Guitar Effects Guide

Distortion

Overdrive
Overdrive is generally considered to be another word for distortion or clipping.  When you overdrive something with too much level it distorts.  Guitarists, however, like to have a distinction between overdrive and distortion.  In the domain of guitar sounds distortion generally means extreme distortion and is associated with a buzzing or "fuzz" type of sound.  To guitarists, overdrive is more a state of semi-distortion.  A heightened concentration of harmonic energy and presence, but not the same as all out distortion.  Technically it is just distortion, but it's mild enough that more of the character of the guitar comes through.

Xotic Effects RC Booster
Placing the RC Booster between your guitar and your effect pedals, will help retain your signature guitar sound all the way to your amp, and bring out the tones on your effects.  It also acts as a buffer, fighting against signal degradations caused by long cable runs and electromagnetic noise.  As an overdrive, the RC Booster has the characteristics of a clean tube amp and can be setup to create a bold and smooth sound of an amp with its volume cranked.

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Distortion
Generally, this has come to mean everything from smooth tube overdrive to all manner of nasty, dirty tones pedals.  They often simulate tube sounds or amp stack sounds and offer full tone shaping capabilities - hi, mid and low.  Distortion pedals offer more gain than overdrive pedals and sound more amp-like than fuzz pedals.  The earliest example of distortion used in popular music was when Ike Turner recorded "Rocket 88.”

Tech 21 SansAmp Tri-A.C. Distortion
The Tech 21 SansAmp Tri-A.C. Distortion Pedal features Tech 21's analog circuitry to emulate natural harmonics and overdrive characteristics of tube amps.  3 memory locations can each be altered and saved.  Built-in speaker emulation encompasses all aspects of multi-miked tube amp rigs.  Each amp voicing choice has its own tonality and its own input sensitivity.  Controls also include 3-band active EQ, Drive, and Level.

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Fuzz
The sound of a fuzz is similar to playing through an amp with a ripped speaker (think The Kinks “You Really Got Me”).  It is very buzzy sounding and has tons of sustain.  Fuzz can be used in a similar manner to overdrive for boosting the signal going into an amp, but the fuzz will have a much harsher tone than an overdrive pedal.

Compressor
A compressor basically works like a level control, restricting the overall range of an input signal, limiting the amount of variation between the loudest and the softest sounds.  Compressors can be used to prevent distortion overload, smooth out peaks and drops, and provide additional sustain for electric guitars.  Additionally, compressors can add noise or accentuate noise already present in a signal, and excessive use can alter the dynamics of a piece.

Keeley Compressor
The Keeley Compressor effect has tone tested components.  Metal film resistors and capacitors ensure the cleanest compressor on the market.  Hand matched transistors ensure you get a perfectly compressed signal with no chance for unwanted distortion.  Country pickers will revel in this pedals prowess.

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Modulation

Flanger
Flanger effects were first created in studios by playing back the same sound on multiple tape decks, while the engineer used a finger on the tape reel's edge (known also as a flange) to speed up or slow down the duplicate signal.  This produced a sweeping copy of the material's harmonic structure.  Today, the effect is duplicated using digital delays set to intervals and inverting the signal's phase.

Electro-Harmonix Flanger Hoax
The Electro-Harmonix Flanger Hoax is a powerful modulator.  From shimmering static and active phasing to adjustable flanging, you’ll be playing with a wide array of new textures.  The amount of variations available through basic and advanced modulation controls will creatively shade and wildly animate your music.

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Phaser
Another time based effect akin to the flanger and the chorus pedal.  The swirling effect is supposed to recreate the sound of a Leslie cabinet.  Though the sound wasn't really close, it has now become a stage and studio staple.

Electro-Harmonix Small Stone
From dreamy swooshes to outer space craziness, nothing can match the Small Stone.  The Electro-Harmonix Small Stone's three dimensional phasing adds swirl to every musical style.  Blues players will enjoy the rotating speaker effect while Country players enjoy its gentle tonal seasoning.  Metal and Industrial players will appreciate the powerful jet plane woosh.

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Chorus
When a slightly detuned and delayed clone of a guitar signal is played back with the original, it produces a subtle doubling effect.  This produces a thicker, more lush tone, which to some degree sounds similar to a 12-string guitar.

Rocktron Deep Blue Chorus
The Deep Blue provides a smooth, multi-voiced chorus, rich in depth and lush in effect.  The tough aluminum chassis, will keep the Deep Blue safe for gigging, and it is an excellent addition to your effects lineup.  Deep Blue allows you to adjust the speed and amount of modulation and adjust the amount of chorus effect that is added to your signal.

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Echo/Time Based Effects

Delay
Simply put, an effect which stores an input signal, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.

Line 6 ToneCore Echo Park
Based on Line 6's award-winning DL4 Delay Modeler, the Echo Park is loaded with unbelievable sounding models including analog, tape, and digital delay.  Different delay patterns can be adjusted with the twist of a knob and the delay can be tweaked for even more variations.

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Reverb
A reverb adds the ambience found in rooms and halls to the guitar signal.  In a room, every noise is reflected by walls, furniture, ceiling and floor.  The reflected signal is again reflected many times until many echos are created, when ears can't discern echos anymore we’re left with reverb.  

Electro-Harmonix Holier Grail
Expanding on the Holy Grail comes the Holier Grail: 4 high-quality reverb settings with two options for each reverb: Spring, Hall, Room and Flerb.  The Holier Grail gets holier with a post-reverb Gate and Reverse Gate that will open new doors to other worlds of reverb.

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Tone/Volume Effects

Wah
A wah adjusts the tone on a variable frequency, kind of like an EQ filter that can be adjusted on the fly.  As you rock the pedal up and down with your foot, the filter emphasizes certain frequencies and cuts others, to create a sweeping effect.  When left in a stationary position, the wah can add different flavors to your tone.  Some pedals sweep through the tonal range automatically (auto-wah), eliminating the need to rock your foot back and forth.

Tremolo
This modulates the guitar volume, rapidly turning the volume control up and down.  There are different wave-forms used to modulate the volume level.  There are sine waves, which give a smooth effect, a saw wave (the pulsation lessened), square wave (cutting the sound in and out), and other interesting variations.

Electro-Harmonix Pulsar Variable Shape Tremolo Pedal
Boasting a variable wave form that harkens to the smooth, vintage tube-amp tremolo as well as the reach of deep levels of wavy noise, the Pulsar piques any guitarists interests.  The Pulsar allows you to control the intensity of the tremolo, as well as the overall character of your guitar sound.

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Multi-Effects & Loopers/Samplers

Loopers/Samples
Looper and/or sampler pedals work in a similar manner as delay pedals, except, the repeat time of the echoed signal can be much longer, and can repeat indefinitely, or at least for extended periods of time.  Looper sampler pedals can be used to layer multiple parts (rhythm, riff, lead, etc.) piece by piece.

DigiTech JamMan Looper Pedal
The DigiTech JamMan Looper Pedal is a phrase sampler/looper designed for the performing vocalist and musician.  With a full 24-minutes recording time and CompactFlash memory support of up to 2GB, it's the perfect stage looper/sampler.  The JamMan Looper also features on-board rhythm functions, tempo changing without pitch shift, storage of up to 99 loops, a metronome with multiple rhythm sounds and time signatures, and a USB port for saving loops to your computer.  JamMan Looper also accepts audio from instruments, microphones, or line level audio sources.

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Multi-Effects
Large collections of effects which can include everything above and others that cannot be categorized.  These are available in all flavors from basic to complex.  And by complex, we mean chaining so many effects that it doesn't even sound like a guitar any more.  Multi-Effect units can replace the need for many stomp boxes.

Rocktron Xpression Multi-Effects Processor
Filled to the brim with 128 presets for guitar and bass, the Xpression lets you use up to 10 effects together.  It includes many vintage and classic effects delay and rate tap controls, 4-band EQ, active/passive input, and Hush noise reduction; not to mention the Xpression has 24-bit DSP processing and is MIDI programmable.

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