subject: Fondly Remembering The Impact Of Guitar Effects Pedals On The Music Industry [print this page] What is the impact of guitar effects pedals on the music industry? What, exactly, does a guitar effects pedal do? The device, also called a stomp box, is an electronic component, that allows the musician to change the sound of his guitar, with his feet, so as not to interfere with his hands, as he is playing.
The stomp box is connected to the path of the electrical signal of the guitar. The most basic set up would be, from the guitar into the effects pedal, and then to the amplifier.
The fuzz box is the kind of stomp pedal that is usually just turned on and off to achieve the desired effects. There may be knobs to allow for different settings, but after the musician set them, he usually keep the setting for the duration of the song, if not the entire performance.
Some stomp boxes were given their names due to the way they alter the sound of the guitar. The wah wah pedal, and also the fuzz box are two classic examples. Both are among the favorite choices of guitarists, and they were among the earliest ones created, as well. The wah wah pedal is the kind that is actively controlled during the song by guitarist stepping on the peddle in a manner like a gas pedal. The more it is pressed down, the more emphasized is the effect.
Most people have no idea of the impact of guitar effects pedals on the music industry, due to the fact their ultimate field of influence extends well past guitars. When stomp boxes were first created for guitars in the 1960's, they were used by musicians in ways the creators had not envisioned, as the pedals were connected to other instruments and even vocal feeds.
This enticed the engineers who made the devices to follow suit, and create effects units, not floor based, but on racks, that worked easily with any instrument or vocal feed the musicians wanted to work with. They designed them to patch into mixing boards and to be used in recording studios, so that even if the effects were not produced during the actual performance, they cold be added in post production. What this means is, the impact of guitar effects pedals on the music industry extends to almost all the music you hear on the radio today.
