The Effects Dictionary
- by Carson Barker, Open Labs Staff Writer
Amplifier Simulator - An effect that simulates the tones of different amplifiers and their set-ups.
Analog Delay - A delay effect that reproduces the original signal, but sound quality gradually decreases over time similar to an echo effect.
Arpeggiator - Takes the note of one signal, and breaks it into three tones, simulating a musical arpeggio.
Auto-Wah - Mimics the effect of a wah-wah pedal without the expression pedal.
Bitcrusher - A distortion effect that limits the bandwidth of the input signal.
Chorus - Simulates a ensemble of the same note or frequency being played multiple times simultaneously, creating a "choral effect." The chorus effect simulates subtle latencies in delay and slight pitch differences to achieve this sound.
Clean - Running a system, instrument or signal with no added-on effects.
Compressor - Literally "compresses" the original signal, finding a median of the highs and lows, therefor limiting tones that are too high and increasing tones that are too low.
Delay - Records a sample of a sound and repeats it continuously for a desired length of time. Each reproduced sample is identical, but volume decreases as the repetitions increase.
Digital Delay - A delay effect that digitally reproduces the original signal, and creates clean, digitally enhanced reproductions that are identical to the original.
Distortion - Changing the waveform of a sound to produce a grittier, more aggressive tone. Distortion effects differ from natural overdrive in that overdrive is derived from increasing the volume of an amplifier or sound source to create distortion, whereas distortion effects are created by digitally manipulating the waveform.
Echo - Similar to delay, but as repetitions increase, volume and quality of sound decrease, creating a natural-sounding echo.
Enveloper – Shapes the dynamic properties of a sound to the user's discrepancy.
EQ or Equalizer - Increases or decreases specific frequencies in a sound to achieve a desired range.
Flanger - A type of phase effect that plays a delay of the original tone simultaneously, but at different variable speeds, creating a sound similar to an airplane flying overhead.
Intonation Correction – Finds pitches in a signal that are unharmonious and lowers or raises them accordingly.
Looper - Records a set time of a signal or group of signals, and replays it continuously in a loop.
Noise Gate - Filters out unwanted noise in a signal (i.e. feedback).
Octaver - Takes the octave above and/or below of the original signal and plays it simultaneously.
Oscillator - Similar to delay or sustain an oscillator repeats the sound of the input signal and manipulates the sound sample over time.
Overdrive - A type of distortion usually achieved by increasing an amplifier past its suggested capacity to create a distorted signal.
Phaser - An effect produced by filtering the original signal, then mixing the filtered version with the original. Creates a distinctive, 'warbling' type sound.
Pitch Bend - Changes the pitch of the original signal to a higher or lower pitch, which is manipulated by the user.
Reverb - The effect of a tone reflecting from its audible source to the structure of the room it sits in. This effect can be reproduced digitally, or in an analog manner with a spring box.
Ring Modulator - An effect similar to a chorus or octaver, in that it produces extra tones based on the original source, but they are not harmonized with the original, which produces a dissonant, off-key effect.
Sampler - Records a set length of the input signal, then repeats it.
Stereo Delay - A delay effect that, along with the repetition of the original signal, creates a stereo signal (left and right) from the original mono signal.
Sustain - Holds the tone of the signal longer than the tone naturally lasts.
Tape Delay - A delay effect that emulates the old tape delay systems, which utilized magnetic tape as the recording device. Tape delays produce run-away echoes, oscillation and have specific analog qualities.
Tremolo - A volume-manipulating effect that rhythmically increases and decreases the volume of an input signal at different speeds.
Vocoder - Takes a human voice and filters, distorts and changes the waveform to produce a different sound.
Wah or Wah Wah - Controls high and low frequencies to produce a variant of sounds from the input signal, usually controlled by an expression pedal.