For synth players and electronic music producers, the choice of effects can define your signature sound. In this guide, we’ll delve into the intricacies of nine essential effects, each unlocking unique sonic landscapes. Whether you’re shaping lush ambience, crafting distorted growls, or experimenting with futuristic modulation, these effects are your trusted companions. Join us as we explore the functionalities and tricks of these essential FX for synthesizers.
Before we dive into the individual effects, discover the Synth Essential Bundle—a
1. Delay: Delay is an audio signal processing technique that records an input signal to a storage medium and then plays it back after a period of time. When the delayed playback is mixed with the live audio, it creates an echo-like effect, whereby the original audio is heard followed by the delayed audio. Wikipedia.
Try with your synth: The Efektor DL3606 Delay is your gateway to self-oscillating tape delay, dub echoes, reverse delay for ambient textures, or trance rhythmic ping-pong delays. Its BPM sync and stereo features open doors to a wide array of possibilities, making it a must-have in your synthesizer plugin bundle.
2. Reverb: Reverb occurs when a sound hits any hard surface and reflects back to the listener at varying times and amplitudes to create a complex echo, which carries information about that physical space. Reverb pedals or effects simulate or exaggerate natural reverberations. The earliest reverb effects from the ‘50s and ‘60s used relatively simple acoustic tricks. Plate reverb works by mounting a large (usually 4’x8′) metal plate on spring clips and using the audio signal to vibrate the plate. Strategically placed contact microphones picked up the complex mosaic of vibrations to create a convincing simulation of a resonant room. Reverb.com.
Try with your synth: Efektor RV3604 Reverb, Creates roomy ambient spaces, beach-esque spring reverbs, and haunting shimmer effects. Enhance your synth sounds with the immersive environments crafted by this essential part of the Kuassa synth bundle.
3. Distortion: Distortion, overdrive, and fuzz effects units add a warm, gritty, or fuzzy character to an audio signal by re-shaping or clipping it, which distorts the shape of its waveform by flattening its peaks, creating warm sounds by adding harmonics or gritty sounds by adding inharmonic overtones. Distortion effects are sometimes called gain effects, as distorted guitar sounds were first achieved by increasing the gain of tube amplifiers. Wikipedia.
Try with your synth: The Efektor DS3603 Distortion is your ally for subtly breathing life into synths, giving them a cutting edge to pierce through the mix, or transforming them into big, noisy growls. Covering everything with its five types of distortions, it’s a vital component in the Kuassa FX bundle.
4. Chorus: Chorus pedals mimic the effect choirs and string orchestras produce naturally, by having slight variations in timbre and pitch, by mixing sounds with slight differences in timbre and pitch. A chorus effect splits the instrument-to-amplifier audio signal, and adds a slight delay and frequency variations or vibrato to part of the signal while leaving the rest unaltered. Wikipedia.
Try with your synth: A well-known usage of chorus is the lead guitar in “Come As You Are” by Nirvana.From lush Juno-ish wide choruses to mimicking supersaw or unison stabs, the Efektor CH3604 Chorus adds dimension and ensemble to your synth sounds. Explore the versatility of this effect as it becomes an integral part of your essential FX for synthesizers.
5. Phaser: A phaser is an electronic sound processor used to filter a signal by creating a series of peaks and troughs in the frequency spectrum. The position of the peaks and troughs of the waveform being affected is typically modulated by an internal low-frequency oscillator so that they vary over time, creating a sweeping effect. Phasers are often used to give a “synthesized” or electronic effect to natural sounds, such as human speech. The voice of C-3PO from Star Wars was created by taking the actor’s voice and treating it with a phaser. Wikipedia.
Try with your synth: The Efektor PH3605 Phaser takes you from whoozy funk loops to sweeping guitar riffs reminiscent of Chemical Brother’s “Star Guitar.” Experiment with its rate modulation for EDM riser FX and witness how it seamlessly fits into your synth sound design.
6. Tremolo: Tremolo: A tremolo effect produces a slight, rapid variation in the volume of a note or chord. The “tremolo effect” should not be confused with the misleadingly-named tremolo bar, a device on a guitar bridge that creates a vibrato or pitch-bending effect. In transistorized effects, a tremolo is produced by modulating an instrument’s audio signal with a sub-audible carrier wave in such a way that generates amplitude variations in the sound wave. Wikipedia.
Try with your synth: Breaking away from conventional tremolo usage, the Efektor TR3604 Tremolo‘s various waveforms and tweakability allow you to mimic pumping sidechain effects. Achieve that future classic bass or pad sound by experimenting with square waveforms and rate modulation for instant Flume vibes.
7. Pitch-Harmonizer: The harmonizer pedal works by copying or mimicking the original input signal and playing it back alongside the original signal to have a different pitch and create harmony. There are more advanced pedals where you can either lower or raise the pitch of the sound in any number of intervals, octave up and octave down. Wikipedia.
Try with your synth: When you love a monophonic synth but desire chords, the Efektor Harmonitron can cover it all. With its Quad engine pitch shifting, tweak the envelope and chord structure to create organ-like sounds or housey chords, expanding your synth preset libraries. Learn more
8. Ring Modulator: Ring modulator pedals churn out randomly detuned chaos. They are perfect for adding some unpredictability to riffs; really catching your listeners off guard. Although rarely used in mainstream music due to their tonal instability, ring modulators are used often in experimental electronic music. Andertons.co.uk.
Try with your synth: The Efektor Ringmojo subtly acts as an octaver, chorus, or tremolo. In extreme settings, it manipulates your synth sounds, adding FM-synth bells resonance, west-coast style atonal experimentation, or crazy wavefolding effects. A versatile addition to your synth collection.
9. Vibrato: Vibrato pedals are stompbox-style effects units designed mainly for guitar and bass that electrically (via analog and/or digital means) produce vibrato in the audio signal. Vibrato is an audible variation in pitch of a musical note over time, defined by the speed and depth of the variation. mynewmicrophone.com.
Try with your synth: In subtle settings, the Efektor Vibracula mimics a wobbling tape effect, perfect for chill-hop/lo-fi vibes. In extreme settings, get ready for a trippy vibrato reminiscent of LFO-driven modulation in techno tracks. An essential tool for your electronic music production kit.