Overdrive pedal 101

What Phaser Effect does to Your Guitar

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After such household items as distortion and wah-wah pedal, phaser ( Phaser effect )stands out as one of the most frequently used guitar effects in the world today.
Phaser pedal we recommend: MXR M101 Phase 90

It produces a distinctive and memorable type of sound, yet it is typically not easy to be recognized outside of the guitar aficionado circles. Therefore, we have decided to do some research and bring this lovely pedal closer to you so you could understand its powers and maybe determine if it is the right product for you.

We will do our best to explain the matter in simplest possible terms, although we will occasionally dive into some intricate explanations. The question here is ” What phaser effect does to your guitar?”, let’s answer it!

How phaser works?

A phaser pedal operates by filtering the input sound from your guitar and processing it to create a string of peaks and troughs in the final frequency spectrum, crafting a smooth, floating, sweeping type of sound.

When you strum a tone on your guitar, it enters the phaser effect, which separates the signal into two parts, one of which is an all-pass filter that saves original sound. The other part infuses the sound with the effect, cancelling all the sounds that are out of phase and crafting that sound we just mentioned.

Phaser options

So what controls do you have to change the sound here? Well, the effect came a long way since it was initially introduced, and now typically packs a set of four control knobs – Rate, Depth, Resonance, and Mode.

Rate – This knob controls the speed of the phasing sweep by making it faster or slower depending on the position. More sweeping usually brings the effect closer to the vibe of a chorus pedal.

Depth – This one determines the intensity of the effect, hence it is sometimes referred to as the Intensity control. More Depth gives the stompbox additional power and extra prominence in the final mix.

Resonance – The Resonance knob emphasizes some of the tones in the sweep. More of this effect brings a spacey vibe to your sound, a type of tone we could describe as underwater.

Mode – Over the years, phaser pedals were crafted with a different set of shifting phases. As we have entered the modern era, manufacturers now present the user with freedom to utilize any of these sounds with a few simple turns of a knob.

Best example of phaser effect

As far as classic songs using phaser go, Eddie Van Halen stands as the king of this stompbox. A specific example would be the song that changed the world in under 2 minutes – the mighty “Eruption”! Check it out.

Conclusion

We hope that this guide made it clear what phaser does to a guitar and you can best utilize it. Our main goal was to give you a sonic image of what to expect from a phaser effect and hopefully pique your interest to further investigate. If this fella sounds like a stompbox for you, feel free to treat yourself with one of these bad boys as early as today!

What are the Compressor Types for Guitar

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The compression is one of the notorious effects of the guitar world, and something some players associate with loudness wars or bland and soulless music we get to hear through a variety of channels these days, but the reality is that it’s simply a useful effect that can be utilized in a variety of cool ways.

Generally, compression is a type of effect that clips the sonic peaks of a given recording and presents a more concise and well-rounded recording. Use it too much and you will get a bland recording indeed, but use it just right and you will improve your sonic attack a lot.

Therefore, we decided to take a more thorough look at these babies and answer the big question – “What are the compressor types for guitar?” Let’s do this!

Voltage Controlled Amplifiers

Hailed as the most versatile type of guitar compression the variable limiting compressors operate by rapidly changing their gain levels in response to different detectors directed towards the same signal. They can go from gentle and minute sonic changes all the way to hardcore clipping of the audio input. Some of the notable models of this kind include Focsurite Red, DBX 160, and many more.

Optical Isolators

These compressors utilize LED lights to make alteration in the gain department as the compression corresponds to the incoming sound signal. This way, a photocell is then added to the audio track, resulting in appropriate gain adjustments. In simpler terms, this secures a smoother sound with far less unwanted sonic peaks and breaches than on the original track. Notable models include Tube-Tech CL 1B Compressor, Universal Audio LA3A, and more.

FET

These devices emulate the vacuum tubes by incorporating a significant dose of extra circuitry. This results in super fast machines that are clean and work around the clock with maximum efficiency. Many professional studio engineers and producers prefer this type of compression due to top-level sound quality. Some of the notable models include Purple Audio MC77, LA Audio Duel II, and more.

Software Compressors

Along with voltage controlled devices, compression programs are the most widespread types of compressors out there. They are of course cheaper than classic devices, but they can offer very strong results, hence the widespread factor. They give the user all the powers of the digital domain, allowing infinitely accurate sonic controls and adjustments of all sorts.

Hybrid Compressors

Finally, the hybrids. These are essentially a mixture of two or more of compressor types listed above. They pack high versatility and can cater to a variety of users based on their personal taste and preference.

Conclusion

We hope that this guide gave you some interesting details and info from the inside of the compression realm. We believe that this effect can significantly enrich the quality of your recordings, so if you’re having second thoughts about buying a guitar compressor, have no doubts and get one as early as today! This is good stuff, hence all we can say is big thumbs up from here, highly recommended.

Educate Yourself: 6 Basic Types of Guitar Pedals

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Listing all the types of guitar pedals can be a bit of a demanding task, and even as longtime gear-heads we are always surprised by just how many of these things exist. But we went on this journey nevertheless in a bold attempt to explain you several types of basic guitar pedals and how they operate. Without any ado whatsoever, the goods patiently await below.

Distortion/Overdrive Pedal

Distortion and overdrive pedals operate by infusing your sound output with various amounts of gain, resulting in, well, distorted sound. Depending on the amount of gain, the effects can range anywhere from light fuzz all the way to full-on death metal distortion growl. This is one of the most popular types of pedals out there, used by players of just about any genre you can imagine.

Notable pedal: Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer – Classic

Wah-wah Pedal

Typically designed as rocking pedals, wah-wah effects have been introduced into the musical pantheon by Mr. Jimi Hendrix with the “Voodo Child (Slight Return)” intro riff. The effect operates by switching between two different frequencies and crafting that distinctive bubbly sound.

Notable pedal: Dunlop GCB95 The Original Cry Baby® Wah Wah

Reverb Pedal

The simplest way to explain what a reverb does to your guitar is that it essentially adds echo. It simulates playing in a controlled large room and brings that effect of sound bouncing around between walls. Depending on which settings you dial in, you can get anything from smaller rooms with mild echo to the largest concert hall you can imagine.

Notable pedal: Blackstar HT-REVERB Tube Reverb Pedal

Delay Pedal

As a fairly self-explanatory device, the delay pedal records the sound you are playing and then instantly repeats it after a designated period of time, which is measured in milliseconds and entirely determined by the user. This gives your sonic output a significant boost in terms of depth and broadness. Frequently mixed up with Reverb, this pedal can truly make your guitar sound huge.

Notable pedal: Boss DD-7 Digital Delay Pedal

Chorus Pedal

In layman terms, the chorus pedal gives your guitar a spacey sound. It broadens the sonic scope of the instrument and makes the six-string more prominent in the overall mix. In professional terms, a chorus pedal emulates a string of individual sounds with approximately the same timbre and nearly the same pitch converge that are perceived as one by the listener’s ear.

Notable pedal: MXR M234 Analog Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal (Standard)

Phaser Pedal

If you are wondering about what a phaser effect sounds like, just listen to Van Halen, particularly the first two albums. The pedal adds a slight distortion to the mix, operating as a sonic modulator with a sweeping vibe.

Notable pedal: Electro Harmonix Small Stone Nano Analog Phase Shifter Guitar Effects Pedal

Conclusion

We have steadily reached the end of our journey here! We hope that you have gained an understanding on how guitar effects work, feel free to browse around the site for a more detailed set of explanations, as well as in-depth reviews of individual devices. Take your time, look around, and enrich your sonic attack with one of these bad boys as early as today!

What is the Best Pedalboard Order – Guide to Organize your Guitar Pedals

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A very significant portion of all the guitar players out there reaches a stage at one point where a pedal board becomes a must-have, an essential part of their sound and live performance. It is at that point where the big question arises: How to sort out my pedals and organize them the best.

As guitar virtuoso Steve Vai once noted, the order is not exactly of utmost importance and it all comes down to preference and personal taste. However, there is also a string of fairly objective guidelines to follow and realistic factors to take into consideration while assembling a pedal board. So we jotted down the way we think you should organize those stomp-boxes – it’s not the definite way, but it’s something that many players use and something we believe works nicely. Here goes!

1. Overdrive pedals first

By overdrive pedals we mean not just the overdrive effect, but anything related as well, including distortion, fuzz and boost as well. The reason why these guys deserve a place up in the front is because the majority of players prefers to place the distortion as close to the original clean signal as possible.

The goal is that you have the opportunity to distort the purest form of your sound, and that is achieved by placing the overdrives first. In case you are using overdrive and boost, we believe that it is a good idea to place the boost first so that the overdrive pedal receives the strongest possible signal.

2. Wah and EQ second

Up next – the wah-wah and equalizer pedals. These are the pedals that operate very well when connected directly to an audio signal that affected by overdrive or distortion only. The wah will sound top-notch when backed up by some distortion, while the EQ will really give the output a proper boost.

Also, if you want to use a compressor pedal, it fits somewhere around here – if you want a more natural and rock tone, place the pedal right after the distortion or EQ effects. However, if you are after the classic country vibe, compressor should be placed right at the very end of the chain so it gives the sound a nice little squash.

3. Modulation effects third

Up next, the modulation crowd. What we mean by modulation effects would be chorus, phaser, flanger, and vibrato stomp-boxes. The reason why these folks belong at No. 3 position is the fact that they gain a much more rich and complex sonic attack than they would have received on their own or somewhere near the beginning of the pedal chain.

Additionally, it is a common belief that these pedals should NOT be placed at the end of the chain, because they tend to overpower the effects placed before them, and if that happens to be the entire pedal chain, well, that is no good.

4. Time related effects fourth

These would be delay and reverb. Placing these pedals at the very end of the chain allows you to get a more natural echo. If you happen to use both of these pedals – which is not a rare case at all – you should probably locate the reverb at the very end. This will secure a natural echo to all the effects that come first, and leave that sonic boom to glow at the very end.

Another option is of course to use a built-in reverb from your amplifier. This is a viable option, but expect a more twang-driven vibe from it. If you are into scoring that roomy, spacious feel, a reverb pedal is the way to go.

Learn Something: Main Types of Guitar Pickups

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Many experts and guitar aficionados agree that as far as the importance of six-string parts goes, pickups are perhaps the most crucial aspect of any electric guitar. Sure, build quality has to be on certain level, and wood quality is a nice touch as well, but it is the pickups that count the most in forging the final sonic attack.

Therefore, we would like to dedicate an article to the importance of these lovely little things and explain to you folks the primary types of guitar pickups. We singled out a few models essentially divided into two categories, make sure to check ’em out below.

Single coil

Every pickup out there operates by electromagnetically converting vibrations of the instrument’s strings to an electric signal. They feature a single coil of wire wrapped up several thousand times around a coil former or a bobbin.

Prominent model: Seymour Duncan SSL1 Vintage Staggered Single Coil Pickup – (New)

Double coil or Humbucker pickups

Introduced in 1955 by Gibson, humbucker pickups started utilizing two coils of wire to reduce the fuzz and buzz produced by single coil models. The addition of a second coil increased the power of the device and essentially revolutionized the industry. A variety of humbucker types exists on the market, including stacked humbuckers, rail humbuckers, coil splits, and more.

Prominent model: EMG H4 Passive Electric Guitar Humbucker Pickup, Black

Passive pickups

Passive pickups rely solely on the coils inside them to transpose the vibrations of your strings into a grooving sound on that amp. Therefore, they pack a lot more coils. This makes them more expressive and sensitive to direct changes in the player’s playing style, but also less powerful than active models.

Prominent model: DiMarzio DP122BK Model P Pickup

Active pickups

Active pickups rely on more things than one on producing the sound. They do have coils, although much less than passive models, but they also have full-on electronics that makes the signal gathered by those coils much stronger. Active pickups offer more power than passive ones, but are more difficult to control and create a dynamic groove.

Prominent model: Seymour Duncan AHB-1 Blackouts Active Humbucker Pickups – (Neck Position)

Which one is better: Active or passive pickups?

Well, the answer would be – none. Actually, the answer would be – it depends on your personal taste and preferences. Do you prefer more power or a more organic and natural sound? Do you prefer a rock solid groove or a sound that feels every single change in movement and performance of your hands? If you’re leaning towards the first side in both questions, go active. If you’re leaning towards side two, passive is the way to go.

Conclusion

We are hoping that this article gave you the basic idea of how these gizmos operate and which type of sound they offer. We hope that now that you have that image, you know which type of pickups suits you best and which one to purchase. Of course, there is a variety of manufacturers to choose from and a lot of nuances to filter through, so buckle up and start picking!