large number of echoes that gradually fade away in volume or
decay. One early technique for creating a reverb effect was to send an amplified signal of the music via a speaker to another room with reflective surfaces, such as a tile bathroom, and then record the natural reverberations that were produced. A plate reverb system uses an electromechanical
transducer to create vibrations in a plate of metal.
Spring reverb systems, which are often used in guitar amplifiers, use a transducer to create vibrations in a spring. Digital reverb effects use various
signal processing algorithms to create the reverb effect, often by using multiple feedback
delay circuits.
Rockabilly and
surf guitar are two genres that make heavy use of reverb. Reverb effects:
Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail,
Fender Reverb Unit.
Feedback and sustain Audio feedback is an effect produced when amplified sound is picked up by a microphone or guitar pickup and played back through a
guitar amplifier, initiating a feedback loop, which usually consists of high-pitched sound. Feedback that occurs from a vocal mic into a
PA system is almost always avoided. However, in some styles of rock music, electric guitar players intentionally create feedback by playing their instrument directly in front of the
speaker enclosure of a
guitar amplifier set up with sufficient gain. The creative use of feedback effects was pioneered by guitarists such as
Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s. This technique creates sustained, high-pitched
overtones and unusual sounds not possible through regular playing techniques. Guitar feedback effects can be difficult to perform, because it is difficult to determine the sound volume and guitar position relative to a guitar amp's loudspeaker necessary for achieving the desired feedback sound. Guitar feedback effects are used in a number of rock genres, including
psychedelic rock,
heavy metal music and
punk rock. guitar string resonator
EBow is a brand name of Heet Sound Products, of Los Angeles, California, for a small, handheld, battery-powered resonator. The Ebow was invented by Greg Heet, as a way to make a note on an electric guitar string resonate continuously, creating an effect that sounds similar to cello or violin. The resonator uses a
pickup feedback circuit, including a sensor coil, driver coil, and amplifier, to induce forced string resonance. The Ebow is
monophonic, so it drives only one string at a time. Other handheld and mounted guitar and bass resonators produced in Germany under the SRG brand were on the market since the early 1990s through 2016. These were available in both monophonic (one string at a time) and polyphonic (multiple strings at a time) models, and included multiple onboard trigger switch effects, such as HPF (high pass filter) for enhancing harmonics and producing feedback effects, and LPF (low pass filter), producing a bass boost with a cello sound on heavy gauge strings. Later EBow models, such as the plus Ebow, contain a mode slide switch on the back, which allows the player to either produce just sustain or
overtone feedback in addition to sustain. This, combined with heavy distortion and the close proximity of the guitar and the speaker cabinet, can lead to infinite sustain at higher volumes.
Other effects Envelope follower: An envelope follower activates an effect once a designated volume is reached. One effect that uses an envelope follower is the
auto-wah, which produces a
wah effect depending on how loud or soft the notes are being played.
Guitar amplifier modeling:
Amplifier modeling is a digital effect that replicates the sound of various amplifiers, most often vintage
tube amplifiers and famous brands of
speaker cabinets. Sophisticated modeling effects can simulate different types of speaker cabinets (e.g., the sound of an 8x10 inch cabinet) and
miking techniques. A rotary speaker simulator mimics the
doppler and
chorus effect sound of a vintage
Leslie speaker system by replicating its volume and pitch modulations,
overdrive capacity and
phase shifts.
Pitch correction and related vocal effects: Pitch correction effects use signal-processing algorithms to re-tune faulty
intonation in a vocalist's performance or create unusual
vocoder-type vocal effects. One of the best known examples of this is
Autotune, a software program and effect unit which can be used to both correct pitch and add vocal effects.
Simulators: Simulators enable electric guitars to mimic the sound of other instruments such as
acoustic guitar, electric bass and
sitar.
Pick up simulators used on guitars with
single-coil pick ups replicate the sound of guitars with
humbucker pick ups, or vice versa. A de-
fretter is a bass guitar effect that simulates the sound of a
fretless bass. The effect uses an
envelope-controlled filter and
voltage-controlled amplifier to soften a note's attack both in volume and
timbre.
Bitcrusher filters: Bitcrushers rely on an
analog to digital conversion of the audio signal and the reduction of sound fidelity by utilizing
bit depths and
sample rates low enough to cause significant colouration and filtering within the audible frequency range.
Leslie speakers are specially constructed
amplifier and
loudspeakers used to create special audio effects by rotating the speakers or a sound-directing duct to introduce the
Doppler effect and other sound reflections. The rotating speaker baffle creates a chorus-type effect. Named after its inventor,
Donald Leslie, it is particularly associated with the
Hammond organ but is used with a variety of instruments as well as vocals. The Hammond/Leslie combination has become an element in many genres of music. The
Korg Kaoss Pad is a small
touchpad MIDI controller,
sampler, and effects processor for audio and musical instruments, made by
Korg. The Kaoss Pad's touchpad can be used to control its internal effects engine, which can be applied to a line-in signal or to samples recorded from the line-in. Effects types include pitch shifting,
distortion, filtering,
wah-wah,
tremolo,
flanging,
delay,
reverberation, auto-panning, gating,
phasing, and
ring modulation. The Kaoss Pad can also be used as a
MIDI controller. ==Bass effects==