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Guitar Effects: fuzzer, distortion, etc.
Guitar pedals: Fuzzer, distortion, overdrive, turbo overdrive, turbo distortion, digital metalizer, heavy metal, super feedbacker distortion.
This effect is done by overdriving the pre-amplifier so as to achieve such a high gain that the signal gets distorted. These are used to produce a harder or noisier sound as in heavy metal or other styles.
Guitar Effects: sustain, compressors, limiters
Guitar pedals: sustain, compressors, limiters.
In simple words, a sustain retains sound for as long as the string is vibrating. A compressor gives volume and strength to the signal, acts like a filter and keeps the level of the signal from going too high (e.g. sudden peaks). A limiter is similar, and acts like a filter that keeps the signal of the guitar under a certain level (threshold). These are used in recording and live performances to prevent sudden unwanted peaks of the sound, i.e. to keep the sound level, no matter what you do with your guitar!
Guitar Effects: Wah-wah, equalizers
Guitar pedals: wah-wah, eqalizer, graphic equalizer.
A wah-wah is some kind of variable filter that plays with the frequencies. Depending on the foot-pedal motion, it intensifies lower or higher frequencies, resembling the human voice. It was used during the 60's and 70's.
Now, an equalizer uses multiple filters that control the various frequencies that make up the sound spectrum. For example, the sound is divided in 10 bands of frequencies in a 10-band equalizer, and you can control each frequency with a separate knob. Why you would use this? Because when you play your guitar in a certain room, this room tends to cancel certain frequencies or intensify certain frequencies, depending on the dimensions, surfaces, materials used, and other factors. So you want to use this to correct these imbalances. Or you just use it because it makes your guitar sound better!
Guitar Effects: delay and reverb
Guitar pedals: delay, echo, reverb.
A delay produces a repetition of the original sound.
A reverb simulates spaces (e.g. bathroom, hall, concert, stadium) Guitar Effects: phaser, flanger, chorus, vibrato, octaver.
Guitar pedals: phasers, flangers, chorus, vibrato, octaver.
A phaser is a special kind of filter that produces that live "airplane-like" sound. The sound gets processed and the result is a mix of the original sound and the processed sound. It makes sound more interesting.
A flanger is essentially a certain type of phaser. It creates a more dynamic sound. You can experiment with it.
A vibrato is a cyclic alteration of the sound frequency. It just raises and lowers the pitch up and down, up and down, up and down...
A chorus is a combination of a vibrato and a flanger and produces an even more interesting, rich, rotating sound. Try it.
Guitar Effects: noise gate
Guitar pedals: noise gate.
A noise gate is something that cuts any annoying noises produced by other guitar effect units or other sources of noise. It works only while you're not playing, making sure no hiss or noise makes it to the amplifier.
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