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Effects units are devices that affect the sound of an electric instrument or other audio source (such as recorded material) when plugged in to the electrical signal path the instrument or source sends, most often an electric guitar or bass guitar. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the They can also be used on other instruments or sound sources, like the Rhodes piano, synths or even the human voice. A Rhodes piano is an electromechanical Musical instrument, a brand of Electric piano. While some effect units transform the sound completely, others just color the sound picture in a minor way.

An effects unit consists of one or more electronic devices which typically contain analog circuitry for processing audio signals, similar to that found in music synthesizers, for example active and passive filters, envelope followers, voltage-controlled oscillators, or digital delays.

Effects units are packaged by their manufacturers, and used by musicians, in various sizes, the most common of which are the stomp-box and the rack-mount unit. A "Stomp box" is a metal box, containing the circuitry, which is placed on the floor in front of the musician and connected in line with, say, the guitar cord. A stomp box or stompbox is a simple Percussion instrument consisting of a small wooden box placed under the foot which is tapped or stamped on rhythmically to The box is typically controlled by one or more foot-pedal on-off switches and typically contains only one or two effects. A second type of effects unit may contain the identical electronic circuit, but is mounted in a standard 19" equipment rack. Usually, however, rack-mount effects units contain several different types of effects. They are typically controlled by knobs or switches on the front panel, and often by a MIDI digital control interface. MIDI ( Musical Instrument Digital Interface, ˈmɪdi is an industry-standard protocol that enables Electronic musical instruments Computers "Off-boards" are used by musicians who prefer multiple stomp-boxes; these may be simply pieces of plywood with several stomp-box units fastened to the plywood and connected in series. Rackmounted effects or off-boards can combine several effects in one unit, and can include analog controls such as pedals or knobs.

Modern desktop and notebook computers often have sound processing capabilities that rival commercially available effects boxes. Some can process sound through VST or similar plugins, such as RTAS or Direct X. Steinberg 's Virtual Studio Technology (VST is an interface for integrating software Audio Synthesizer and effect Plugins with With a decent sound card, musicians can play any instrument through a computer, emulating any effects unit or even an amplifier in a convincing way. Many VST-plugins are freely downloadable from the Internet.

Contents

Types of effects

Dynamics

Compressor 
The gain of the amplifier is varied to reduce the dynamic range of the signal. Dynamic range compression, also called DRC (often seen in DVD player settings or simply compression, is a process that reduces the Dynamic range of In Electronics, gain is a measure of the ability of a circuit (often an Amplifier) to increase the power or Amplitude of a Dynamic range is a term used frequently in numerous fields to describe the Ratio between the smallest and largest possible values of a changeable quantity such as in Sound
Tremolo 
Tremolo produces a periodic variation in the amplitude (volume) of the note. Tremolo, or tremolando, is a Musical term with several meanings A regular and repetitive variation in Amplitude for the duration i. e. A sine wave applied as input to a voltage-controlled amplifier produces this effect.

Tone

Overdrive and distortion
Distortion is when the signal is amplified past the limits of the amplifier, resulting in clipping. A distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic of an object image sound waveform or other form of information or representation (see Fuzzbox) Overdrive is when you amplify the signal from the guitar beyond the limits of the main amplifier. A fuzzbox (or fuzz box) is a type of Effects pedal comprising an amplifier and a clipping circuit which generates a distorted version of the
Wah-wah pedal 
An effect that gives the instrument an almost vocal effect, familiar as the wah-wah pedal. A wah-wah pedal (or just wah pedal) is a type of Guitar Effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect intended to mimic A wah-wah pedal (or just wah pedal) is a type of Guitar Effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect intended to mimic Examples include: "White Room" by Cream, used by Eric Clapton. Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945 is an English Blues-rock Guitarist, singer Songwriter and Composer Also popular in funk and psychedelic rock, i. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Psychedelic rock is a style of Rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. e. Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter Pink Floyd are
Ring modulation 
"Organic" effect that takes a "carrier frequency" and your guitar frequency, and outputs the sum and difference of the two pitches. Ring modulation is a signal-processing effect in electronics related to Amplitude modulation or frequency mixing, performed by multiplying two signals where one Must be heard to be understood.
Equalizer 
Adjusts the frequency response in a number of different bands of EQ. Equalization (or equalisation, EQ) is the process of changing the frequency envelope of a sound in Audio processing. Variants include the parametric EQ which instead of flatly boosting and cutting frequencies, curves the frequency response to include changes in adjacent frequencies. As well the paragraphic EQ, which combines the visual interface of the graphic EQ with the flexibility of the parametric EQ, giving each band its own adjustable Q.
Clean boost or any other "booster"
Amplifies some aspect of the instrument's signal output. Generally used for preventing signal loss through long chains of effects units (pedals) and getting overdrive tones out of a tube amp. On stage, used for volume boosts for solos.
Talk box 
A powered speaker that amplifies the guitar's output through a tube which is positioned next to a microphone. A talk box is an effects device that allows a musician to modify the sound of a Musical instrument. The effect is manipulated by vocal technique. Notable uses include Rufus's "Tell Me Something Good", Peter Frampton's "Show Me the Way", Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion and by Slash in many songs and solos. Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950 in Beckenham, Kent) is an English Musician, best known today for his solo Aerosmith is an American Hard rock band sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston " and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" " Sweet Emotion " is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. Also used in many Bon Jovi songs. Bon Jovi is an American Hard rock band from Sayreville New Jersey.

Time-based

Delay 
First used by Les Paul, e. Delay is an Audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time Les Paul (born Lester William Polsfuss on June 9 1915) is an American Jazz guitarist and Inventor. g. I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles. (Modern digital delay units, the first of which was the Eventide Harmonizer, involve sound waves being converted from analog to digital signals, and clocked through large banks of RAM memory. Paul achieved time delay by stretching audiotape between two reel-to-reel tape decks spaced several feet apart. ) The Edge of U2 is a notable user of this effect in his music. David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961 in Barking, East London) more widely known by his Moniker The Edge, is a Musician known best An obvious example of this is the song "Where the Streets Have No Name". " Where the Streets Have No Name " is a song by Irish rock band U2, from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree.
Echo 
Uses short, effected delays to simulate an echo. In Audio signal processing and Acoustics, an echo (plural echoes) is a reflection of sound arriving at the listener some time after the direct
Reverb 
Simulates reverberation in stadiums, halls, other performance areas. Reverberation is the persistence of Sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed Even actual surfaces, such as plate metal and metal springs, are sometimes simulated.
Chorus 
Splits the signal into a vibrato effect and a clean path. A chorus effect is A condition in the way people perceive similar sounds coming from multiple sources The output is the sum of these inputs. Creates a spacey sound, or if used subtly, a double-tracking effect. Doubletracking is an Audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance usually to produce a stronger or "bigger"
Flanging 
Uses very short variable delays to cause a changing comb filter effect. Flanging is a time-based Audio effect that occurs when two identical signals are mixed together but with one signal time-delayed by a small and gradually changing amount In Signal processing, a comb filter adds a delayed version of a signal to itself causing constructive and destructive interference. First notable uses were in "Itchycoo Park" by the Small Faces, and "Sky Pilot" by The Animals. "Itchycoo Park" is a Psychedelic pop song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane of the group Small Faces. Small Faces were an English rock group from East London, heavily influenced by American Rhythm and blues. The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s known in the United States as part of the British Invasion. It is often said that flange sounds like air planes coming in for a landing or the swirling sound of water going down a drain. The flanger was a studio effect at first. Old tape reels have flanges in the reel. The effect was created by poking a drumstick in and out the flange in regular time. This created the sweeping effect.
Phase shifting (or phasing) 
Modulates the phase of the signal. The phase of an oscillation or wave is the fraction of a complete cycle corresponding to an offset in the displacement from a specified reference point at time t = 0 In the Compositional technique phasing, popularized by composer Steve Reich, the same part (a repetitive phrase is played on two Musical instruments in Popular during the 1970s; examples include the guitar from the Three's Company theme, and keyboard part of Paul Simon's "Slip-Slidin' Away". Three's Company is an American Sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984 on ABC. A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a Musical instrument, particularly the piano Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13 1941 is an American Songwriter, Musician, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. High phasing speeds produce an "underwater" effect, as used by Jimi Hendrix in "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)". James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter " 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be " is a song by Jimi Hendrix, performed by The Jimi Hendrix Experience on their 1968 album Electric Ladyland

Frequency

Pitch shifter 
Also introduced by the Harmonizer which has a knob on the front to "change your pitch up. A pitch shifter is an audio processor that changes the pitch of an audio signal " A notable example is the Digitech Whammy. The Digitech Whammy is a pitch-shifter effects pedal manufactured by Digitech.
Vibrato 
Vibrato refers to a variation in frequency of a note, for example as an opera singer holding one note for a long time will vary the frequency up and down. Vibrato is a musical effect produced in singing and on musical instruments by a regular pulsating change of pitch, and is used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to A sine wave applied as input to a voltage-controlled oscillator produces this effect.
Guitarists often use the terms "vibrato" and "tremolo" inconsistently. A so-called vibrato unit in a guitar amplifier actually produces tremolo, while a tremolo arm on a guitar produces vibrato. However, finger vibrato is genuine vibrato. See Electric guitar, tremolo, vibrato. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder Tremolo, or tremolando, is a Musical term with several meanings A regular and repetitive variation in Amplitude for the duration Vibrato is a musical effect produced in singing and on musical instruments by a regular pulsating change of pitch, and is used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to

Other specific effects

Defretter 
It simulates a fretless guitar
Acoustic guitar simulator 
Simulates an acoustic guitar. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles A steel-string acoustic guitar, is a modern form of Guitar descended from the Classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter louder sound
Rotary speaker
A Leslie speaker simulation effect. The Leslie speaker is a specially constructed amplifier/ Loudspeaker used to create special audio effects utilizing the Doppler effect. One particular effect of this type (the Uni-Vibe) was made famous by Jimi Hendrix.
Envelope Follower 
Uses the signal amplitude envelope to control one or more effects.
Pickup simulation 
Simulates either a single-coil pickup if the musician has a humbucker or vice-versa. A pickup device acts as a Transducer that captures mechanical vibrations (usually from suitably equipped Stringed instruments such as the Electric guitar A single coil pickup is a type of magnetic Transducer for the Electric guitar and the electric bass. A conventional humbucker (or Humbucking pickup) is a type of Electric guitar pickup that uses two coils both generating string signal
Ambiance modelling 
Creates an ambiance through an amalgam of effects.
Guitar amplifier modelling 
Models instrument tone to imitate the tone produced by various amplifiers, especially to attain the valve sound with solid-state equipment. A guitar amplifier is an Electronic amplifier designed for use with an electric or electronic Musical instrument, such as an Electric guitar. Tube sound (or valve sound) is the characteristic sound associated with a Vacuum tube -based Audio amplifiers Some Audiophiles

These types of effects are usually digital, and can therefore be found as features of effect processors such as the Boss ME series and Vox multieffects. Effects units are devices that affect the sound of an electric instrument or other audio source (such as recorded material when plugged in to the electrical signal path the instrument

Boutique Pedal Manufacturers

Boutique pedals are typically handmade and designed by smaller, independent companies. Usually, they are mainly distributed online, through mail-order, or through a small number of music stores. In some cases, these products depend on "word-of-mouth" advertising. The prices of boutique pedals are too high to compete with mass-produced brands such as Boss or Digitech. Boss is a manufacturer of Effects pedals for Electric guitar and Bass guitar. DigiTech is a manufacturer of Guitar, Bass guitar, and Vocals Electronics. Boutique manufacturers offer products and features for the more discriminating guitar player--features such as true-bypass switching, higher-quality components, and innovative designs. Other boutique companies focus on re-creating classic or vintage effects that are no longer available. For example, the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face and Dallas Rangemaster are classic effects that are produced in many variations by the boutique industry.

Some boutique pedal manufacturers include:

Other Boutique Markets

There is also a niche market for the modification of effects. Analogman LLC is a company that makes and modifies guitar Effects pedals In 1995 the company lead by "Analog Mike" Piera started modifying Ibanez Ellis Guitars is a company based in Perth, Western Australia producing handmade Acoustic guitars and acoustic stompboxes. GoudieFX is a boutique pedal manufacturer for Electric guitars in Ontario Canada. Lovetone is the name of a manufacturer of analog Effect pedals in England in the 1990s. Metasonix is an American Audio equipment manufacturer founded by Eric Barbour and located in Lakeport California. Moog Music Robert Keeley can refer to one of the following persons Robert Keeley (composer, British composer and pianist Robert V Z Vex Effects is a Boutique Effects pedal company based in Minneapolis Minnesota. A niche market is a focused targetable portion (subset of a market Typically, mod vendors provide either mod services or new modded units of some of the more popular current designs. The Ibanez Tube Screamer, the Boss DS-1, and the ProCo Rat are some of the most commonly modified effects. Mods typically encompass value changes in capacitors or resistors, the substitution of higher-quality components, and the replacement of the unit's original operational amplifier (opamp) with a different value.

See also

Notable manufacturers

External links

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