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The Interesting Concept of Using Guitar Effects Pedals For Vocals And Keyboards

Those successful in recording and music all have one similarity...  They have created their own unique sound.  However, creating a unique sound is not always easy for the musician. Some in the field will spend many years developing a unique tone.  Developing one's jackpot tone is normally done through many hours of trial and error experimentation.

The guitar world offers a handy tool that can also benefit both keyboardists and singers.  That tool is called a guitar effects pedal.  The distortion pedal offers a gem of tonal glory designed mainly for use by the guitar or bass player, but experimental players of other instruments have found the devices are useful in other ways as well.

Effects Pedals for Vocal Effects

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Chorus, flanger and phaser pedals, along with delays and overdrives are all useful to vocalists wanting to provide more flair to their music.  The guitar effects pedals are sometimes used with the main vocal passages but are often found most effective in bridges, harmonies or breakdowns.  These devices are useful in parts of a song where adding drastic vocal effects help to differentiate phrases from the other standard passages.  While there are computerized effects for vocals, there is something enjoyable about inserting a microphone plug into the guitar effects pedal and feeding the results to the soundboard.  The creative and clever musician adds a cool effect to a nerdy process.  The choice of the best distortion pedal available in a studio, applied to vocals can create an aggressive effect to the voice that is perfect for passages in heavy rock songs as well as for electronic or techno songs.  Remember to avoid overdoing it.  Excellent use of vocal distortion during a short musical passage can create interest and result in a buildup of energy that truly makes the song notable.  However, overdoing it can cause the effects to become sappy and tiresome, something you are trying to avoid in the first place.

Effects Pedals for Keyboards

The focus here is the use of a standard guitar effects pedal with musical instruments other than the guitars for which they were originally designed.  Many keyboard users enjoy plugging the keyboard into guitar pedals prior to plugging into the soundboard or amp.  Even though the keyboard musician has thousands of sound effects available, he or she opts for a guitar pedal anyway.   This is because the effects caused by the standard box can be more pleasing than anything available from the digital effects.  This move can help a keyboard that has a not-so-great sound to greatly improved.  Once again, users are reminded to avoid overdoing it.  In addition, make wise use of the effects – some will work, some won’t.

Many indie bands today employ the use of guitar pedals with keyboards, both in the studio and on a live stage. On a stage is works really well because it also adds a level of creativity that the audience can plainly see. It’s much cooler for a keyboardist to operate a pedal that’s sometimes sitting atop the keyboard itself than it is to rely solely on little buttons.

Guitar stompboxes remain popular for plenty of reasons.  Top-level studios offer a wide collection for the clients.  Bands might be working a song that needs some help, when the producer is looking for the right tone to complete the effect.  Often, pulling one of the effects pedals from the pile is tried.  The boxes were responsible for the sounds from the likes of Peter Frampton, Dave Grohl and even Curt Cobain back in the day. All these guys and many more have been known to use the little magical guitar effects stompboxes for much more than the guitar.

SixStringSensei.com is a great resource if you interested in everything related to effects pedals for guitar. - Might want to check those guys out.

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I'm a student in Canada. I like learning new things on my own, but don't like to be told how to learn. I also like writing. Interests: fitness, martial arts, writing, photography, games, psychology, alternative education... and more.
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Posted in: Art by on April 4, 2012 @ 5:02 am

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