Effects unit
' Effects unit ' is related to totally ' 30 ' matches
Guitar_effects | Effects_pedal | Guitar_amplifier | Delay_(audio_effect) | Sound_effect | Rhodes_piano | Fuzzbox | Waves_Audio | Valve_sound | Distortion_(guitar) | Behringer | Octave_effect | BOSS | Vibrato_unit | Electro-Harmonix | Wah-wah_pedal | Flanging | Chorus_effect | Audio_equipment | Electric_guitar | DJ_mix | Pitch_shifter | DJ_mixer | Tremolo | Vox_(musical_equipment) | Distortion | Gated_reverb | Virtual_Studio_Technology | Comb_filter | DI_unit |
' Effects unit ' search sugestions are totally ' 1 ' matches
Effects_unit,

File:Ts9-stompbox.jpg Effects units are electronic devices that alter how an instrument or other audio source sounds. Some effects units merely "color" the sound in a subtle way, while others transform the sound dramatically. Examples of common effects units are wah-wah pedal , fuzzbox s, and reverb units. Effects can be used during live performances (typically with electric guitar electronic keyboard or electric bass or in the recording studio While most frequently used with electric or electronic instruments, effects can also be used with acoustic instruments and drums. Effects units come in several formats, the most common of which are the "stomp-box" and the "rack-mount". A stomp-box (or "pedal") is a small metal or plastic box placed on the floor in front of the musician and connected to his or her instrument. The box is typically controlled by one or more foot-pedal on-off switches and contains only one or two effects. A rack-mount is mounted on a standard 19" equipment rack and usually contains several different types of effects. Rack-mounts are typically controlled by knobs or switches on their front panel, and often by a MIDI digital control interface. During a live performance, the effect is plugged in to the electrical signal path of the instrument. In the studio, the instrument or other sound-sources aux-send is patched into the effect. An effects unit consists of Analogue electronics or digital circuitry which processes audio signals. Effects units are part of a musicians outboard gear

Formats (form factor)

Effects units are available in a variety of formats or "form factors". A musicans choice of form factor is generally determined by the instrument he or she plays, the musical situation (recording or live performance) and what he or she can afford. Stomp-box style pedals are usually the smallest and least expensive type of effect device, and they are the most rugged format. Rackmount devices are larger and need to be protected in a rack case when taken "on the road". Rackmount devices typically offer a wider range of functions, have more input-output jacks and, especially if designed for use in the studio, produce less "noise" than a stomp-box when used for Dynamic range compression or reverb

Stomp boxes

Stomp boxes, or effects pedals, are effects units designed to sit on the floor or a guitar pedalboard and be turned on and off with the users feet. They typically house a single effect. The simplest stomp-box pedals have a single footswitch; one or two potentiometers for controlling the effect, gain or Pitch (music) and a single LED display to indicate the status of the effect to the player. The most complex stomp-box pedals have multiple footswitches, eight to ten knobs, additional switches, and an alphanumeric display screen that can indicate the status of the effect with short acronyms (e.g. DIST for "distortion").File:Pedalboard (995939579).jpg An "effects chain" or "signal chain" may be formed by connecting two or more stomp-boxes. An effects chain can be created between the guitar and the guitar Instrument amplifier preamp section, within the guitar amplifiers effects loop after a guitar amplifiers DI unit line-level tap jack, after a "dummy load attached to the guitar amplifiers output jack, or at the mixing board to process the miked guitar-speaker signal.The stomp-boxs input jack is usually located on its right side, and output on the left; thus the signal path for a chain of pedals is usually right-to-left. When a pedal is off or inactive, the signal coming in to the pedal is diverted onto a bypass, resulting in a "dry" signal which continues on to other effects down the chain. In this way, the effects within a chain can be combined in a variety of ways without having to reconnect boxes during a performance. To shape and preserve the clarity of the basic distortion tone, it is most common to put wah-wah (music) and Distortion (music) pedals at the start of the chain; pedals which alter the pitch or color of the tone in the middle; and delay (audio effect) (echo) and reverb units at the end. When using many effects, unwanted noise and hum can be introduced into the sound. Some performers use a noise gate pedal at the end to reduce unwanted noise and hum introduced by overdrive units or vintage gear. Some performers make more complex signal chains by adding a loop selector pedal to switch between two effects loops. For example, a guitarist might create a grunge rhythm guitar tone with an overdrive pedal, a lo-fi pedal, and a sub-octave pedal, and then use the loop selector pedal to switch to a shimmering, clear tone created with a reverb pedal, an acoustic guitar simulator pedal, and a chorus pedal. Another more complicated way of using multiple pedals is to use a line selector/mixer pedal to blend two effects loops together.

Rackmount

File:Millennia mic preamp and opto-comp limiter.jpg Rackmounts are effects built into a case designed to integrate into a 19-inch rack standard to the telecommunication and computing industries. Rack effects are commonly used in recording studio and "front of house" live sound mixing situations. "Shock mount" racks are designed for musicians who are shipping gear on major tours. Rackmount effects can be one, two, or three rackspaces high. Devices that are less than 19-inchs wide may use special "ear" adapters that allow them to be mounted on a rack (e.g., the Alesis Nanocompressor and Nanoverb units). Rackmount cases can either be soft-sided cases built around a frame and intended for easy carrying with a strap, hard plastic cases meant for musicians who are transporting the effects in a van, or "shock mount" cases which cushion the entire rack frame in foam.

Tabletop units

A tabletop unit sits on a desk and is controlled manually rather than by the feet. One such example is the Pod (amp modeler) guitar amplifier modeller. Some portable effects designed for small studios are also intended to be placed on a tabletop, such as some tube preamp effects which are not sold with rack "ears". Digital effects designed for DJs are often sold in tabletop models, so that the units can be placed alongside a mixer, turntables and CD scratching gear.

Built-in units

File:Teisco 74 R Amp.jpg Effects are often incorporated into amplifiers, mixers, and even some types of instruments. Guitar amplifiers often come with built-in reverb and distortion effects. Guitar amps from the 1950s and 1960s often had tremolo effects and a spring or plate reverb Instruments with built-in effects include Hammond organ (chorus and vibrato); electronic organ (chorus and reverb); and electronic piano (reverb). In a few rare cases, effects are built into stringed instruments, as in the case of acoustic-electric guitars which have an on-board preamp and Equalization or electric guitars that have modelling effects built-in. In the 2000s, some guitar amplifiers have built-in multiFX units or digital modelling effects, which give the user access to a wide range of sounds. Keyboard amplifiers and acoustic guitar amplifiers often have a built-in reverb effect. While bass amplifiers are less likely to have built-in effects, in some may have a built-in compressor/limiter or an Distortion (music) effect (an example of the latter is the Roland D-500 amplifier). A high-end bass amplifier may have a sub-octave effect (e.g., the MoBass amp head). As early as the 1960s and 1970s, many Mixing console had simple built-in reverb or echo effects. Since the 2000s, many mixers have an onboard digital multi-effects unit which produces a variety of delay, reverb, and echo effects.

Multi-effects devices

File:Pédale multi-effets.jpg A multi-effects device (also called a "multi-FX" device) is a single electronics effects pedal or rackmount device that contains many different electronic effects. In the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s, multi-FX manufacturers such as Zoom Corporation and Korg produced devices that were increasingly feature-laden. Multi-FX devices allow several of the effects to be used together, and most devices allow users to set "preset" combinations of different effects including distortion, chorus, reverb, compression, and so on. This allows musicians to have quick on-stage access to different effects combinations. Some multi-FX pedals for contain modelled versions of well-known effects pedals or amplifiers. File:Pedaleira Boss GT-8.jpg Multi-effects devices have become increasingly popular because they offer the user a wide variety of effects in a single package. A low-priced multi-effects pedal may provide 20 or more effects for the price of a regular single-effect pedal. More expensive multi-effect pedals may include 40 or more effects and amplifier modelling, simulating multiple the use of multiple guitar amps.

Other formats

File:Leslie Speaker.jpg The "reverb tanks" of the 1950s come in a rectangular box the size of a guitar amplifier "head". Some 1950s and 1960s tape echo machines were in similarly-sized housings. Perhaps the largest effect is the Leslie rotating speaker system. It consists of a cabinet with a tube amplifier, a bass speaker with a rotating, motor-driven baffle, and a rotating, motor-driven horn for the high frequencies. While the Leslie speaker was first marketed only to church organ sts who wanted to reproduce the natural chorus effect of an air-blown pipe organ with their electromechanical Hammond organ , by the 1960s and 1970s, the chorusing, rich sound of the Leslie speaker had become an integral part of organ playing in hard bop soul jazz psychedelic rock and even the earliest forms of Heavy metal music (e.g., Deep Purple .

Types

Dynamics

; Clean boost or any other "booster" (Often called a Volume Pedal): A clean boost amplifies the volume of an instrument by increasing some aspect of its instrument-to-amplifier Signal (electronics) or "signal" output. These units are generally used for “boosting” volume during solos and preventing signal loss in long "effects unit#stomp boxes . A guitarist switching from rhythm guitar to lead guitar may use a clean boost to increase the volume of his or her solo. File:Studio Projects VTB1 Mic Preamp.jpg ;Mic pre-amp A mic preamp is a device used with microphones to increase their low voltage output to levels that can be picked up and used by devices such as mixing console and headphone . Some mic pre-amps also provide additional power (e.g. phantom power to condenser microphone . ; De-essing : A de-esser filters out the higher-frequency sounds produced by sibilant consonants such as “s”, “z”, and “sh” in recordings of the human voice. ; Dynamic range compression : A compressor is an automatic volume control that reduces loud sounds over a certain threshold. Compression is achieved by varying the gain of an audio signal to reduce its dynamic range A compressor can also function as a limiter with an extreme setting of its controls (in some cases, a compressor may be marketed as a limiter). File:Guyatone VT2 Vintage Tremolo.jpg ; Tremolo : Tremolo effect produces a rapid variation in the volume (amplitude of a note or chord.http://www.cycling74.com/docs/max5/tutorials/msp-tut/mspchapter08.html Tremolo effects normally have a "rate" knob which allows a performer to change the speed of the variation. The "tremolo effect” should not be confused with the misleadingly-named "tremolo bar , a device on a guitar bridge which allows the player to create a vibrato or “pitch-bending” effect. The guitar intro in the Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter features a tremolo effect.http://www.guitaretab.com/r/rolling-stones/16342.html ; Noise gate Noise gates reduce “hum”, “hiss” and “static” by eliminating sounds below a certain gain threshold. This significantly reduces noise as well as any other sounds coming into the unit (the "effects units#tone unit does the exact opposite, adding noise, hiss, and static). If it is used with extreme settings along with reverb, it can create unusual sounds, such as the gated reverb used in 1980s pop songs, a style popularized by the Phil Collins song "In the Air Tonight .http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_phil_collins_air/

Tone

File:Wah-wah.jpg ; Distortion (music) and Overdrive: Distortion and overdrive units distort the tone of an instrument by adding "overtone ", creating a "warm" sound. To create a "dirty" or "gritty" sound, a unit further alters the tone by re-shaping or "clipping" its waveform so that they have flat, mesa like peaks instead of curved ones. In Analogue electronics units, distortion is created by compressing the Signal (electronics) directed to an amplifier from the instrument in vacuum tube or "valves". In digital units, this effect is simulated by Class D Amplifier or computer chips. :A distortion pedal differs from an overdrive pedal mainly in that it produces the same amount of distortion at any volume. Overdrive units, on the other hand, produce “clean” sounds at quieter volumes and distorted sounds at louder volumes. A fuzz pedal or “fuzzbox is a type of overdrive pedal that clips a sound-wave until it is nearly a squarewave resulting in a heavily distorted or "fuzzy" sound. ; Wah-wah pedal A wah-wah pedal creates vowel like sounds by altering the Frequency spectrum#sound produced by an instrument—i.e. how loud it is at each separate audio frequency lt;ref>http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/wahpedl/voicewah.htm—in what is known as a spectral glide The device is operated by a foot treadle that opens and closes a potentiometer Wah-wah pedals are often used by funk and psychedelic rock guitarists. ; Ring modulation A ring modulator produces an unusual resonant, metallic sound by mixing a waveform produced by the instrument with a waveform generated by the devices internal Electronic oscillator lt;ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/nov/09/ring-modulators to create signals rich in overtone .http://www.buzzle.com/articles/audio-effects-compression-ring-modulation.html A notable use of ring modulation is the guitar in the Black Sabbath song "paranoid (song) .http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/167814 ; Equalization : An equalizer is a set of filters that allows you to adjust specific frequencies A highly sophisticated equalizer will allow you to make very precise adjustments—such as changing a single note—without adversely affecting the tone of an instrument. Image:Peter Frampton's Talk Box.jpg s Talk box]] ; Talk box : A talk box directs the sound from a guitar into the mouth of a performer, allowing him or her to shape the sound into vowel and consonant . The modified sound is then picked up by a microphone. In this way the guitar is able to “talk”.http://www.blamepro.com/talkbox.htm#top Some notable uses of the talkbox include Bon Jovi s “Living on a Prayer and Aerosmith s "Sweet Emotion . ; Filter and synthesizer effects: Pedals such as the Moog MF-105 Moogerfooger MURF provide multiple filters and envelope control knobs to control modulation. The MF-107 FreqBox uses the input signal to modulate an internal VCO oscillator. ;Lo-fi effects: Lo-fi effects emulate the hiss, static, and poor tone quality of vintage analog electronic equipment.

Time-based

; Delay (audio effect) Echo : Delay/echo units produce an echo effect by adding a duplicate of the instrument-to-amplifier Signal (electronics) to the original signal at a slight time-delay. The effect can either be a single echo called a “slap” or multiple echos. A well-known use of delay is the lead guitar in the U2 song "Where the Streets Have No Name . ; Reverberation : Reverb units simulate sounds produced in an echo chamber by creating a large number of echoes that gradually fade or "decay".lt;/ref> 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 Digital signal processing algorithm to create the reverb effect, often by using multiple feedback Delay (audio effect) Image:Reverb-4.jpg Rockabilly and surf guitar are two genres that make heavy use of reverb. ; Flanger : A flanger creates a "jet plane" or "spaceship" sound, simulating a studio effect produced by holding the edge of the Reel-to-reel audio tape recording (the “flange”) to momentarily slow down a recording, then allowing the tape to speed up again. Flangers add a variably delayed version of the sound to the original or sound, creating a comb filter effect. Some early notable uses of flanging include "Itchycoo Park by The Small Faces and "Sky Pilot (song) by The Animals See timeline of recordings with a flanging effect ;Phase shifting (or phasing : A phase shifter creates a slight rippling effect—amplifying some aspects of the tone while diminishing others—by adding Phase (waves)#Phase difference duplicate waveform to the original sound-waves. Phase shifting was popular during the 1970s; two well-know examples includes musical keyboard parts on Billy Joel s “Just the Way You Are and Paul Simon s "Slip-Slidin Away". ;Looper pedal A looper pedal or "phrase looper" allows a performer to record and later replay a phrase or passage from a song. Loops can be created on the spot during a performance or they can be pre-recorded. Some units allow a performer to layer multiple loops. The first loop effects were created with reel-to-reel tape using a tape loop High-end boutique tape loop effects are still used by some studios who want a vintage sound. Digital loop effects recreate this effect using an electronic memory.http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/DigiTech-JamMan-Looper-Pedal?sku156600.

Frequency

; Pitch shifter (audio processor) : An effect which enables a user to transpose the pitch of the input signal. The simplest pitch shift effects can add octaves above or below the input pitch. More sophisticated pitch shifters can add fourths or fifths. Some 2000s-era pitch shifters can harmonize an input pitch in thirds or sixths, based on the key that is set by the user. This allows a performer to play a melody and have it harmonized like a duo. Pitch shift devices often allow the user to mix the input signal with the effected signal, thus creating a thicker, richer sound (e.g., parallel octaves or fifths). Some pitch shifters can also add very tiny shifts in pitch, thus creating a chorus-like effect. The Harmonizer brand pedal can change the input pitch up or down any interval. Some pitch shifters, such as the Digitech Whammy have a treadle-style footpedal which allows users to create "whammy bar note-bending effects. The Electro-Harmonix Polyphonic Octave Generator can produce pitches an octave below the note being played, or one or two octaves above the note being played. File:EH POG.jpg ; chorus effect : To produce the effect, individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly (but never exactly) the same pitch (music) converge and are perceived as one, an effect which is created naturally in a choir of singers or a string orchestra. The effect creates this sound by splitting the signal into a vibrato effect and a clean path, so that the output is the sum of these inputs. A good quality chorus effect creates a rich, shimmering quality or a doubletracking effect when it is used subtly. It creates a "spacey" sound if it is used in a more pronounced fashion. Better-quality stompbox chorus pedals and almost all rackmount chorus units have stereo outputs, because the chorus effect is more effective when it is heard in stereo. Come as You Are (Nirvana song) by Nirvana (band) is one of the most well-known examples of chorus usage.File:Electro-Harmonix SmallClone Chorus GuitarEffect 1189.jpg ; Vibrato : Vibrato refers to a variation in frequency of a note. This is done naturally when an opera singer or violin player holding one note for a long time varies the frequency up and down using a fraction of a semitone. Most vibrato effects have a "rate" knob which allows the performer to set how fast the variation will occur. Some vibrato effects also have a "depth" knob that controls the pitch difference in the variation. A vibrato with a very shallow depth (e.g., a fraction of a semitone) can be a subtle effect. A vibrato with an exaggerated "depth" setting (e.g., half of a semitone or more) will produce a more dramatic, ululating sound. Electronically, the vibrato effect is created by taking a sine wave applied as input to a voltage-controlled oscillator. Guitarists often use the terms "vibrato" and "tremolo" inconsistently. A so-called vibrato unitin a guitar amplifier actually produces tremolo, while a tremolo armon a guitar produces vibrato. However, finger vibratois genuine vibrato. See Electric guitar tremolo vibrato ; Exciter (effect) This effect, which is also known as a "psychoacoustic exciter", adds upper harmonic content and a subtle amount of controlled harmonic distortion to a sound source, which creates a richer tone colour in the upper mid and treble part of the spectrum. Unlike many effects, the Aural Exciter is not usually used in "real time" during the recording. It is usually added to the vocals or the entire track in the post-production stage. The effect was developed in the mid-1970s to add "brightness" to reel-to-reel tape mixes that had lost clarity due to repeated overdubs. Aphex, the company that invented the first "Aural Exciter" effect, claims that the effect provides increased presence and clarity, restored natural brightness, greater perceived loudness, and improved detail and intelligibility.http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Aphex-204-Aural-Exciter-and-Optical-Big-Bottom?sku181820

Feedbacker/sustainer

File:EBow.jpg File:VibeswareGuitarResonator HeadPlaying.jpg While audio feedback in general is undesirable due to the high frequency overtone, when controlled properly, it can provide true sustain of the sound (instead of using a distortion/compressor to make quiet notes louder, or a feedback of a signal in a circuit as in a delay unit). Several approaches have been used to produce guitar feedback effects, which sustain the sound from the guitar. The most primitive form, as used by for example Jimi Hendrix is to use the feedback created when the guitar is played in front of an instrument amplifier s loudspeaker when it is set to a high volume. The neck pickup can be replaced by a magnetic string driver to push the strings based on the bridge pickup, such as the Sustainiac Sustainer and Fernandes Sustainer A string driver can be mounted on a stand as in the Guitar Resonator Feedback start, stop and harmonics can be controlled here by positioning the drivers distance to the strings and the position along the guitar neck while playing. A signal amplifier can be used to power the headstock transducer, which in turn sends feedback vibration down the string, as in Sustainiacs Model C. A handheld string driver can contain a pickup and driver, as in the EBow which uses a small inductor coil to vibrate the string, creating a bow-like sustained sound. A dedicated high-gain guitar amplifier can be used in the control room, without a microphone, as a footswitch-controlled string feedback driver. The microphone is placed on the speaker cabinet of the main guitar amp in the isolation booth or live room. Many compressor pedals are also marketed as "sustainer pedals" as well. Compressor pedals accomplish a limited amount of sustain by compressing the low end signals of the guitar. As a note is sustained, it loses energy and volume because there is less vibration in the string. As the input volume gets lower, the compressor pedal boosts its signal to the specified dynamic range, giving a slightly longer sustain.http://www.composersonline.org/how-to-assemble-a-pedalboard/

Other specific effects

; Simulators : In the 2000s, several simulator effects were introduced that make a guitar sound like a different stringed instrument or like a different model. The defretter effect simulates the sound of a fretless bass guitar with a fretted bass. The effect creates a fretless sound through the use of an Voltage-controlled filter and voltage controlled amplifier whose parameters are controlled with an ADSR envelope. This creates a sound in which the notes attack is softened, both in volume and timbre As well, some fretless simulators add a portamento effect so that one note glides up or down to the next note (a review of the BOSS GT-8 states that the defretter on this unit "slurs between the notes sliding up or down depending on which way you go")http://www.kellyindustries.com/guitars/boss_gt8.html. The acoustic guitar simulator makes an electric guitar sound like an Steel-string guitar A bass simulator effect makes an electric guitar sound like an electric bass. a Pick up (music technology) simulator can make a guitar with a single-coil pickup sound like a humbucker or vice-versa. A rarer simulator effect is the sitar simulator, which makes an electric guitar sound like an Indian sitar. ; Rotary speaker simulator An electronic effect which simulates the doppler effect sound of a rotating Leslie speaker system. One such pedal, the Uni-Vibe, was made famous by Jimi Hendrix when he used it with electric guitar. The most expensive rotary speaker simulators recreate the amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, and phase shift created by the two rotating speakers, along with the overdrive created by the Leslies tube amplifier. ; Envelope Follower : Uses the signal amplitude envelope to control one or more effects. The envelope follower takes an audio input and converts it into a "control voltage" which rises and falls with the volume of the input signal.http://www.oakleysound.com/follower.htm The standard controls are threshold, filter, and volume. One effect which uses an envelope follower is the "auto-wah", which automatically produces a "wah" effect based on the dynamics of the notes being played. ; Guitar amplifier modelling : Uses digital signal processing to model or recreate the instrument tone produced by various amplifiers, especially to attain the valve sound with solid-state equipment. Some sophisticated modelling effects can simulate the effect of using different vintage tube amplifiers, speaker cabinets, and miking techniques (e.g., miking in front of the cabinet versus behind the cabinet). 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. Some 2000s-era guitar amplifiers have modelling processors built in.

Intended use

Many effects devices are not designed for a specific type of end user, and as such they are used by electric guitarists, bassists, singers, and other performers (e.g., rackmount compressors, reverb units, etc.). Some effects units are designed for and marketed to specific end users, typically electric guitarists, keyboard players, and bass players. In the 2000s, several new target markets for effects units developed, such as vocalists and acoustic instrument users.

Electric guitar

Many effects, and the majority of stomp-box pedals, are designed and marketed for use with an electric guitar (e.g., heavy metal distortion pedals; wah-wah pedals, etc). Some pedals are designed for a specific genre of electric guitar player. For example, Barber Electronics Dirty Bomb, the DigiTech XMM Metal Master, the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone pedal and the MXR M116 Fullbore Metal pedal(all are distortion pedals) are designed to produce extreme distortion for metal guitarists. Other pedals, such as the Seymour Duncan SFX-11 Twin Tube Blues Distortion guitar pedal and the Boss Blues Driver are designed to produce the warm tube-amp overdrive sound used by blues electric guitar players. As well, many electric guitar effects are used by performers of other instruments. Keyboardists use wah-wah pedals and overdrive pedals, and some electric bass players use fuzzboxes or guitar overdrive pedals.

Keyboards

One of the most notable effects designed specifically for keyboard players is the rotary speaker simulator effect. This effect was designed so that Hammond organists could reproduce the chorus-type effect of a large Leslie rotating speaker without having to transport the heavy speaker cabinet around. Even though rotating speaker pedals are marketed to organ players, some models such as the Uni-Vibe pedal are also used by electric guitar players (e.g., Jimi Hendrix). Many electric guitar effects can be used successfully with keyboard instruments, and there are some combinations which have become well-known (e.g., a guitar phaser pedal used with a Fender Rhodes electric piano). Some effects pedal companies have taken note of this, and in the 2000s, a number of standard guitar pedals are cross-marketed to electronic keyboardists in advertisements (e.g., the Boss Blues Driver).

Bass

Most effects marketed for use with the bass guitar are the same, or almost the same as the similar effects sold for use with the electric guitar. In some cases, though, bass effects do have unique features designed for the electric bass or the double bass. Bass preamplifiers for double bass s are designed to match the impedance of piezoelectric pickups with the input impedance of bass amplifiers. Some double bass preamplifiers may also provide phantom power for powering condenser microphones and anti-feedback features such as a notch filter. Makers of bass distortion (or "fuzz bass") effects claim that bass-specific distortion pedal maintain the low-range bass signal better than distortion pedals designed for electric guitar. Paul McCartney of The Beatles used fuzz bass on "Think for Yourself" in the 1965 album Rubber Souland Hugh Hopper from the jazz rock band Soft Machine in 1968 and 1969Graham Bennett. Soft machine: out-bloody-rageousSAF Publishing Ltd, 2005 ISBN 0946719845, ISBN 9780946719846 (page 154). Hoppers use of the fuzz bass sound allowed the bass to be forefronted more in the band, and take on more of a melodic, lead instrument role. Fuzz bass went out of fashion for much of the 1970s, as the desired sound of the era was a clean "hi-fi" tone. In the 1980s and subsequent decades, bass distortion came back, but mostly in the metal and hardcore punk styles. Some manufacturers sell bass equalizers, which, while similar in operation and design to an electric guitar graphic equalizer, have a lower frequency range that goes down to 40 Hz or even below. Bass-specific wah pedals and bass chorus effects are also available. Bass wah pedals optimize the frequency of the sweep so that it will work better with the lower range of the electric bass. Some bass chorus effects devices only apply the swirling chorus effect to the higher parts of the bass tone, leaving the instruments low fundamental untouched. Multi-effects devices designed specifically for electric bass reconfigure the effects so that they are compatible with the electric bass low range and include electric bass-oriented effects such as a fretless bass simulator effect or a bass synthesizer. Some multi-FX pedals for bass contain modelled versions of well-known bass effects pedals, bass amplifiers, and bass speaker cabinets. Just as some electric guitar pedals are cross-marketed to keyboard players, some electric guitar pedals are cross-marketed to bass players. Some BOSS electric guitar pedals (the AW-3 Dynamic Wah, BF-3 Flanger, OC-3 Super Octave) have an alternate 1/4" jack input for an electric bass which has circuitry which optimizes the effect for the lower range of the bass.

Vocal

Some floor-based effects units are designed for use by singers, such as harmonizer pedals (which add a harmony part to a vocal melody) and pitch correction pedals or rack-mount units. Examples include the TC Helicon VoiceLive 2 Floor-Based Vocal Processor (which vocal backup group); the Electro-Harmonix Voice Box Harmony Machine/Vocoder; the TC Helicon VoiceTone Correct Vocal Pedal; and the DigiTech Vocalist Live Pro Vocal Harmony Processor. Although of these portable, floor-based pedals were introduced in the 2000s, the innovation was largely the way that the technology was packaged into a rugged, road-ready chassis; many of these effects were only previously available in larger, heavier studio rack-mount units. As well, vocalists also use generic effects devices, such as compressors and reverb units. An example of a rack unit designed for vocalists is the Antares AVP Vocal Producer, which includes mic modeling technology, electronic pitch correction, tube pre-amp modellers, a de-esser, and parametric EQ, all of which is designed for use by a singer. More rarely, vocalists might route their microphone through a guitar pedal such as distortion pedal or a flanger to create an unusual effect.

Acoustic instruments

Another newer target market is acoustic instrument players who perform on acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin, and similar instruments. These units are often designed to be "all-in-one" devices that will condition and equalize acoustic instrument signals so that they can be plugged directly into a mixer or PA system. Several companies such as Fishman, L.R. Baggs and Boss make stomp-box pedal style effects units for this market. These pedals typically contain a pre-amp, impedance-matching circuitry for piezoelectric pickups, equalization filters, and a DI output. Some of the more sophisticated pedals also include a compressor for smoothing out loud notes, a notch filter or feedback detector for preventing feedback howls (a common problem with acoustic instruments), and chorus or reverb effects. Many of these units have a microphone input and phantom power so that a condenser microphone can be mixed with the pickup sound. There is some variation in the format or housing. Many units are pedal-style units which have foot-operated switches for switching between pre-set sounds, activating reverb or chorus effects, etc. Units that are designed to be mounted on a belt clip or placed on a tabletop typically lack foot-operated switches.

Boutique pedal manufacturers

File:T-Rex Mudhoney.JPG Boutique pedals are typically handmade or produced in small batches 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 Corporation or Digitech 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. 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 add hand-painted artwork to each pedal chassis. Some boutique pedal manufacturers include: * AnalogMan * Pete Cornish * Lovetone * Metasonix * Moog Music * Robert Keeley (instrument maker) * Z.Vex Effects * T-Rex Engineering

Other boutique markets

There is also a niche market for the modification (nicknamed "modding") of effects. Typically, vendors provide either custom modification services or they sell new effects pedals which have been modified. The Ibanez Tube Screamer, the Boss DS-1, the ProCo Rat and Digitech Whammy are some of the most commonly modified effects. Mods typically encompass value changes in capacitors or resistors, adding true bypass (when deselected, the effects circuitry is no longer in the signal path), the substitution of higher-quality components, the replacement of the units original operational amplifiers (opamps) with different ones, or adding additional functions to the device (e.g., allowing additional control of some factor or adding an additional output jack).

Tributes by musicians

File:The Fuzztones en Barcelona I.jpg revival band The Fuzztones seen here in a Barcelona concert, are named after an influential 1960s-era fuzz pedal (the Fuzztone .]] Some effects units, particularly stomp-box style pedals, are celebrated by the music subculture, as can be seen in the references to these pedals in pop and rock songs and even in band names. In some cases, the mystique that is built up around a pedal comes from the notable use of a pedal by an influential musician (e.g., Jimi Hendrixs use of the FuzzFace pedal). In other cases, effects pedal manufacturers have created a cult following for some of their pedals, due to the unique features, tone, or styling of the units. Overdrive and distortion effects have been referred to in songs such as "Big Muff" (Depeche Mode or "Interstellar Overdrive" (Pink Floyd); album and EP titles such as the [[Superfuzz Bigmuff]]EP (Mudhoney (band) 1988) and in band names We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It (an all-female British 1980s band) and The Fuzztones (a 1980s garage rock revival band). Other effects that have been referred to include the a vintage echo unit (in the Nine Inch Nails song "Echoplex"); the Harmonic Generator in a song by The Datsuns pedals in general in the They Might Be Giants song "Stomp Box"; the Wah-wah pedal in George Harrison s 1970 song "Wah-Wah" and in the Buffalo Tom song "Besides" (2002); Joy Division s "Digital" was a reference to engineer/producer Martin Hannett penchant for his AMS digital delay units. The Super Furry Animals song Play It Cool includes the lyric "The electric mistress always sounds so bold/She says Im free to do anything Im told", a reference to the Electric Mistress flanger pedal made by Electro-Harmonix.

Other electric or electronic pedals and rackmount units

Not all electric or electronic pedals used in music are effects pedals, in a pure sense. Switching pedals such as "A/B" pedals contain only a switch which can route a guitar signal to two different amplifiers or enable a performer to switch between two guitars onstage. As well, a tuning pedal, which indicates whether a guitar string is sharp or flat, is not an effects pedal. Guitar amplifiers that have on-board effects often come with a switch which turns the reverb or distortion on and off; since the switch pedal only contains on a latching switch, the pedal itself is not an effect (the effect is built into the chassis of the guitar amplifier). Electronic keyboards often have several pedals which are placed below the instrument on the floor; even though these pedals (such as the sustain pedal or the soft pedal) may trigger an effect, the pedals themselves do not contain any effects. Some guitarists who use a rack full of rack-mounted digital effects use a MIDI controller pedalboard to switch between different effects or control effect settings. The floor-based controller pedalboard controls effects, but it is not itself an effects device (indeed, a MIDI controller pedalboard can be used to control any device that accepts a MIDI signal, including stage lights). Bass pedal keyboard , which are sometimes called "bass pedals", are used with the Hammond organ or in standalone bass pedals such as the Moog Taurus are not effects pedals. Despite the name "bass pedal", a pedal keyboard is a foot-operated keyboard which triggers organ or other musical tones, not an effect pedal. As well, not every rack-mount electronic device used in a musical setting is an effects unit. Rack-mounted tuners, power conditioners, and power amplifiers may be placed in similar chassis and rack-mountable housings, but they are not effects.

Notable manufacturers

* Analogman * Behringer * Boss Corporation * Damage Control (company) * DigiTech * DOD Electronics * Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. * Electro-Harmonix * Ibanez * Korg * Lexicon (company) * Line6 * Moog Music * MXR * Roland Corporation * TC Electronic * Waves Audio * Vox (musical equipment) * Zoom (Audio Company) * Zvex

References

External links

*http://www.FuzzEffect.com History and Photos of Vintage Fuzz Pedals]. Category:Effects units Category:Guitars Category:Sound recording bg:Ефект педали ca:Pedal d'efectes cs:Kytarový efekt es:Pedal de efectos fr:Pédale d'effet ko:이펙터 it:Effetto musicale he:מעבד צליל nl:Effectpedaal nds-nl:Effektpedaal ja:エフェクター pt:Pedal de volume ru:Педаль эффектов fi:Efektipedaali sv:Effektpedal zh:效果器