Unusual Effects Pedals: A Sonic Treasure Hunt in 6 Chapters
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Unusual Effects Pedals: A Sonic Treasure Hunt in 6 chapters · Source: Shutterstock / v74
As a guitarist, you often find yourself in a familiar cycle: an overdrive here, another delay there, maybe a bit of modulation. But there comes a time when that’s not enough. I want to find tones that put my sound in a new light. Take a look at these unusual effects pedals that you won’t find on every pedalboard but that will surprise, inspire, and maybe even irritate you.
Six Chapters of Unusual Effects Pedals
Originally published at Gearnews.de by Jan Rotring, translation by Julian Schmauch.
So began my journey in search of unusual effects pedals. And I found a couple that are so unique, they deserve more attention. Here are some of my favorites and the stories and inspirations from the world of music that accompany them.
Chapter 1: In search of sonic dissonance with the ring modulator
When I first tried a ring modulator, I was a bit intimidated. If you dial it in too rough, it’ll break up a guitar sound into metallic, almost uncontrollable sounds that are more like something from a sci-fi film than music. But I was impressed by how subtly and effectively Adam Granduciel from The War On Drugs uses the ring modulator. His work on albums like Lost in the Dream and Slave Ambient shows how ring modulators can create a dark, interwoven effect.
The Warm Audio RingerBringer Ring Modulator* has proven to be an excellent ring modulator on my board. This visually retro, unusual effect pedal offers experimentalists plenty of options via the LFO Amount, LFO Rate, Modulator Rate, Modulator Frequency and Drive controls. And the name of the Ringer Bringer might make you think of another effect pedal…
I must admit, though, that my personal favorite remains, thanks to my love for The War On Drugs, the Moogerfooger, which can create both subtle and extreme sounds. Unfortunately, this gem is extremely hard to find in its original form these days, let alone find the money to afford one if you find it. But if you want to get close to these sounds digitally, you can try out one of the available Moog VSTs at Thomann.*
Chapter 2: The Charm of Digital Destruction with Bitcrushers
For a long time, bitcrushers were a mystery to me. Unusual effect pedals like the Bitcrusher literally destroy the sound by digitally ‘breaking’ it. A rough, almost pixelated sound reminiscent of old video games. It’s particularly exciting to see how this effect is used in electronic music, such as by Aphex Twin. Marcus wrote about an excellent and free software effect for this: EB-Blasphemy
Since my discovery, several bitcrushers have found their way onto my pedalboard, but I am still most impressed by the range of effects and simple design of the Mainframe Bit Crusher from Electro Harmonix*.
This small box (which also looks exactly like what it is) can be adjusted from gentle to extreme using six controls. It also allows you to save presets, which is very helpful to me.
Chapter 3: The Magic of Synthesizer Pedals
I’ve long been interested in synthesizer pedals, but they were always a bit of a mystery to me. I’m a guitarist, so the synth world seemed to be about keyboards and oscillators. But then I tried a pedal like the Boss SY-1, which opened a whole new world. With a little practice, I was able to create a whole palette of sounds that I’d only heard on synth pop or progressive rock records before.
A synthesizer pedal offers so many sonic possibilities! I’m a big fan of the combination of tight tracking and polyphonic playing you can get with the Boss SY-200*. It lets you play solos and complex chords that sound like a giant synthesizer ensemble. Bands like Radiohead and Muse have used similar sounds.
The Boss SY-1000* is the real guitar synth powerhouse if you’re after something even more intense. You’ll get sounds out if it, you wouldn’t even get with a synthesizer. And it lets you create your own soundscapes. This pedal comes with a steep learning curve, and to be honest, it’s a bit too complex for me personally. But then again, I’m a trained rhythm guitarist, so what do I know?
Chapter 4: Back to the Future with Reverse Delay Pedals
Legendary songs like ‘Are You Experienced?’ showed how guitar sounds played backward can create an almost mystical aura. Later, shoegaze god Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) used similar reverse delay effects, endlessly inspiring me.
Whether you use reverse delays in quiet ballads or as a highlight in a solo – these unusual effects pedals are a great way to achieve this effect. My favorites for reverse delay are the soundscape generators from Walrus Audio: Lore*, Fable*, and Fable BLK*.
These three unusual effects pedals offer possibilities far beyond a pure reverse delay. With countless options, entire ambient albums can be recorded using only these pedals, including granular filters and reverse granular options.
Chapter 5: Float without attacks with Auto-Swells
This effect basically stops the initial impact of the sound, or attack, which lets the notes gently swell up. The end result is a sound that, especially in atmospheric passages, sounds a lot like a gentle wave, similar to a violin being played with a bow.
Sure, you can use a volume pedal to do this. But an auto-swell pedal is a lot easier, since it makes sure the swelling is even, which can be tricky to do by hand (or foot). The TC Electronic Crescendo Auto Swell* is a great option. Setting it up is a breeze: just use the dials to set the sensitivity and attack, and you’re good to go. Auto-swell also works really well with reverb and delay after it for especially trippy soundscapes.
Chapter 6: Artificial Harmonies with a Harmonizer
My first associations with harmonizer pedals are Pete Thorn and Ed O’Brien from Radiohead. Unusual effects pedals that quickly create epic, polyphonic guitar choirs at the touch of a button.
I first encountered a harmonizer when I borrowed a Electro Harmonix Intelligent Harmony Machine* from a friend. With this effect, you can set the intervals so precisely that it can sound like several guitars playat the same time. Which is great if you don’t want to use multi-tracking. Personally, I also love my Eventide H9 Max Harmonizer*.
Especially in live situations, this effect offers a completely new dimension and is a great addition to classic chorus pedals.
Unusual effect pedals for your unique sound
Of course, overdrive, distortion and co. are cool, too. And these pedals are the ‘daily drivers’ on every pedalboard. But unusual effect pedals can help give your sound a unique touch. Used with care, they can be real game changers. And it can make sense to think outside the box. That’s exactly what makes unusual effects pedals so appealing: they force you to rethink or at least deepen your playing and musical ideas.
Whether it’s a ring modulator, a bitcrusher or an auto-swell, each of these unusual effects units opens up new options that go far beyond what classic effects offer.
Now I’m curious to see what unusual effect devices are on your boards. Feel free to write it in the comments and let me know – I’ve tasted blood!
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