Enhance Your Music With Guitar Effects Pedals
Published by Russell Strider on 2012-02-14 14:20:39
Are you looking for the best guitar effects pedals? Be sure to visit Best Guitar FX Pedals for a Eventide TimeFactor review and TCC Electronic G-System review.
Musicians have been manipulating the sounds their instruments make since they were invented. Altering reel-to-reel tape created the very first recorded effects. Beginning in the 1940s, effects were built into tube-based amplifiers. It was not until the 60s that guitar effects pedals came into being, due to the advent of the electronic transistor.
There are quite a few different effects available for a guitarist to choose from. The most common one in use is distortion. Although most amps have built-in distortion, using a pedal gives the musician more control over the process.
Dynamic effects were the first used by guitarists. These include compressors, noise gates, and boost (or volume). Noise gates can successfully limit hum or static and are the opposite of compressors, which can make loud sounds quieter and vice versa. Noise gates make quiet sounds quieter, and can make very unusual sounds when combined with other effects. Boost effects do exactly that, by amplifying volume.
Time-based guitar effects pedals add echo or can delay the time it takes for the sound to be heard. A bit beyond creating echoes, a reverb pedal creates many echoes that lose quality over time. A looper pedal will record a snippet of a song, allowing it to be replayed at a later time. This can be done before or during a performance. Some pedals allow for multiple loops to be layered, creating a unique sound.
Feedback or sustain, while not always a desirable condition, can be manipulated by the musician to create overtones, which are tones that are slightly higher than the original. Feedback may be hard to create and control without the proper pedal.
Modulation effects are a large group of effects that follow the same principle, essentially varying the volume strength, the pitch, and the timing. One example is a vibrato. This produces sounds with several quick variations in pitch. A tremolo is similar, however, it produces quick variations in volume. Other modulation effects include chorus and ring modulators.
Filter effects alter the sound's frequency for some cool results. A talk box is the most dramatic, enabling the musician to make the guitar sound like it is talking. Wah-wah pedals and equalizers are other types of filter effects.
This article does not cover all of the guitar effects pedals available, but does give an overview of some of the most common. These pedals can be found in stores that sell electric guitars and other musical instruments, as well as online or in local pawn shops. Some stores specialize in vintage pedals, which can create unique sounds not found in newer models. These pedals make it easy to manipulate sound, creating something truly unique.
Are you looking for the best guitar effects pedals? Be sure to visit Best Guitar FX Pedals for a Line 6 M13 review.
