Torrington High School Music Technology - Torrington, Connecticut 06790

Audio Effects

Audio effects can be grouped into two categories - gain based and time based.
The first group is "gain based effects" are effects that alter the amount of gain or volume in the signal. The second group is "time based effects", which alter the signal by time manipulation.

Reverberation - Reverberation is the result of the many reflections of a sound that occur in a room. From any sound source, say a speaker of your stereo, there is a direct path that the sounds covers to reach our ears. But that's not the only way the sound can reach us. Sound waves can also take a slightly longer path by reflecting off a wall or the ceiling, before arriving at your ears,
Listen to an example of Reverb

Delay - You can use a long delay to layer notes. The delay time used here is 1.5 seconds. - Listen to an example of Delay

Multi-Tap Delay - In some cases, you might want more flexibility in a delay unit, and a multi-tap delay offers gives you just this. Multi-tap delays are interesting because they allow you to create more complex patterns that can add a rhythmic quality to the instrument. Listen to an example of Multi-Tap

Ping Pong Delay - As the name implies, the ping-pong delay produces a bouncing sound, where it's typically bouncing between the left and right channels of a stereo signal. Listen to an example of Ping Pong Delay

Flanging - Flanging has a very characteristic sound that many people refer to as a "whooshing" sound, or a sound similar to the sound of a jet plane flying overhead. Listen to an example of Flanging

Chorus - Just as a chorus is a group of singers, the chorus effect can make a single instrument sound like there are actually several instruments being played. It adds some thickness to the sound, and is often described as 'lush' or 'rich'. Listen to an example of Chorus