DESIGNED FOR use in most amplifiers' serial loops, the new Paraloop from Carl Martin is a single parallel loop box with a mix control knob for wet/dry blend and bypass switch. Used in conjunction
with digital multi effect units, the
Paraloop makes it possible to maintain the guitar's analogue tone without converting it to digital in the effect unit. By
simply running the effect unit 100% wet, then blending the effect in with the Paraloop's wet/dry control, a substantially better result can be achieved than by running the signal serial.
(800) 888-1899 carlmartin@castelluccio
.com
Tuesday 10 November 2009
Friday 6 November 2009
Guitar Effects Pedals, Start your Own Niche Business
Guitar effects or distortion pedals are the ideal product to sell both on and off-line. They are small, easy to pack and ship and most importantly VERY profitable.
Guitar effects pedals are big business, a search on Ebay will uncover a wide range of fast selling items being snapped up by budding guitarists worldwide.
An effect pedal is basically a small device that distorts the sound coming from a musical instrument to modify the instruments sound. These devices alter the sound quality of the input signal to produce effects such as overdrive, wah-wah, flanging, fuzz, distortion, reverberation and chorus, and are used primarily by guitarists and keyboard players, but gaining popularity with instrumentalists such as violinists.
Their size and market demand for effects pedals make for a great business opportunity for anyone that is looking to service this hungry market.
When I first heard about a guide written by a guy who trades guitars and other music gear both on Ebay I was interested enough to buy it and was glad that I did as, not only was it superbly written and very workable, it gave me the idea for several niche businesses that showed massive profit potential.
The sheer range of guitar effects pedals available and the size of the marketplace make this a potentially very lucrative area in itself. I was very surprised to see the profit potential of these small in-demand products, and a couple of things that I picked up whilst researching the market really grabbed my attention.
First thing I noticed was that the profit margins were very high for an item that was easy to pack and ship, and does not have to be purchased from suppliers in any large quantity, and can be sold profitably both on and offline.
Secondly that these items are selling quickly online at a variety of prices which means that the market is wide open to sell into.
I also noticed that sites such as Ebay do not sell all of the effects pedals that I came across in suppliers that I found listed in the guide, and sellers were listing effects pedals and other music gear items that were selling fast with very little or NO competition.
While I was reviewing the guide and researching the music gear re-seller marketplace, I noticed in one of my son’s heavy metal magazines a review of a guitar effects pedal known as a wah-wah pedal, and the reviewer gave the item a glowing report. After checking out Ebay, I noticed that these pedals were selling at a heck of a rate with a profit margin of around 40 per cent, and were previously selling well enough without the magazine’s endorsement.
Anyone looking to set themselves up in a niche, under-exploited and easy to run business would do well to purchase the guide, make notes on the recommended suppliers items and go for it.
As I mentioned earlier, I believe that there are several niche businesses available to exploit that could be very easily profited from using exactly the same tactics that the guide’s writer uses to sell guitars at an amazing rate.
To find out more about this interesting and profitable opportunity:
www.musicgearprofits.com
Guitar effects pedals are big business, a search on Ebay will uncover a wide range of fast selling items being snapped up by budding guitarists worldwide.
An effect pedal is basically a small device that distorts the sound coming from a musical instrument to modify the instruments sound. These devices alter the sound quality of the input signal to produce effects such as overdrive, wah-wah, flanging, fuzz, distortion, reverberation and chorus, and are used primarily by guitarists and keyboard players, but gaining popularity with instrumentalists such as violinists.
Their size and market demand for effects pedals make for a great business opportunity for anyone that is looking to service this hungry market.
When I first heard about a guide written by a guy who trades guitars and other music gear both on Ebay I was interested enough to buy it and was glad that I did as, not only was it superbly written and very workable, it gave me the idea for several niche businesses that showed massive profit potential.
The sheer range of guitar effects pedals available and the size of the marketplace make this a potentially very lucrative area in itself. I was very surprised to see the profit potential of these small in-demand products, and a couple of things that I picked up whilst researching the market really grabbed my attention.
First thing I noticed was that the profit margins were very high for an item that was easy to pack and ship, and does not have to be purchased from suppliers in any large quantity, and can be sold profitably both on and offline.
Secondly that these items are selling quickly online at a variety of prices which means that the market is wide open to sell into.
I also noticed that sites such as Ebay do not sell all of the effects pedals that I came across in suppliers that I found listed in the guide, and sellers were listing effects pedals and other music gear items that were selling fast with very little or NO competition.
While I was reviewing the guide and researching the music gear re-seller marketplace, I noticed in one of my son’s heavy metal magazines a review of a guitar effects pedal known as a wah-wah pedal, and the reviewer gave the item a glowing report. After checking out Ebay, I noticed that these pedals were selling at a heck of a rate with a profit margin of around 40 per cent, and were previously selling well enough without the magazine’s endorsement.
Anyone looking to set themselves up in a niche, under-exploited and easy to run business would do well to purchase the guide, make notes on the recommended suppliers items and go for it.
As I mentioned earlier, I believe that there are several niche businesses available to exploit that could be very easily profited from using exactly the same tactics that the guide’s writer uses to sell guitars at an amazing rate.
To find out more about this interesting and profitable opportunity:
www.musicgearprofits.com
Thursday 5 November 2009
Guitar Tones - 3 Ways To Get A Better Guitar Sound
How many times have you been to see a band play at a local club and you've been blown away by not only the guitarist's skillful playing but also the clarity and quality of their guitar sound? Or maybe you've been less than impressed with the sound coming from the guitarist's rig? A good guitar sound is a vital component of a great-sounding live performance, or any great recording. Think about the signature guitar tones of the great players such as Mark Knopfler in Dire Straits, or David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Would their albums be half as memorable if it wasn't for not only their great guitar playing but also their distinctly individual guitar sounds?
I've been playing guitar as a hobby for 20 years, and professionally for the past 5 years. In this time I've picked up a lot of experience that have helped me to get a guitar tone I'm happy with - it's taken many years, but by bearing the following tips in mind, I'm almost completely happy with my sound(us guitarists are rarely entirely happy!) - and I hope there's some useful info in here for you too.
1. Less Is More
The truth is that we all love to buy the latest gadgets and toys for our guitar rigs. Whether it's a new wah pedal, distortion box or multi-effects unit, it's a lot of fun to explore and experiment with the different sonic textures these add (or subtract!) from your guitar tone. The trouble is, you might find that the more pedals and signal processors you put between your guitar and your amplifier, the weaker your guitar signal gets...
One thing many of us guitar players forget is that the most important factor in determining your sound is your fingers. What you PLAY is what counts. Try using a cleaner signal path with as few digital boxes as possible, and let your amp do the talking.
2. Less Gain, Less Pain
Using excessive amounts of gain on your amplifier can have disastrous results that not only annoy your fellow band members, but also (and most importantly), your audience. Lots of gain can mean your guitar produces a horrific feedback squeal during the the gaps in your playing, which can cause hearing damage, as well as audience members leaving the gig early.
Excessive gain means your signal becomes distorted, which is great for musical styles such as rock and metal. But take the example of Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC... Those guys use minimal amounts of gain and let the sheer volume of their amps do the distorting. This means their sound cuts through in the mix very clear, as their sound is more solid and less broken up by distortion. Of course, you have have to work a little harder to sustain your notes (by using vibrato), but the difference in clarity to your sound is the reward.
3. Learn to really use your multieffects unit
If you're using a multi effects unit, for example a Line 6 or a Boss GT-8 or similar, you'll know just how amazing these boxes can sound. There are so many great amp simulations available, the possibilities are virtually endless. However there are so many variables, you could go mad with option anxiety before you finally find your dream guitar tone!
I think the trick here is to ignore the factory presets and design your own tones from scratch. It helps to listen to your favourite albums and try to emulate the same guitar tones you hear. The factory preset tones are usually designed to wow you in the store to make you buy it, however they're not really suitable for live use or recording. Take the time to read the manual and really understand and get to grips with the operation of the unit, and you'll be more confident in shaping your own unique guitar sound.
If you want a tip on how to really get the very best from your multi effects unit, take a look at http://www.onelouderguitars.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_B_Black
I've been playing guitar as a hobby for 20 years, and professionally for the past 5 years. In this time I've picked up a lot of experience that have helped me to get a guitar tone I'm happy with - it's taken many years, but by bearing the following tips in mind, I'm almost completely happy with my sound(us guitarists are rarely entirely happy!) - and I hope there's some useful info in here for you too.
1. Less Is More
The truth is that we all love to buy the latest gadgets and toys for our guitar rigs. Whether it's a new wah pedal, distortion box or multi-effects unit, it's a lot of fun to explore and experiment with the different sonic textures these add (or subtract!) from your guitar tone. The trouble is, you might find that the more pedals and signal processors you put between your guitar and your amplifier, the weaker your guitar signal gets...
One thing many of us guitar players forget is that the most important factor in determining your sound is your fingers. What you PLAY is what counts. Try using a cleaner signal path with as few digital boxes as possible, and let your amp do the talking.
2. Less Gain, Less Pain
Using excessive amounts of gain on your amplifier can have disastrous results that not only annoy your fellow band members, but also (and most importantly), your audience. Lots of gain can mean your guitar produces a horrific feedback squeal during the the gaps in your playing, which can cause hearing damage, as well as audience members leaving the gig early.
Excessive gain means your signal becomes distorted, which is great for musical styles such as rock and metal. But take the example of Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC... Those guys use minimal amounts of gain and let the sheer volume of their amps do the distorting. This means their sound cuts through in the mix very clear, as their sound is more solid and less broken up by distortion. Of course, you have have to work a little harder to sustain your notes (by using vibrato), but the difference in clarity to your sound is the reward.
3. Learn to really use your multieffects unit
If you're using a multi effects unit, for example a Line 6 or a Boss GT-8 or similar, you'll know just how amazing these boxes can sound. There are so many great amp simulations available, the possibilities are virtually endless. However there are so many variables, you could go mad with option anxiety before you finally find your dream guitar tone!
I think the trick here is to ignore the factory presets and design your own tones from scratch. It helps to listen to your favourite albums and try to emulate the same guitar tones you hear. The factory preset tones are usually designed to wow you in the store to make you buy it, however they're not really suitable for live use or recording. Take the time to read the manual and really understand and get to grips with the operation of the unit, and you'll be more confident in shaping your own unique guitar sound.
If you want a tip on how to really get the very best from your multi effects unit, take a look at http://www.onelouderguitars.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_B_Black
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Guitar Fuzz Sounds - 5 Great Big Muff Inspired Fuzz Pedals
The Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi Fuzz Pedal is one of the most popular and recognizable tones in rock and roll. The Big Muff was introduced in the early 1970s by Electro-Harmonix and soon after, many of the top artists in rock adopted this effect pedal and appropriated it's thick, rich sound as part of their own.
Among other artists, David Gilmour famously used the Big Muff on many classic Pink Floyd albums. Pink Floyd Animals, from 1977, features numerous lead guitar runs, accentuated by the Big Muff. Also in the 1970s, many classic Carlos Santana signature leads were recorded with the Big Muff. General characteristics of the pedal include increased distortion and sustain of the guitar tone, a smooth and fuzzy characteristic to the tone that separates it from clean guitar tone as well as the other instruments in a rock and roll band.
Electro-Harmonix was forced out of business in 1982 and for a period of a few years, the Big Muff was out of production. Because of this, original Big Muff effect pedals have become desirable and collectible while a handful of smaller boutique pedal manufacturers began developing their own versions of the Big Muff. In fact, many of these small pedal manufacturers became well known in their own right, and are in business today producing great guitar fuzz pedals. Here is a list of five great BM inspired boutique guitar effect pedals:
1. Blackout Effectors Musket Fuzz -- The Musket Fuzz, by Blackout Effectors is a versatile fuzz pedal that takes its inspiration from the early Big Muff sound. The Musket adds a lot to the party, with additional tone EQ knobs which allow the guitarist to further tweak their sound, especially controlling the amount of midrange that finds it's way to the amplifier. The result is a rich full sound which can be both vintage sounding as well as modern sounding, and can cut through the loudest rock band.
2. BMF Effects Aries Fuzz -- The Aries Fuzz, by BMF Effects is a virtual clone of the classic Big Muff. Less tweakable than the Musket Fuzz but still highly musical, the Aries sports very rich tone with wide frequency response. The result is a smooth sound with huge sustain and can be very desirable for lead guitar tone. In my opinion, this really comes close to David Gilmour lead tone.
3. MJM Guitar FX Foxey Fuzz -- The Foxey Fuzz is a silicon transistor powered fuzz pedal by MJM Guitar FX out of Montreal. The Foxey has a musical, distorted fuzz tone but isn't noisy like many early silicon fuzz boxes. The Foxey Fuzz has also improved upon the original Big Muff circuit by adding true bypass. This pedal is great for chunky rhythm tones as well as lead tones.
4. Earthquaker Devices Hoof Fuzz -- The Earthquaker Devices Hoof Fuzz pedal is modeled after the Russian made Big Muff but offers a tighter, cleaner fuzz tone than that pedal. Armed with a silicon/germanium transistor, the Hoof Fuzz allows you to tweak the tone knob, basically adjusting the amount of mid-range for each tone setting. The Hoof is also a very tweakable fuzz pedal.
5. Way Huge Swollen Pickle Fuzz -- Way Huge Electronics, part of Dunlop, has reissued the Swollen Pickle and this fuzz provides a full, BM style sound. Also, tweakable, the Swollen Pickle can add mids for a vintage sound or scoop them for a more modern sound. The Swollen Pickle sounds great on both chords or single note runs.
Fuzz pedals were some of the original guitar effect tones and are still highly popular. When you think of great guitar rock and roll, most likely a fuzz was used in getting that loud distorted rock tone.
Phil Vickman
Fat Tone Guitars
http://www.fattoneguitars.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Vickman
Among other artists, David Gilmour famously used the Big Muff on many classic Pink Floyd albums. Pink Floyd Animals, from 1977, features numerous lead guitar runs, accentuated by the Big Muff. Also in the 1970s, many classic Carlos Santana signature leads were recorded with the Big Muff. General characteristics of the pedal include increased distortion and sustain of the guitar tone, a smooth and fuzzy characteristic to the tone that separates it from clean guitar tone as well as the other instruments in a rock and roll band.
Electro-Harmonix was forced out of business in 1982 and for a period of a few years, the Big Muff was out of production. Because of this, original Big Muff effect pedals have become desirable and collectible while a handful of smaller boutique pedal manufacturers began developing their own versions of the Big Muff. In fact, many of these small pedal manufacturers became well known in their own right, and are in business today producing great guitar fuzz pedals. Here is a list of five great BM inspired boutique guitar effect pedals:
1. Blackout Effectors Musket Fuzz -- The Musket Fuzz, by Blackout Effectors is a versatile fuzz pedal that takes its inspiration from the early Big Muff sound. The Musket adds a lot to the party, with additional tone EQ knobs which allow the guitarist to further tweak their sound, especially controlling the amount of midrange that finds it's way to the amplifier. The result is a rich full sound which can be both vintage sounding as well as modern sounding, and can cut through the loudest rock band.
2. BMF Effects Aries Fuzz -- The Aries Fuzz, by BMF Effects is a virtual clone of the classic Big Muff. Less tweakable than the Musket Fuzz but still highly musical, the Aries sports very rich tone with wide frequency response. The result is a smooth sound with huge sustain and can be very desirable for lead guitar tone. In my opinion, this really comes close to David Gilmour lead tone.
3. MJM Guitar FX Foxey Fuzz -- The Foxey Fuzz is a silicon transistor powered fuzz pedal by MJM Guitar FX out of Montreal. The Foxey has a musical, distorted fuzz tone but isn't noisy like many early silicon fuzz boxes. The Foxey Fuzz has also improved upon the original Big Muff circuit by adding true bypass. This pedal is great for chunky rhythm tones as well as lead tones.
4. Earthquaker Devices Hoof Fuzz -- The Earthquaker Devices Hoof Fuzz pedal is modeled after the Russian made Big Muff but offers a tighter, cleaner fuzz tone than that pedal. Armed with a silicon/germanium transistor, the Hoof Fuzz allows you to tweak the tone knob, basically adjusting the amount of mid-range for each tone setting. The Hoof is also a very tweakable fuzz pedal.
5. Way Huge Swollen Pickle Fuzz -- Way Huge Electronics, part of Dunlop, has reissued the Swollen Pickle and this fuzz provides a full, BM style sound. Also, tweakable, the Swollen Pickle can add mids for a vintage sound or scoop them for a more modern sound. The Swollen Pickle sounds great on both chords or single note runs.
Fuzz pedals were some of the original guitar effect tones and are still highly popular. When you think of great guitar rock and roll, most likely a fuzz was used in getting that loud distorted rock tone.
Phil Vickman
Fat Tone Guitars
http://www.fattoneguitars.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Vickman
Tuesday 3 November 2009
Guitar Effects Pedals - An Introduction and Buying Guide
Effects pedals for the guitar have been around since the 1960s, when electric guitar based music and rock 'n' roll were on the rise. Roger Mayer, an engineer, is believed to have created the first guitar effects pedals, which were the "fuzz box" (today known as distortion or overdrive) and the "wah-wah" pedal. Mayer created pedals that were used by the likes of legendary rockers Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page (for whom Mayer, his friend, reportedly created the first pedal in 1963 or 1964). Today, numerous effects are widely used by electric guitar players.
Effects pedals are used to give the guitarist more tonal colors or, that is, an expansion of timbre on his instrument's palette. It's possible to use an amplifier's settings to create these different tonal colors, too, but the amplifier is limited to what effects it can give, plus its settings would have to be changed only between songs, whereas guitar players frequently want to change tonality and color in the midst of playing a single song, and often many times over. Just as the invention of the electric guitar and the amplifier gave the guitar player a far more powerful voice and greater sustainability of notes, so the effects pedals gave him a far wider range of expressive options.
Today, even some acoustic guitar players and classical guitar players use effects pedals although the distortion and volume pedals used by electric guitar players aren't usually part of their tonal palette. Since the first pedals were created, other guitar effects called rack mounted effects have been invented. These are widely used, too, but they require a more sophisticated and time-consuming approach (not to mention considerably more money) than the simple pedals. Rack mounted effects are triggered by pedals, anyway.
So with their pedalboards in front of them, electric guitar players have only to "stomp" a "box" (hence the name stompbox) to instantly switch on or switch off an effect. The wah-wah pedal is a little different than the others, as we'll see below. For instance, the ubiquitous distortion tone of hard rock and metal guitar players can be instantly switched off and the guitar's "clean channel" allowed to be played, to give a different feel to different sections of a song. Another simple stomp, and the distorted tone comes roaring back.
Guitar players go through a great deal of effort to tweak the settings on their guitar, their amps, and their configuration of effects pedals to get their "just right" or signature sound. What are their basic effects pedal choices today?
1) Distortion/Overdrive. The most widely used guitar effect in the world. Of course, this one is often left on for most or all of a rock song. This is the famous (or infamous to many people) sound of heavy metal. Metal guitarists typically use a type of overdrive called distortion, which can distort their tone even more than standard overdrive pedals. Distortion works by adding in tons of overtones to the actual note played. Popular distortion & overdrive pedals included offerings from Fulltone (such as the OCD or Fulldrive), Boss (DS-1, BD-2), and Ibanez Tubescreamers and their host of clones. Distortion and overdrive pedals are without a doubt the most popular type of pedal, so it would be impossible to list them all.
2) Volume and "wah-wah" pedals. Hendrix probably did the most to pioneer the wah-wah pedal. Unlike other effects pedals, this pedal is used by way of keeping your foot on it and applying more or less pressure. A volume pedal, while operated in the same way as a wah pedal, allows a guitarist to rapidly sweep the volume of his instrument from full to completley silent. This is the pedal that is used to create an electric guitar's "violin sound", such as on the first part of Rush's "Xanadu." The wah pedal creates the "chugga-chugga" and "crying baby" sound (like Stevie Ray Vaughan's or Hendrix' intro and outro to "Voodoo Chile"). Popular wah pedals included the Dunlop Crybaby, the Vox Reissue Wah, the Teese Wizard Wah, and the Fulltone Clyde Wah. The Ernie Ball volume pedal is popular, as are models by Visual Sound and Boss.
3) Compression. Basically speaking the compressor pedal is used to make soft notes louder and loud notes softer. This is often used in conjunction with distortion/overdrive to help balance out the guitar player's sound and give him consistency. Popular compression pedals included the Keeley Compressor, the MXR Dyna-Comp, and the Boss CS-3.
4) Chorus. The chorus pedal is popular among guitar players who need or want to create a "spacious" sound. Like distortion, chorus adds overtones to the note played, but they are more widely spaced out and they are on a very slight delay, meaning they sound very, very slightly after the original note. Chorus and distortion can be used together to give a guitarist a gargantuan sound, or chorus can be used to make a clean channel sound feel richer and fuller. Popular chorus pedals include the Boss CE-3 and Visual Sound H20.
5) Flangers. Flangers are offshoots of the chorus pedal. With the flanger, the guitarist picks one note, but two of them sound; except, the second note sounds on a very, very slight delay. Flangers are used to create deep resonance in a guitar player's sound, but some guitarists insist that if you use a chorus you don't need a flanger. The Boss BF-3 is a popular flanger pedal, as is the Fulltone Choralflange.
6) Phasers. Another take-off of the chorus, the phaser pedal is used similarly to a flanger, but it gives a different sound because it doesn't harmonically relate the two notes. Instead, it takes the original notes and puts it "out of phase" as a second, additional note, meaning that it's mathematically shifted across the frequency spectrum. Phasers can give "other-world" effects or make distortion that much more mind-boggling. The MXR Phase 90 is a very popular phaser pedal, as are the Red Witch Deluxe Phaser and the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phase Shifter.
7) Delay. Delay pedals are used to give a very prominent echo-effect. They, too, operate like a flanger, except the delayed signal is substantially more delayed, perhaps even by a full second or two. Popular delay pedals include the Line 6 DL-4, the Boss DD-3 and the Visual Sound H20.
8) Pitch shifters. Also known as Harmonizers or Octave pedals. These produce overtones that are one, two, or three octaves above the original note, or they can be changed to produce harmonic notes at specified intervals. These can give the effect of the guitar player accompanying himself. The Boss PS-3 is a popular pitch shifter pedal, as is their OC3 Octave pedal.
9) Tremolo. This gives an effect like very rapidly turning the guitar's volume control up and down. It's not the same as "vibrato", which as an effect is typically created using the "whammy bar" on the guitar. Popular tremolo pedals include the Fulltone Supa Trem, the T-Rex Tremster, and the Boss TR-2.
10) Vibrato. This is usually accomplished with a "whammy bar" on the guitar itself, which was made famous by Hendrix and Ritchie Blackmore. However, there are pedals for this, too. This is used to give some very dynamic effects, from an exaggeration of a bent note to a squeal to a "dive bomber" effect. Rather than a very rapid change in volume, it produces a very rapid change in pitch. Popular vibe pedals include the Fulltone Mini-Deja Vibe and the Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe.
So if you are a developing electric guitar player who wants to explore new sonic landscapes, check out these guitar effects pedals.
R. S. Rasnick is the owner of JustEffectsPedals.com, where you can find all the effects pedals mentioned in this article and hundreds more! Visit JustEffectsPedals.com today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._S._Rasnick
Effects pedals are used to give the guitarist more tonal colors or, that is, an expansion of timbre on his instrument's palette. It's possible to use an amplifier's settings to create these different tonal colors, too, but the amplifier is limited to what effects it can give, plus its settings would have to be changed only between songs, whereas guitar players frequently want to change tonality and color in the midst of playing a single song, and often many times over. Just as the invention of the electric guitar and the amplifier gave the guitar player a far more powerful voice and greater sustainability of notes, so the effects pedals gave him a far wider range of expressive options.
Today, even some acoustic guitar players and classical guitar players use effects pedals although the distortion and volume pedals used by electric guitar players aren't usually part of their tonal palette. Since the first pedals were created, other guitar effects called rack mounted effects have been invented. These are widely used, too, but they require a more sophisticated and time-consuming approach (not to mention considerably more money) than the simple pedals. Rack mounted effects are triggered by pedals, anyway.
So with their pedalboards in front of them, electric guitar players have only to "stomp" a "box" (hence the name stompbox) to instantly switch on or switch off an effect. The wah-wah pedal is a little different than the others, as we'll see below. For instance, the ubiquitous distortion tone of hard rock and metal guitar players can be instantly switched off and the guitar's "clean channel" allowed to be played, to give a different feel to different sections of a song. Another simple stomp, and the distorted tone comes roaring back.
Guitar players go through a great deal of effort to tweak the settings on their guitar, their amps, and their configuration of effects pedals to get their "just right" or signature sound. What are their basic effects pedal choices today?
1) Distortion/Overdrive. The most widely used guitar effect in the world. Of course, this one is often left on for most or all of a rock song. This is the famous (or infamous to many people) sound of heavy metal. Metal guitarists typically use a type of overdrive called distortion, which can distort their tone even more than standard overdrive pedals. Distortion works by adding in tons of overtones to the actual note played. Popular distortion & overdrive pedals included offerings from Fulltone (such as the OCD or Fulldrive), Boss (DS-1, BD-2), and Ibanez Tubescreamers and their host of clones. Distortion and overdrive pedals are without a doubt the most popular type of pedal, so it would be impossible to list them all.
2) Volume and "wah-wah" pedals. Hendrix probably did the most to pioneer the wah-wah pedal. Unlike other effects pedals, this pedal is used by way of keeping your foot on it and applying more or less pressure. A volume pedal, while operated in the same way as a wah pedal, allows a guitarist to rapidly sweep the volume of his instrument from full to completley silent. This is the pedal that is used to create an electric guitar's "violin sound", such as on the first part of Rush's "Xanadu." The wah pedal creates the "chugga-chugga" and "crying baby" sound (like Stevie Ray Vaughan's or Hendrix' intro and outro to "Voodoo Chile"). Popular wah pedals included the Dunlop Crybaby, the Vox Reissue Wah, the Teese Wizard Wah, and the Fulltone Clyde Wah. The Ernie Ball volume pedal is popular, as are models by Visual Sound and Boss.
3) Compression. Basically speaking the compressor pedal is used to make soft notes louder and loud notes softer. This is often used in conjunction with distortion/overdrive to help balance out the guitar player's sound and give him consistency. Popular compression pedals included the Keeley Compressor, the MXR Dyna-Comp, and the Boss CS-3.
4) Chorus. The chorus pedal is popular among guitar players who need or want to create a "spacious" sound. Like distortion, chorus adds overtones to the note played, but they are more widely spaced out and they are on a very slight delay, meaning they sound very, very slightly after the original note. Chorus and distortion can be used together to give a guitarist a gargantuan sound, or chorus can be used to make a clean channel sound feel richer and fuller. Popular chorus pedals include the Boss CE-3 and Visual Sound H20.
5) Flangers. Flangers are offshoots of the chorus pedal. With the flanger, the guitarist picks one note, but two of them sound; except, the second note sounds on a very, very slight delay. Flangers are used to create deep resonance in a guitar player's sound, but some guitarists insist that if you use a chorus you don't need a flanger. The Boss BF-3 is a popular flanger pedal, as is the Fulltone Choralflange.
6) Phasers. Another take-off of the chorus, the phaser pedal is used similarly to a flanger, but it gives a different sound because it doesn't harmonically relate the two notes. Instead, it takes the original notes and puts it "out of phase" as a second, additional note, meaning that it's mathematically shifted across the frequency spectrum. Phasers can give "other-world" effects or make distortion that much more mind-boggling. The MXR Phase 90 is a very popular phaser pedal, as are the Red Witch Deluxe Phaser and the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phase Shifter.
7) Delay. Delay pedals are used to give a very prominent echo-effect. They, too, operate like a flanger, except the delayed signal is substantially more delayed, perhaps even by a full second or two. Popular delay pedals include the Line 6 DL-4, the Boss DD-3 and the Visual Sound H20.
8) Pitch shifters. Also known as Harmonizers or Octave pedals. These produce overtones that are one, two, or three octaves above the original note, or they can be changed to produce harmonic notes at specified intervals. These can give the effect of the guitar player accompanying himself. The Boss PS-3 is a popular pitch shifter pedal, as is their OC3 Octave pedal.
9) Tremolo. This gives an effect like very rapidly turning the guitar's volume control up and down. It's not the same as "vibrato", which as an effect is typically created using the "whammy bar" on the guitar. Popular tremolo pedals include the Fulltone Supa Trem, the T-Rex Tremster, and the Boss TR-2.
10) Vibrato. This is usually accomplished with a "whammy bar" on the guitar itself, which was made famous by Hendrix and Ritchie Blackmore. However, there are pedals for this, too. This is used to give some very dynamic effects, from an exaggeration of a bent note to a squeal to a "dive bomber" effect. Rather than a very rapid change in volume, it produces a very rapid change in pitch. Popular vibe pedals include the Fulltone Mini-Deja Vibe and the Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe.
So if you are a developing electric guitar player who wants to explore new sonic landscapes, check out these guitar effects pedals.
R. S. Rasnick is the owner of JustEffectsPedals.com, where you can find all the effects pedals mentioned in this article and hundreds more! Visit JustEffectsPedals.com today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._S._Rasnick
Monday 2 November 2009
Time Based Sound Effects For Electric Guitar
One of the many different ways in which the sound produced by an electric guitar can be influenced is through the use of various time based effects. Typically a player will use a pedal, operated by foot, which will affect the sound of the guitar once pressed or rocked. These time based effect pedals work by producing a copy of the sound made by the guitar, and then plays back this copy either once, a fraction of a second after the original has been played, or by playing back the copy several times, each decreasing slightly in volume. The first of these effects - playing the copy just once, very quickly after the original sound, produces a kind of 'slap' sound. The second time based effect, playing the copy several times decreasing in volume creates the impression of an echo - a very popular effect used quite widely.
Despite being electric guitars, there are two ways in which the sound can be affected through such time based delay effects, analogue and digital. The digital systems will be able to produce a much more accurate and precise quality of sound, and be considerably more flexible when it comes to affecting exactly how you wish the sound to be produced. The exact delay, the number of repetitions, the decay in volume, and several other aspects of the sound can all be minutely affected by the use of digital controls.
However, there are many players who prefer the analogue systems, despite their slightly less versatile nature. The reason, so they argue, is that the sound produced by an analogue time based effect system is much warmer. If you are considering purchasing a time based effect system, and are not sure whether to go for a digital or an analogue system, you may well feel that the best way of helping to choose is by listening to the quality of sound. This, as with so many other aspects of the instrument, is the best way to judge which guitar or accessory is going to be right for you. As far as ease of control is concerned, there is relatively little to pick between the two systems.
Whilst the concept of feedback may give rise to screeching microphones held too close to a speaker, piercing the audience's eardrums, controlled feedback can create a sound that makes the electric guitar seem to warble, and perhaps almost scream, adding emphasis to the note and helping to give the guitar its voice. Feedback in this way needs to be very controlled, and time based effects gadgets and accessories can help to create this particular sound. This is achieved by having a tracking oscillator circuit built in to the unit, and it is this circuit which holds on to a particular note, amplifies it significantly, and then transmits this amplified note back in to the input side of the sound system.
This is a little like holding the microphone close to the speaker, or even like holding a video camera close to the image being produced by the camera on a television screen. By sending the output signal back in to the input part of the system, feedback is generated. In the case of the time based effect created with the electric guitar, this is coupled with the amplification to create a distinctive roar.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric guitar, effects pedal, sheet music, guitar tab.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victor_Epand
Despite being electric guitars, there are two ways in which the sound can be affected through such time based delay effects, analogue and digital. The digital systems will be able to produce a much more accurate and precise quality of sound, and be considerably more flexible when it comes to affecting exactly how you wish the sound to be produced. The exact delay, the number of repetitions, the decay in volume, and several other aspects of the sound can all be minutely affected by the use of digital controls.
However, there are many players who prefer the analogue systems, despite their slightly less versatile nature. The reason, so they argue, is that the sound produced by an analogue time based effect system is much warmer. If you are considering purchasing a time based effect system, and are not sure whether to go for a digital or an analogue system, you may well feel that the best way of helping to choose is by listening to the quality of sound. This, as with so many other aspects of the instrument, is the best way to judge which guitar or accessory is going to be right for you. As far as ease of control is concerned, there is relatively little to pick between the two systems.
Whilst the concept of feedback may give rise to screeching microphones held too close to a speaker, piercing the audience's eardrums, controlled feedback can create a sound that makes the electric guitar seem to warble, and perhaps almost scream, adding emphasis to the note and helping to give the guitar its voice. Feedback in this way needs to be very controlled, and time based effects gadgets and accessories can help to create this particular sound. This is achieved by having a tracking oscillator circuit built in to the unit, and it is this circuit which holds on to a particular note, amplifies it significantly, and then transmits this amplified note back in to the input side of the sound system.
This is a little like holding the microphone close to the speaker, or even like holding a video camera close to the image being produced by the camera on a television screen. By sending the output signal back in to the input part of the system, feedback is generated. In the case of the time based effect created with the electric guitar, this is coupled with the amplification to create a distinctive roar.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric guitar, effects pedal, sheet music, guitar tab.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victor_Epand
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Guitar Effects Pedals Vs. Rack Mount Processors
Pedals V Rack Mount
If you play electric guitar or even if you're just a fan, you've undoubtedly asked yourself how your favorite artist gets 'that sound' on one of your favorite tunes.
Larger touring rock bands often have racks full of processors and a stage littered with pedals to switch between effects patches. Still, many musicians have found the old-style stompbox guitar pedals to offer the best bang for the buck. Although digital multi-effects processors offer some distinct convenient advantages, allowing guitar players to build combinations of effects -i.e. Chorus + Delay + Reverb + Distortion - into patches and banks for easy recall and switching later, there are some drawbacks to this approach as well. The combination of effects that's written to a patch ad the associated parameters (amount of delay, reverb decay etc.), generally can not be changed on the fly. In addition, when switching between effects in a live gig situation, oftentimes there is a slight sound dropout which makes it impractical to use while sustaining a long chord for instance.
The stompbox guitar effects pedal set up, however provides much greater flexibility, allowing the guitar player to switch on and off individual effects at will. In addition, many guitar players prefer the 'warmer' tone provided by some of the older analog effects pedals. For convenience, you can purchase a pedalboard style case that will allow you to keep standard sized stompboxes connected together, so you don't need to continuously reconnect everything each time you play. Many of these pedalboards also provide power supplies to connect all guitar effects pedals to, so that batteries don't need to be constantly changed.
In the end, the best way to find what works for you is to experiment. Individual guitar effects pedals, multi-effects pedals and rackmount processors, along with various midi switching devices can be bought fairly inexpensively on sites like Ebay, if you take the time to look around and do your homework. If you find something that doesn't work for you or your setup, you can always find someone who will be willing to buy it from you.
Richard Brodsky has been playing guitar since the 1970's. He knows the best place to buy guitar effects pedals is http://www.myguitareffects.com
Guitar Effects Pedals Vs. Rack Mount Processors
If you play electric guitar or even if you're just a fan, you've undoubtedly asked yourself how your favorite artist gets 'that sound' on one of your favorite tunes.
There is a dizzying array of guitar effects processors available these days and finding the right combination of guitar effects pedals and rackmount gear can be a daunting task that requires a certain amount of experimentation before finding the combination that works best for you.
Larger touring rock bands often have racks full of processors and a stage littered with pedals to switch between effects patches. Still, many musicians have found the old-style stompbox guitar pedals to offer the best bang for the buck. Although digital multi-effects processors offer some distinct convenient advantages, allowing guitar players to build combinations of effects -i.e. Chorus + Delay + Reverb + Distortion - into patches and banks for easy recall and switching later, there are some drawbacks to this approach as well. The combination of effects that's written to a patch ad the associated parameters (amount of delay, reverb decay etc.), generally can not be changed on the fly. In addition, when switching between effects in a live gig situation, oftentimes there is a slight sound dropout which makes it impractical to use while sustaining a long chord for instance.
The stompbox guitar effects pedal set up, however provides much greater flexibility, allowing the guitar player to switch on and off individual effects at will. In addition, many guitar players prefer the 'warmer' tone provided by some of the older analog effects pedals. For convenience, you can purchase a pedalboard style case that will allow you to keep standard sized stompboxes connected together, so you don't need to continuously reconnect everything each time you play. Many of these pedalboards also provide power supplies to connect all guitar effects pedals to, so that batteries don't need to be constantly changed.
In the end, the best way to find what works for you is to experiment. Individual guitar effects pedals, multi-effects pedals and rackmount processors, along with various midi switching devices can be bought fairly inexpensively on sites like Ebay, if you take the time to look around and do your homework. If you find something that doesn't work for you or your setup, you can always find someone who will be willing to buy it from you.
Richard Brodsky has been playing guitar since the 1970's. He knows the best place to buy guitar effects pedals is http://www.myguitareffects.com
There is a dizzying array of guitar effects processors available these days and finding the right combination of guitar effects pedals and rackmount gear can be a daunting task that requires a certain amount of experimentation before finding the combination that works best for you.
Larger touring rock bands often have racks full of processors and a stage littered with pedals to switch between effects patches. Still, many musicians have found the old-style stompbox guitar pedals to offer the best bang for the buck. Although digital multi-effects processors offer some distinct convenient advantages, allowing guitar players to build combinations of effects -i.e. Chorus + Delay + Reverb + Distortion - into patches and banks for easy recall and switching later, there are some drawbacks to this approach as well. The combination of effects that's written to a patch ad the associated parameters (amount of delay, reverb decay etc.), generally can not be changed on the fly. In addition, when switching between effects in a live gig situation, oftentimes there is a slight sound dropout which makes it impractical to use while sustaining a long chord for instance.
The stompbox guitar effects pedal set up, however provides much greater flexibility, allowing the guitar player to switch on and off individual effects at will. In addition, many guitar players prefer the 'warmer' tone provided by some of the older analog effects pedals. For convenience, you can purchase a pedalboard style case that will allow you to keep standard sized stompboxes connected together, so you don't need to continuously reconnect everything each time you play. Many of these pedalboards also provide power supplies to connect all guitar effects pedals to, so that batteries don't need to be constantly changed.
In the end, the best way to find what works for you is to experiment. Individual guitar effects pedals, multi-effects pedals and rackmount processors, along with various midi switching devices can be bought fairly inexpensively on sites like Ebay, if you take the time to look around and do your homework. If you find something that doesn't work for you or your setup, you can always find someone who will be willing to buy it from you.
Richard Brodsky has been playing guitar since the 1970's. He knows the best place to buy guitar effects pedals is http://www.myguitareffects.com
Monday 26 October 2009
Classic Effects - The RAT
To quote Proco the manufacturers:
“History
From the very beginning, the RAT was destined to define "The Sound of the Underground." It was, after all, born underground in the cavernous basement of the Pro Co Sound factory in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. From these humble origins, the RAT has evolved from a single, hand built prototype into a family of the most versatile and most recorded distortion pedals in the world.
Do you want to see how the RAT has evolved? The RAT Family Timeline details the expansion of the RAT product line throughout the years. Also, since there is no accurate way of dating a RAT pedal by its serial number alone, this timeline can help you determine the general age your pedal.”
If you like your distortion sleazy with maybe a nod towards a fuzz well this is for you.
As with all pedals it’s a matter of personal taste. I love it set with distortion at 3 o’clock, filter at 8 o’clock and volume….depends on the amp. There is nothing like it!
However don’t overlook the other possibilities I’ve used it as an overdrive with light distortion and it performs excellently. Personally it really comes in to it’s own through my Fender HOT ROD, but gets a tad heavy on the treble side through my Marshall…..but some will prefer that!
In short it’s a classic, like a lot of pedals and pedals/effects in general you love them or loathe them.
I will let you decide
George Putland
A Beginer's Guide To Guitar Effects Pedals
We're going to try to give a quick look at the major types of guitar effects pedals. Here in part 1 we'll cover the basics.
We know that there are a million web sites offering insight to this topic, but its been our experience that they're written by engineers, not musicians... they read like microwave manuals rather than a helpful resource... Anyway... off we go.
Boost
I can't really milk more than a few lines out of this topic. It's pretty cut and dry- a boost pedal will give your signal a volume boost - or cut, depending on how you've got it set. Most boost pedals act as a master volume control allowing you a pretty wide range of use.
Why do I need a boost pedal? To bring your guitar volume up over the rest of the band during a solo, to drive your amp harder by feeding it a hotter signal, to have a set volume change at the press of a button.
Overdrive
When most guitarists talk about overdrive, they are referring to the smooth 'distortion' produced by their tube amps when driven to the point of breaking up. Overdrive pedals are designed to either replicate this tone (with limited success) or drive a tube amp into overdrive, creating those screaming tubes beyond what they normally would be able to do without wall shaking volume.
Why do I need an overdrive pedal? Overdrive pedals can be used as a boost pedal- so you get those inherent benefits, you'll get some added girth to your tone from the distortion created by the pedal. Most overdrive pedals have tone control giving you wider tone shaping possibilities.
Distortion
Based on our above definition of overdrive, distortion is where overdrive leaves off. In the rock guitar world think Van Halen and beyond for a clear example of distorted guitar tone. Distortion pedals often emulate high gain amps that create thick walls of sound small tube amps are not capable of creating. If you're fortunate enough to have a large Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Diezel or other monster amplifier to create your distortion you might not need a distortion pedal. But for the rest of us mere mortals, distortion pedals are crucial to modern guitar tone.
Why do I need a distortion pedal? You want to be relevant don't you? Even with large amps, like those mentioned above, distortion pedals play a key role in modern music. They offer flexibility that boosts and overdrives can not rival.
Fuzz
God bless Ike Turner and the Kinks. Both acts achieved their landmark tones by using abused speaker cabinets. Ike dropped his on the street walking in to Sun Records to record Rocket 88, the Kinks cut their speakers with knives or so the legends have it. No matter how they got it, their tone changed the world. Some call it distortion, some call it fuzz, however, seeing the progression from these damaged speakers to the fuzz boxes built to emulate those tones, I think its safest to call what Turner and Davies created/stumbled upon was fuzz.
Why do I need a fuzz pedal? Ya like Hendrix, don't ya? In all honesty, the fuzz pedal is seeing resurgence in popular music these days. Bands like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Muse and the White Stripes rely heavily on classic designs on recent releases.
Compressor
The job of a compressor is to deliver an even volume output. It makes the soft parts louder, and the loud parts softer. Current country music guitar tone is driven by the use of compression.
Why do you need a compressor? Improved sustain, increased clarity during low volume playing.
Modulation
Flanger
The earliest "flanger" effects were produced in the studio by playing 2 tape decks, both playing the same sounds, while an engineer would slow down or speed up the playback of one of the dupe signals. This is how you could produce wooshing jet streams. The edge of the old school tape reels is called the flange.
Why do I need a flanger? A flanger will offer a new color to your tonal palette. You can live with out one, but you'll never get some of the nuance coloring of the Van Halen's, Pink Floyd's, or Rush's of the world.
Phase shifter
The phase shifter bridges the gap between Flanger and Chorus. Early phasers were meant to recreate the spinning speaker of a Leslie. Phase shifting's over use can be heard all over the first few Van Halen albums.
Why do I need a phase shifter? See Flangers answer.
Chorus
Chorus pedals split your signal in 2, modulates one of them by slowing it down and detuning it, then mixes it back in with the original signal. The effect is supposed to sound like several guitarists playing the same thing at the same time, resulting in a wide swelling sound, but I don't hear it. You do get a thicker more lush tone, but it doesn't sound like a chorus of players to me.
Why do I need a chorus? Because Andy Summers uses one, and Paul Raven says so... that should be good enough.
Tremolo
As a kid, did you ever play with the volume knob on the TV or the radio manically turning it up and down? Yeah? Well you were a tremolo effect.
Why do I need a tremolo pedal? 6 words for ya: The Smiths 'How Soon Is Now'
Delay
A delay pedal creates a copy of an incoming signal and slightly time-delays its replay. You can use it to create a "slap back" (single repetition) or an echo (multiple repetitions) effect. Who amongst us can't appreciate The Edges use of digital and analog delay throughout U2s career?
Why do I need a delay pedal? See Flangers answer.
Wah
A variable band-pass frequency filter... Screw all that- you know what a wah wah is... its porn music! It's Hendrix! It's Hammett. It's Wylde. It's Slash.
Why do I need a wah wah pedal? Do you really have to ask at this point?
Dennis Mollan is the founder of Pro Tone Pedals. With 20 years experience as a practicing guitarist coupled with his formal education in music theory and audio engineering Dennis has become a noted resource in all things rock guitar related. Pro Tone Pedals was founded in 2004 to provide hand built high quality guitar effects to modern hard rock players. In the four years following, the Dallas Texas based company has had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in modern rock music. Pro Tone Pedals have been on tour and in the studio with Velvet Revolver, Alice In Chains, Camp Freddy, Flickerstick, Ministry, Prong, Warrant, Poison, Overkill, Fear Factory, and the Cult.
Website: http://www.ProTonePedals.com
Blog http://blog.ProTonePedals.com
Myspace: http://myspace.com/protonepedals
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Mollan
Friday 23 October 2009
Guitar Effects Pedals Essentials
If you're a beginning guitar player are you happy with your guitar and amp set up? Are you trying to imitate the sound of your favorite guitarist but having problems recreating that sound. It's because most professional guitarists don't just use a guitar and amp, there are few like Angus Young of AC/DC who plug directly into the amp with no extra effects, but that's a rarity. Most guitarists use a combination of at least three effects to get their sound, distortion, delay, and chorus. You can use multi effects pedals to get your sound or you can use dedicated guitar effects pedals. Let's take a look at what they do and why you should have them in your guitar effects pedal board.
Distortion
Distortion is the most popular effect added to an electric guitar, it's "the" sound people think about when they think of electric guitar. Different styles will call for different types and different levels of this effect. If you're playing metal you want a heavy "crunchy" sound, if you're playing blues or "guitar rock" you might want a warmer sound. Even country players use distortion, they'll add just a little bit to their clean guitar sound, not enough to be really evident as distortion, but just enough to give their sound some bite, so that it cuts through. The Boss distortion pedal, the DS-1 is probably one of the most used of all times. Kurt Cobain used it in his stage rig (although he'd switched to a DS-2 by '94), and someone as diverse as Joe Satriani has also used the DS-1 pedal.
Delay
Delay is another basic guitar effect, it's related to reverb. Think of delay as the sound of the room your in. If you're in a big room it sounds boomy, if you're in a small room it sounds brighter and more distinct. The sound of a room is related to the sounds reflected off the walls. In any size room you'll hear the original and then the sound that is reflected off the walls. That delayed sound is what lets your ears know how big the room is. Reverb is similar, it's just that the sounds bounced off the walls aren't as distinct. Most guitarists use delay pedals set to a short delay time, (slapback delay). It sort of sounds like being in a concrete stairwell, a good example is a country "chicken picken" sound. Other guitarist use delay times so long that their are distinct echos, The Edge in the band U2 being a good example. What delay does is make you perceive the sound as being "thicker" almost like there were two guitars playing. Some pedals can create a delay and reverb sound.
Chorus
The third bread and butter guitar effects pedal you should have is a chorus. What a chorus does is split your sound and slightly delay one one of the signals. Imagine two people were playing guitar together. They can never play perfectly together, one will always start a split second late or early. That's what a chorus does. You're probably thinking what's the difference between that and a delay? Well, if you set your delay times small enough you will hear a chorus type sound. A chorus will also detune one of the signals by a miniscule amount increasing the effect of their being two guitarists playing. The perceived effect is a thicker guitar sound. Both delay and chorus can be used with a clean sound or a distorted sound.
So, those three guitar pedals are the bedrock of an electric guitar sound, you can find at least one of them in most guitarists pedal board. It's hard to say what is the best guitar effects pedal, it really comes down to a personal preference. There are some effects used by famous guitarists, other people buy that pedal to copy that sound. After awhile that sound kind of becomes the "standard", that makes it popular, but what's the best guitar effects pedal is up to you.
David Verde plays guitar and sings a little, he likes to write about guitar playing and song writing. Here's some more information about guitar effects pedals, and what to look for in an acoustic guitar tuner.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Verde
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