Frequency Effects

Summary

Frequency effects are always capable of achieving a fantastic rendering, but they need to be used in some moderation to avoid stifling the music. Frequency effects act upon the frequency of the audio signal, for example by modifying it or varying it. On some electric guitars, vibrato is achieved with a device mounted near the bridge that modifies the tension of the strings to vary the frequency of each note. The vibrato effect is a cyclic variation of the pitch and hence fundamental frequency of the signal. Transposer effects modify the tone of the sound. There are several variations, including: octaver; pitch shifter; harmonizer; and autotune. Although these effects can be applied to any instrument, the first three are most commonly used by guitar players. They were invented with the goal of enriching the harmonics of a sound passage, similar to musical arrangements that overlay the same musical phrase at different pitches.