"Gadgets" for electric guitars: what and for what are needed. Guitar sound processing

Modern music using a guitar as one of the main accompaniment or leading instruments can not do without imposing effects on it in real time. For this previously used the usual "lotion" for electric guitar. But over time they transformed into music processors and even whole virtual studios, which are widely used both for recording parts and for concert performances.

"Gadgets" for electric guitars: the first attempts at sound processing

Originally a pure-sounding electric guitar was an instrument that conquered the world in a short time. But its sound did not suit many people either. To add to her popularity, many musicians and producers began to experiment with the effects. It is believed that the ancestor of the first effect was Les Paul, who later became the founder of the design of the classical guitar form, which is now most widely used in the creation of Gibson guitars.

The essence of the effect was that he simply took two reel tape recorders and simply passed the sound through them, thus obtaining a delay effect, now called a delay (from English Delay). It happened only in the 60s of the last century (although the first attempts were made back in the 40's). And since then, the effects for the electric guitar have undergone many changes.

Effects

Rock music did not stay away from innovations and opened the world to its vision of effects. Over time, there was a distortion effect, first called Fuzz, and then transformed into Overdrive and Distortion.

If anyone remembers, even in the Soviet Union in music stores, you could find lotions for an electric guitar in the form of a pedal with a few buttons (Fuzz). The sound, of course, was dirty and completely different from what western rockers performed. Nevertheless, all our musicians began with this. The sound was akin to the sound of "szz", the distortion looked like "zhzh", and overdriven - to "rrr".

With the advent of processors, the problem of using effects alone has disappeared by itself, but among the things that guitarists use today, there are several basic ones:

• Overdrive, Distortion (Fuzz is outdated even morally);
• Reverb and delay effect;
• Chorus and flanger;
• Wah-Wah ("wow-wow", or, as it is also called, "Quaker");
• Pre-Amp;
• compressor;
• equalizer;
• Octave;
• Harmonizer, etc.

Types of pedals

By themselves, the pickups for the electric guitar could not provide proper sounding (in connection with market requirements), so the processing of the sound of the outgoing signal had to be carried out not with the instrument itself, but with the use of external means. It did not even use a direct external connection to the mixing console. So, on the first place there was a pedal for an electric guitar and a so-called combi.

It is a kind of pre-amplifier with the ability to adjust the sound parameters that the guitarist wants to hear at the output (on the concert portal). It is clear that the customizable effects pass first through this device. But the squealing of the driving guitar with the winding of the dynamo is made with his help. React to the speaker just the same pickups. For the electric guitar this effect turned out to be such a find that it was first used by Jimmy Hendrix, and then all the other rockers.

Combination for electric guitar

Now a few words about the amplification of the signal. The combination for the electric guitar has a dual function. On the one hand, you can adjust the sound quality, on the other - it's also a monitor, the sound from which the guitarist hears on stage.

Of course, overloading like distortion can also be set on this device, simply setting the volume control to maximum. Similar actions are performed on the central mixer. But why engage in such things, if you can use "gadgets" for electric guitars or guitar processors, which have now become especially popular? They combine all the main effects.

Development of sound processing technologies

At the current stage of the development of guitar sound, it is worth noting separately that today all the "gadgets" for an electric guitar can be divided by the type of electricians. The main ones are pedals on transistors, microcircuits and lamps. The latter, by the way, provide a more "warm" analog sound, which in the world of music is considered a priori.

But since the advent of software modules embedded in guitar processors based on internal software, evolution has taken a new path.

"Iron" and software "lotions"

In the modern computer world, the question of what is needed for an electric guitar is only to install the appropriate software.

You can emulate a real guitar with VST plug-ins like RealLPC, and create and use effects with Guitar Rig. Do you want the output sound like Kirk Hammett from Metallica? There is nothing easier - just include the required template. Software "gadgets" for electric guitar allow you to reproduce such a sound, that is called, one-on-one.

But all experts note that "hardware", no matter how perfect the software, sounds all the same realistic. Programs have only one minus - they build a sound, adjusting it, so to speak, to an ideal sound. But in the studio when recording a guitarist can use other techniques, which no one program, even as if recreating the sound of this guitar, can not repeat.

Instead of the total

What to buy a guitarist? Previously, very popular were "lotions" for the electric guitar BOSS, but at the moment they have not lost their relevance. DigiTech, Vox StombLab, Zoom - that's far from the most complete list of the most popular manufacturers. In general, what do you need for an electric guitar? Drive, a bit of chorus and volume in the form of a reverb. It seems that most guitarists will agree with this statement of the question. In addition, today you can buy inexpensive pedal for an electric guitar.

What to choose? Here it is necessary to start from the style of music, which is supposed to be performed, because one is suitable for heavy metal, and for funk it is completely different. And the sequence of connection effects and their subsequent processing can be completely different.

Finally it is worth noting also the ease of switching between effects. For example, the legendary Brian May prefers to use separate pedals mounted on a single deck. Modern guitarists give preference to processors, in which advance it is possible to establish automatic switching of processing in the set time interval. Well, to whom that is more convenient.

The software is also good, but it looks like it's too ideal. But there must be a zest. And her, alas, none of the now well-known programs will not be able to recreate.