This is a project for the guitar electronics geek. Traditionally guitar effects pedals used analogue circuits made up of clever combinations resistors, capacitors etc. Digital signal processing chips now allow analogue effects circuit to be simulated in software.
In the early 1980s computers were the latest thing, bleepy sounding records started appearing in the charts and the sythesizer became established in the music industry. At the same time guitar synthesizers started to appear. There were synth guitars from established keyboard synth makers like Roland, Casio, and Yamaha.
Tremolo has a number of meanings for the guitarist. Tremolo bridges (like in a Fender strat.) allow you to wobble the pitch of a note. In some amplifiiers (and effects pedals) you also have a tremolo effect which varies the volume to give you a wobbly noise reminiscent of 50's and 60's guitar instrumental music (think of the guitar at the start of the Twin Peaks theme).
USB ports are everywhere these days, so why not put one in your guitar? This project from PCMag describes how to embed a USB audio interface in your guitar. This digitises your guitar's signal ready for recording on your PC's hard drive.
Effects pedals are a great introduction to the world of DIY guitar gear, because:
Following on from yesterday's post about the Alesis AirFX guitar, I thought someone must have put a Korg Kaos Pad into a guitar, and it turns out some guy called Phil has already done it. The Kaos Pad is a multi-effects unit (designed for electronic musicians and DJs) with a square touch sensitive pad.
This video shows how Carlos Vamos incorporated an Alesis AirFX into a specially designed guitar body. The AirFX is an effects unit that connects to any line-level sound source. You control the effects unit by moving you hand over the black circular bit ( which senses the movement of your hand within an invisible 3D sphere). You can move in any direction to modify the effect number of ways.
BOSS is the division of Roland Corporation most easily recognized for its line of colorful guitar and bass effects pedals.
For over 25 years BOSS has also developed innovative multi-effects, rhythm machines, personal digital studios and other easy-to-use instruments for musicians of all types.
Two brothers Kim and John Rishøj founded TC Electronic in 1976 in Risskov, Denmark. For several years they made guitar effects pedals before moving into the rack-mounted product area. They currently produce a wide range of guitar effects.
Danelectro was a budget electric guitar brand that was used by often used by pros who loved their twangy lo-fi sound.
Danelectro was founded in 1946 by Nathan Daniel, who began his career making amplifiers in 1933. In 1954 the first Danelectro electric guitars appeared. In the same year Danelectro also made Silvertone branded guitars for the Fall Sears catalogue.
The German based Behringer company designs and manufactures audio products, including public address systems, mixing consoles, amplifiers and audio processing units. Their guitar gear includes a large range of stompbox effects, amplifiers, interface boxes and some guitars.
