Effect pedal

An effect pedal is an electronic device that can change the sound of an instrument or the voice of a person. Typical effects include echo, chorus, distortion, tremolo, reverb and flanger. A potentiometer is one of the electronic parts that effect pedals use to change the sound.

Tremolo and Chorus effects

Effect pedals are commonly connected to electric guitars and bass guitars and to amplifiers using a cable, such as a phone connector. The pedal is then put on the floor and controlled using the player's foot. Depending on how the effect works, there are different ways to use the pedal:

• The player may have to push and release the pedal to turn on the effect, and do it again to turn it off.
• The player may have to push and hold the pedal down to turn the effect on, and release the pedal to turn it off.
• Some effects, such as volume or wah-wah, use a pedal where the player presses with the ball to increase the effect or with the heel to decrease the effect.

Many guitarists like to use different effect pedals with each other. They stick them to a flat surface to make a pedalboard that they can take with them.

Examples of effects

• Distorted sound
• Tremolo sound
• Reverberation effect

Other websites

• A page with photos that shows how to use a pedal