A chorus pedal is a modulation effect. The original signal is split and run through a short delay and then combined with the original signal. The delayed part of the signal can then be modulated to create movement to create a thicker tone. A classic effect used on elctric, acoustic and bass guitars.
In its simplist explanation a compressor makes the quiet parts of the signal louder and the louder parts quieter delivering a more consistant loudness. Can have the most subtle of effect through to the very obvious "snap". A compressor can also increase sustain and provide extra gain to push the front of your amp.
From mild soft clipping overdrives, to germanium based fuzz circuits, to all out hard clipping high gain, these pedals give you the drive to suit your taste.
A good power supply is essential when putting together your peda lboard. Asside from keeping things tidy around your feet they can also provide different voltages to match the individual pedal requirements. Pedals can be powered either by daisy chainging them together or by using an isolatied powersupply. An isolated supply should eliminate ground loops and any associated hum, as there's no grounding path between the pedals.
The ultimate tool to sculpt your tone. From the more wide ranging graphic E.Q to allow control over bass,mid and treble to the parametric E.Q that allows you to boost or cut a specific frequency. An excellent tool for electric, acoustic and bass guitars.
A flanger pedal is a modulation effect. Essentially the same as chorus but with a shorter delay time and utilising delay feedback. The distinctive sound comes from modulating the delay time giving you the classic sweep sound.
Boost pedals allow you make your sound "bigger" by adding more gain to your signal before it hits the input on your amp. They're typically used to help a solo cut through or to obtain a natural overdrive from your amp.
A looper pedal will record as you play and then at the press of the switch loop the part you have just played allowing you to play over the top of the loop.Build up layer after layer or use it to create a backing to solo over. An ideal tool for solo singer song writers who want to build a "live" backing track to sing and play over.
A phaser pedal is a modulation effect.Similar to a chorus but instead of delay it utilises all-pass filters. When mixed back with the original signal it creates comb filtering giving the swirling effect.
Reverb pedals modify the signal in such a way that you can replicate playing in different sonic spaces. Delay pedals allow you to repeat your sound at pre-determined intervals after you've played it. Both effects whether used independently or together can add warmth and depth to your tone. Reverb and delay pedals are collectively known as time-based effects and are typically positioned at the end of your signal chain.
The oldest guitar effect. The first stand alone effects unit outside of reverb was tremolo produced back in 1948. The effect creates a rapid variation in volume of the output of your guitar, "Gimme Shelter" is the perfect explanation.
