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'''[[Dynamic range compression|Compressor]]:''' A compressor stabilizes volume and smooths a note’s "attack" by dampening its onset and amplifying its sustain. Compression is achieved by varying the strength (i.e. "[[gain]]") of a signal to ensure volume stays within a specific [[dynamic range]]. A compressor can also function as a [[limiter]] with extreme settings of its controls.<ref>Hunter, D (2004). [http://books.google.com/books?id=7DjYrk7Vap4C ''Guitar Effects Pedals: The Practical Handbook'']. Hal Leonard. p. 23.</ref><br>
'''[[Dynamic range compression|Compressor]]:''' A compressor stabilizes volume and smooths a note’s "attack" by dampening its onset and amplifying its sustain. Compression is achieved by varying the strength (i.e. "[[gain]]") of a signal to ensure volume stays within a specific [[dynamic range]]. A compressor can also function as a [[limiter]] with extreme settings of its controls.<ref>Hunter, D (2004). [http://books.google.com/books?id=7DjYrk7Vap4C ''Guitar Effects Pedals: The Practical Handbook'']. Hal Leonard. p. 23.</ref><br>
Compressor effects: [[Boss Corporation|Boss CS-3]], [[Robert Keeley|Keeley Compressor]], [[MXR|MXR Dyna Comp]].<!--This article has often been used to advertise. List only products that 1.) have Wikipedia articles and 2.) have been well known for a number of years and used by influential musicians-->
Compressor effects: [[Boss Corporation|Boss CS-3]], [[Robert Keeley|Keeley Compressor]], [[MXR|MXR Dyna Comp]], JangleBox.<!--This article has often been used to advertise. List only products that 1.) have Wikipedia articles and 2.) have been well known for a number of years and used by influential musicians-->


'''[[Tremolo]]:''' A tremolo effect produces a slight, rapid variation in the volume of a note or chord. 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guitaretab.com/r/rolling-stones/16342.html |title=Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter tab|author=Trolet, Jean-Pierre|accessdate=9 September 2010}}</ref><br>
'''[[Tremolo]]:''' A tremolo effect produces a slight, rapid variation in the volume of a note or chord. 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guitaretab.com/r/rolling-stones/16342.html |title=Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter tab|author=Trolet, Jean-Pierre|accessdate=9 September 2010}}</ref><br>

Revision as of 00:11, 3 November 2010

File:VibeswareGuitarResonator HeadPlaying.jpg
The Guitar Resonator allows a musician to generate feedback while playing normally with both hands.

Effects units are electronic devices that alter how a musical instrument or other audio source sounds. Some effects subtly "color" a sound, while others transform it dramatically. Effects can be used during live performances (typically with electric guitar, keyboard, or bass) or in the studio. While most frequently used with electric or electronic instruments, effects can also be used with acoustic instruments and drums.[1][2] Examples of common effects units include wah-wah pedals, fuzzboxes, and reverb units.[3]

Effects units come in several formats, the most common of which are the "stompbox" and the "rackmount". A stompbox (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 rackmount is mounted on a standard 19-inch equipment rack and usually contains several different types of effects.[4]

While there is currently no consensus on how to categorize effects, the following are six common classifications: dynamics, time-based, tone, filter, pitch and feedback/sustain.[5][6]

Formats (form factor)

Effects units are available in a variety of formats or "form factors". A musician's 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. Stompbox style pedals are usually the smallest, least expensive and most rugged type of effect. Rackmount devices are relatively expensive and offer a wider range of functions.[7] An effects unit can consist of analog or digital circuitry. During a live performance, the effect is plugged into the electrical "signal" path of the instrument. In the studio, the instrument or other sound-source's auxiliary output is patched into the effect.[8][9] Form factors are part of a studio or musician's outboard gear.[10]

Stompboxes

A pedalboard allows a performer to create a ready-to-use chain of multiple pedals.

Stompboxes, or effects pedals, are effects units designed to sit on the floor or a pedalboard and be turned on and off with the user's feet. They typically house a single effect. The simplest stompbox pedals have a single footswitch; one or two potentiometers for controlling the effect, gain, or tone; and a single LED display to indicate whether the effect is on. The most complex stompbox pedals have multiple footswitches, eight to ten knobs, additional switches, and an alphanumeric display screen that indicates the status of the effect with short acronyms (e.g. DIST for "distortion").[7][11]

An "effects chain" or "signal chain" may be formed by connecting two or more stompboxes. Effect chains are typically created between a preamplifier (“preamp”) and the guitar amplifier. When a pedal is off or inactive, the electrical 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.[12]

To preserve the clarity of the tone, it is most common to put compression, wah and overdrive pedals at the start of the chain; pitch/frequency pedals (chorus, flanger, phase shifter) in the middle; and time-based units (delay/echo, reverb) 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.[13][14]

Rackmounts

Rackmounted effects are commonly used in recording studios and "front of house" live sound mixing situations. They are typically controlled by knobs or switches on their front panel, and often by a MIDI digital control interface. Rackmounts are built into a case designed to integrate into a 19-inch rack standard to the telecommunication and computing industries. "Shock mount" racks are designed for musicians who are shipping gear on major tours. Devices that are less than 19 inches wide may use special "ear" adapters that allow them to be mounted on a rack.

Built-in units

A vintage Teisco amplifier with built-in tremolo and echo effects

Effects are often incorporated into amplifiers and even some types of instruments. Electric guitar amplifiers typically have built-in reverb and distortion, while acoustic guitar and keyboard amplifiers tend to only have built-in reverb. Since the 2000s, guitar amplifiers began having built-in multi-effects units or digital modeling effects. Bass amplifiers are less likely to have built-in effects, although some may have a compressor/limiter or distortion.[15] Instruments with built-in effects include Hammond organs, electronic organs, and electronic pianos.[16] Occasionally, acoustic-electric and electric guitars will have built-in effects.[17][18]

Multi-effects devices

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. Multi-FX devices allow users to "preset" combinations of different effects, allowing musicians quick on-stage access to different effects combinations.[19]

Tabletop units

A tabletop unit sits on a desk and is controlled manually. One such example is the Pod guitar amplifier modeler. 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.[20]

History

File:Roger Mayer and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.jpg
Roger Mayer (left), inventor of the Octavia, with Mitch Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and Noel Redding in 1968.

The earliest sound effects were strictly studio productions. In the mid to late 1940s, recording engineers and experimental musicians such as Les Paul began manipulating reel-to-reel recording tape to create echo effects and unusual, futuristic sounds. Microphone placement (“miking”) techniques were used in spaces with specially designed acoustic properties to simulate echo chambers.[21][22][23]

Amplifier built-ins were the first effects to be used regularly outside the studio by guitar players. From the late 1940s onward, the Gibson Guitar Corp. began including vibrato circuits in combo amplifiers. The 1950 Ray Butts EchoSonic amp was the first to feature the "slapback” echo sound, which quickly became popular with guitarists such as Chet Atkins, Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore, Luther Perkins, and Roy Orbison. By the 1950s, tremolo, vibrato and reverb were available as built-in effects on many guitar amplifiers. Both Premier and Gibson built tube-powered amps with spring reverb. Fender began manufacturing the tremolo amps Tremolux in 1955 and Vibrolux in 1956.[24]

Distortion was not an effect originally intended by amplifier manufacturers, but could often easily be achieved by “overdriving” the power supply in early tube amplifiers. Guitarists Johnny Burnette and Willie Johnson were among the first to deliberately increase gain beyond its intended levels to achieve "warm" distorted sounds.[25] Dave Davies of The Kinks doctored the speakers of his amp by slitting them with a razor blade to achieve an even grittier guitar sound on the 1964 song "You Really Got Me".[26] In 1965, Marshall Amplification began selling the Marshall 1959, a guitar amplifier capable of producing the warm overtones and distorted "crunch" that rock musicians were starting to covet.[27]

Stand-alone effects of the 1950s and early 60s such as the Gibson GA-VI vibrato unit and the Fender reverb box, were expensive and impractical, requiring bulky transformers and high voltages. The original stand-alone units were not especially in-demand as many effects came built into amplifiers. The first popular stand-alone was the 1958 Watkins Copicat, a relatively portable tape echo effect made famous by the British band, The Shadows.[28][29]

The electronic transistor finally made it possible to cram the aural creativity of the recording studio into small, highly portable stompbox units. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes, allowing for much more compact formats and greater stability. The first transistorized guitar effect was the 1962 Maestro Fuzz Tone pedal, which became a sensation after its use in the 1965 Rolling Stones hit “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction”.[30][31]

Warwick Electronics manufactured the first wah-wah pedal, The Clyde McCoy, in 1967 and that same year Roger Mayer issued the first octave effect, the Octavia.[32][33] In 1968, Univox began marketing its Uni-Vibe pedal, an effect designed by noted audio engineer Fumio Mieda that mimicked the odd phase shift and chorus effects of the Leslie rotating speakers used in Hammond organs. The pedals soon became favorite effects of guitarists Jimi Hendrix and Robin Trower. Upon first hearing the Octavia, Hendrix allegedly rushed back to the studio and immediately used it to record the guitar solos on "Purple Haze" and "Fire"[34] By the mid-1970s a variety of solid-state effects pedals including flangers, chorus pedals, ring modulators and phase-shifters were available.[35]

In the 1980s, digitized rackmount units began replacing stompboxes as the effects format of choice. Often musicians would record "dry", unaltered tracks in the studio and effects would be added in post-production. The success of Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind helped to re-ignite interest in stompboxes. Throughout the 1990s, musicians committed to a "lo-fi" aesthic such as J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Stephen Malkmus of Pavement and Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices continued to use non-digital (analog) effects pedals.[36][37][38]

Types

Dynamics

A Guyatone VT2 Vintage Tremolo

Clean boost/Volume pedal: A clean boost amplifies the volume of an instrument by increasing some aspect of its electrical signal output. These units are generally used for “boosting” volume during solos and preventing signal loss in long "effects chains". A guitarist switching from rhythm guitar to lead guitar may use a clean boost to increase the volume of his or her solo.[39]
Volume effects: Fender Volume Pedal, Morley Volume Pedal.

Microphone preamplifier: A microphone preamplifier or "mic preamp" is a device that increases a microphone's low voltage output to levels that can be picked up and used by equipment such as mixing consoles and headphones. Some mic pre-amps also provide additional power (e.g. phantom power) to condenser microphones.[40]

Compressor: A compressor stabilizes volume and smooths a note’s "attack" by dampening its onset and amplifying its sustain. Compression is achieved by varying the strength (i.e. "gain") of a signal to ensure volume stays within a specific dynamic range. A compressor can also function as a limiter with extreme settings of its controls.[41]
Compressor effects: Boss CS-3, Keeley Compressor, MXR Dyna Comp, JangleBox.

Tremolo: A tremolo effect produces a slight, rapid variation in the volume of a note or chord. 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.[42]
Tremelo effects: Fender Tremolux, Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe.

Tone

Distortion and Overdrive: Distortion and overdrive units distort the tone of an instrument by adding "overtones", creating a "warm" sound. To create a "dirty" or "gritty" sound, a unit further alters the tone by re-shaping or "clipping" its sound-waves so that they have flat, mesa-like peaks instead of curved ones. In tube amplifiers, distortion is created by compressing the instrument's out-going electrical signal in vacuum tubes or "valves". In digital units, this effect is simulated by transitors or computer chips.[43][44] Distortion effects differ from overdrive effects in that that the former produces roughly 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.[45]
Distortion and overdrive effects: Boss DS-1, Boss MT-2 Metal Zone, Electro-Harmonix LPB-1, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Marshall ShredMaster, MXR Distortion+, MXR Micro Amp, Pro Co RAT.

Fuzz: 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.[46][47] The Rolling Stones’ "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" greatly popularized the use of fuzz effects.[48]
Fuzz effects: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, Arbiter Fuzz Face, Maestro Fuzz-Tone, Vox Tone Bender, Univox Super-Fuzz, Z.Vex Fuzz Factory.

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 "lo-fi" 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 drum effect used in 1980s pop songs, a style popularized by the Phil Collins song "In the Air Tonight".[49][50]

Lo-fi: Lo-fi effects emulate the hiss, static, and poor tone quality of vintage analog electronic equipment.[51]

Filter

Peter Frampton's Talk box

Equalizer: An equalizer is a set of filters that strengthen ("boost") or weaken ("cut") specific frequency regions. Stereos often have equalizers that adjust bass and treble.[52] Audio engineers use highly sophisticated equalizers to eliminate unwanted sounds, make an instrument or voice more prominent, and enhance particular aspects of an instrument's tone.[53]

Talk box: A talk box directs the sound from a guitar or synthesizer into the mouth of a performer, allowing him or her to shape the sound into vowels and consonants. The modified sound is then picked up by a microphone. In this way the guitar is able to “talk”. Some famous uses of the talkbox include Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer”, Stevie Wonder's “Black Man” and Peter Frampton's "Show Me the Way".[54][55]
Talk boxes: Dunlop HT1 Heil Talk Box, Rocktron Banshee.

Wah-wah: A wah-wah pedal creates vowel-like sounds by altering the frequency spectrum produced by an instrument—i.e. how loud it is at each separate frequency—in what is known as a spectral glide. 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.[56]
Wah effects: Dunlop Cry Baby, Morley Power Wah Boost, Musitronics Mu-Tron III, Z.Vex Seek Wah.

De-esser: 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.[57]

Pitch/Frequency

SmallClone chorus effect

Chorus: Chorus pedals mimic the "phase locking" effect produced naturally by choirs and string orchestras when sounds with very slight differences in timbre and pitch assimilate one another. A chorus effect splits the instrument-to-amplifier electrical signal, adding slight frequency variations or “vibrato” to part of the signal while leaving the rest unaltered.[58] With extreme settings, a chorus effect can produce a "spacey" sound. A well-known usage of chorus is the lead guitar in “Come As You Are” by Nirvana.[59]
Chorus effects: Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man, Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress, Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe, T.C. Electronic Stereo Chorus.

Flanger: A flanger creates a "jet plane" or "spaceship" sound, simulating a studio effect produced by holding the edge of the audio tape reel (the “flange”) to momentarily slow down a recording. Flangers add a variably delayed version of the sound to the original or sound, creating a comb filter effect.[60]Some famous uses of flanger effects include "Walking on the Moon" by The Police and "Barracuda" by Heart.[61][62]
Flanger effects: Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress, MXR Flanger.

Phase shifter: A phase shifter creates a slight rippling effect—amplifying some aspects of the tone while diminishing others—by adding out-of-phase duplicate sound-waves to the original sound-waves. Phase shifting was popular during the 1970s; two well-know examples includes keyboard parts on Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are” and Paul Simon's "Slip Slidin' Away".[63]

The Electro-Harmonix POG pedal can pitch-shift an input signal down an octave or up one or two octaves.

Phase shift effects: Electro-Harmonix Small Stone, MXR Phase 90, Roland AP-7 Jet Phaser.

Pitch shifter and Harmonizer: A pitch shifter raises or lowers (e.g. "transposes") each note a performer plays by a pre-set interval. For example, a pitch shifter set to increase the pitch by a fourth will raise each note four diatonic intervals above the notes actually played. Simple pitch shifters raise or lower the pitch by one or two octaves, while more sophisticated devices offer a range of interval alterations. A harmonizer is a type of pitch shifter that combines the altered pitch with the original pitch to create a two or more note harmony. Some hamonizers are able to create chorus-like effects by adding very tiny shifts in pitch.[64]
Pitch shift effects: Electro-Harmonix POG, Digitech Whammy, Roger Mayer Octavia .

Ring modulator: A ring modulator produces a resonant, metallic sound by mixing a waveform produced by the instrument with a waveform generated by the device's internal oscillator to create signals rich in overtones. A notable use of ring modulation is the guitar in the Black Sabbath song "Paranoid".[65]
Ring modulator effects: Moog MF-102 Moogerfooger.

Vibrato: Vibrato effects produce slight, rapid variations in pitch, mimicking the fractional semitone variations produced naturally by opera singers and violinists when prolonging a single note. Vibrato effects often allow the performer to control the rate of the variation as well as the difference in pitch (e.g. “depth”). A vibrato with an extreme "depth" setting (e.g., half a semitone or more) will produce a dramatic, ululating sound. Guitarists often use the terms "vibrato" and "tremolo" misleadingly. A so-called "vibrato unit" in a guitar amplifier actually produces tremolo, while a "tremolo arm" or “whammy bar” on a guitar produces vibrato.[66][67]

Harmonic Exciter: A harmonic exciter or "aural exciter" or "psychoacoustic exciter", adds subtle overtones to the upper mid and treble part of a sound. Harmonic exciters are used most frequently in the post-production stage of recording, either with vocals or with an entire track. This effect was developed in the mid-1970s to add "brightness" to reel-to-reel audio tape recordings that had lost clarity due to compression or repeated overdubs.[68]

Time-based

Folded line reverberation device, which uses springs.

Delay/Echo: Delay/echo units produce an echo effect by adding a duplicate instrument-to-amplifier electrical signal to the original signal at a slight time-delay. The effect can either be a single echo called a “slap” or “slapback,” or multiple echos. A well-known use of delay is the lead guitar in the U2 song "Where the Streets Have No Name".[69]
Delay effects: Boss DM-2 Delay, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, Electro-Harmonix 16-Second Digital Delay, Electro-Harmonix Memory Man, Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler, MXR Carbon Copy.

Reverb: Reverb units simulate sounds produced in an echo chamber by creating a large number of echoes that gradually fade or "decay". A plate reverb system uses an electromechanical transducer to create vibrations in a plate of metal. Spring reverb systems, which are often used in guitar amplifiers, use a transducer to create vibrations in a spring. Digital reverb effects use various signal processing algorithms to create the reverb effect, often by using multiple feedback delay circuits.Rockabilly and surf guitar are two genres that make heavy use of reverb.[70]
Reverb effects: Fender Reverb Unit.

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.[71]
Looper effects: Boss RC20XL Loop Station Pedal, Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler Pedal and Loop Sampler.

An EBow allows a guitar player to sustain a note.

Feedback/Sustain

Audio feedback: Audio feedback is an effect produced when amplified sound is picked up by a microphone and played back through an amplifier, initiating a “feedback loop”. Feedback as pioneered by guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix is generated by playing an instrument directly in front of an amplifier set to a high volume. This relatively primitive technique tends to create high-pitched overtones and can be difficult to sustain.[72][73]

Devices such as the Guitar Resonator, the Sustainiac Sustainer, and the Fernandes Sustainer create feedback by electrically vibrating (“driving”) the guitar strings while minimizing the highest-pitched overtones and providing true sustain. The EBow, a handheld pickup/string driver, uses a small inductor coil to vibrate the guitar strings, creating a bow-like sustained sound.[56]

Many compressor pedals are often also marketed as "sustainer pedals". As a note is sustained, it loses energy and volume due to diminishing vibration in the string. The compressor pedal boosts its electrical signal to the specified dynamic range, slightly prolonging the duration of the note.[74]

Other effects

Simulators: Simulators enable electric guitars to mimic the sound of other instruments such as acoustic guitar, electric bass, and sitar. Pick up simulators used on guitars with single-coil pick ups replicate the sound of guitars with humbucker pick ups, or vice-versa. A de-fretter is a bass guitar effect that simulates the sound of a fretless bass. The effect uses an envelope-controlled filter and voltage controlled amplifier to “soften” a note's attack both in volume and timbre.[75]

Envelope Follower: An envelope follower activates an effect once a designated volume is reached. One effect that uses an envelope follower is the "auto-wah", which produces a "wah" effect depending on how loud or soft the notes are being played.[76][77]

Guitar amplifier modeling: Amplifier modeling is a digital effect that replicates the sound of various amplifiers, most often analog “tube” amps. Sophisticated modeling effects can simulate speaker cabinets and miking techniques. A rotary speaker simulator mimics the doppler sound of a vintage Leslie speaker system by replicating its volume and pitch modulations, overdrive capacity and phase shifts.[78]

Pitch correction/Vocal effects: Pitch correction effects use signal-processing algorithms to re-tune faulty intonation in a vocalist's performance.[79]

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.

Boutique pedals

T-Rex brand "Mudhoney" overdrive pedal

Boutique pedals are designed by smaller, independent companies and are typically produced in limited quantities. Some may even be hand-made. These pedals are mainly distributed online or through mail-order, or sold in a few music stores.[80] They are often more expensive than mass-produced pedals[81] and offer non-standard features such as true-bypass switching, higher-quality components, innovative designs, and hand-painted artwork. Some boutique companies focus on re-creating classic or vintage effects.[82]
Some boutique pedal manufacturers include: AnalogMan, Devi Ever, Pete Cornish, Lovetone, Metasonix, Robert Keeley, Z.Vex Effects, T-Rex Engineering.

Effects unit modification

There is also a niche market for modifying or "modding" effects. Typically, vendors provide either custom modification services or 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 often-modified effects.[83][84] Common modifications include value changes in capacitors or resistors, adding true-bypass so that the effect's circuitry is no longer in the signal path, substituting higher-quality components, replacing the unit's original operational amplifiers (opamps), or adding functions to the device such as allowing additional control of some factor or adding an additional output jack.[83][85][86]

Tributes by musicians

The garage rock revival band The Fuzztones, seen here in a Barcelona concert, are named after an influential 1960s-era fuzz pedal (the Fuzztone).

Effects and effects units—stompboxes in particular—have been celebrated by pop and rock musicians in album titles, songs and band names. The Big Muff, a classic fuzzbox manufactured by Electro-Harmonix,[87] is commemorated by the Depeche Mode song "Big Muff" and the Mudhoney EP Superfuzz Bigmuff. Lyrics to Super Furry Animals' "Play It Cool" mention another Electro-Harmonix pedal, the Electric Mistress flanger.[88][89] The Nine Inch Nails song "Echoplex" is titled after Maestro's vintage echo unt.[90] Other songs that reference effects include "Interstellar Overdrive" by Pink Floyd, "Wah-Wah" by George Harrison, and "Stomp Box" by They Might Be Giants. Joy Division's "Digital" was inspired by engineer/producer Martin Hannett's AMS digital delay unit.[91] We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It were an all-female British band from the 1980s,[92] and The Fuzztones were a 1980s garage rock revival band.[93]

Other pedals and rackmount units

Not all stompboxes and rackmounts are effects. Tuning pedals indicate whether a guitar string is too sharp or flat.[94] A footswitch pedal such as the "A/B" pedal route a guitar signal to an amplifier or enable a performer to switch between two guitars. Guitar amplifiers and electronic keyboards may have switch pedals for turning built-in effects on and off.[95] Some musicians who use rackmounted effects or laptops employ a MIDI controller pedalboard to trigger sound samples, switch between different effects or control effect settings.[96][97]

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