The hierarchy of modulation

[Aceman]

So, what do you consider the "food chain" of least to most extreme modulation effects? from least to most, for me

#1 Tremolo - only volume, even though it can be on/off chop and very fast
#2 Vibrato - only smallish pitch change
#3 Chorus - pretty mild in the grand scheme
#4 Phaser - while it could me a super mild 2 stage, 4 is common, and almost always super-obvious
#5 Flange - Phase + delay = Flange, the most extreme of modulations, or the one the most capable of extremities


What say you? This is an "Average to me - obvious there are super subtle and super Wilde ranges of each.

 

[GuitarStv]

In order that I reach for them:

0 - Univibe
1 - Phaser
2 - Tremolo
3 - Flanger
4 - Vibrato
5 - Chorus

Univibe is the effect that most enhances guitar tone rather than sitting on top of it like the others . . . deep, liquidy, throbbing, but easy to get sounding tasteful. Phasing sounds like a little more powerful and slightly different univibe. Tremolo is surprisingly useful in a variety of ways - from 1950s sounds to helicopter chops. Flanger and I have been warming up to each other since I discovered the analog version. Vibrato I find tricky to use tastefully, and can get pretty seasick sounding. Chorus is like a crappy flanging that usually sounds like a mediocre 80s hard rock makeup/wig band.

 

[Demanic]

Would a whammy pedal be considered a form of modulation?

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[Mincer]

Would a whammy pedal be considered a form of modulation?

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I'd say, absolutely. you are modulating the pitch to a high degree.

 

[Top-L]

I honestly have never though about this.

Chorus is used for an 80s lead guitar sound, or with rate equal zero and mild mix to create stereo sound.

Flanger can be used subtly to tweak the tone (but with level low enough that it does not sound like a flanger.)

Phaser is a cool special effect. I don't use the other ones.

 

[DKSEARS]

I usually take them in this order:

#1 Tremolo
#2 Phaser
#3 Chorus
#4 Vibrato
#5 Flange

They're generally all set pretty mild. The tremolo probably is the most aggressively set, though.

 

[Mincer]

I usually take them in this order:

#1 Tremolo
#2 Phaser
#3 Chorus
#4 Vibrato
#5 Flange

They're generally all set pretty mild. The tremolo probably is the most aggressively set, though.

Reverse the trem & phaser and you have my 5.

 

[St_Genesius]

1. Tremolo: use it on everything
2. Chorus, I guess? Some covers require it, but I almost never reach for it unprompted.
3. Phaser. It's dumb, but kinda fun. But dumb.
4. Getting hit by a car
5. Flanger


I honestly haven't messed with vibrato pedals enough to have an opinion.

 

[beaubrummels]

I agree with the OP ranking.

Don’t think others really read the original post. It’s ranked by severity of effect, not the order your run them in or how often you use them.

 

[St_Genesius]

Oh, we read it. We just dgaf.

Don’t think others really read the original post

 

[GuitarStv]

Oh, we read it. We just dgaf.

Speak for yourself. I READ NOTHING!



Although, to be honest, you can make most modulation effects too extreme to be usable, or so subtle that they're felt more than heard.

 

[ErikH]

The only one I may use on a semi-regular basis is a Phaser. I *might* use chorus very mildly but can go without it. The closest I have to it is enabling the Mod feature on the Fly Rig delay. I don't use any of the others. Have had flangers and a tremolo in the past but, meh, don't need 'em. I agree with the order Aceman put in the OP. That's about how I see them too. Tremolo and Vibrato could easily be switched around though.

 

[Aceman]

Would a whammy pedal be considered a form of modulation?

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You know, never thought of it that way, but that's a deep concept. A Whammy pedal, or even a wah - is a manually modulated EQ pedal.


OOOOH - OOOOOH - OOOOH. Pedal idea!!!!!!

A pedal, like a Wah, that could be set for Phase, Chorus, Flange or Tremolo where you could select to vary either the depth, rate or level of the effect!!!!

So image setting it to Chorus and then manipulating
- The level to fade the chorus into or out of a clean arpeggio, or into a section of a lead
- The depth to thicken a portion of a lead that was chorussed, or to reduce the depth when switching from clean to distorted
- the rate to add intensity to an arpeggio as the the notes went from 8ths to 16ths, or increase the rate during a solo and slow back down during rhythm.

You saw it here first {now waits for brilliant idea to be crushed with an example of this already out there....)

Consider how you could work phase, Flange etc. There are already terms that can do this sort of thing for rate.

 

[St_Genesius]

You've just invented the expression pedal.

 

[Aceman]

You've just invented the expression pedal.

That's another way to look at it....D'oh!

But I'm talking a dedicated pedal that had a switch to set these things, like the Dunlop Tremolo pedal. A Flanger in a pedal, not an expression pedal connected to a Flanger. Extra stuff - PITA.

 

[Aceman]

Speak for yourself. I READ NOTHING!

He's an Engineer. This is true.

 

[Mincer]

The Expression feature on the Duncan Catalina chorus will change the amount of chorus depending on how loud (or soft) you pick. It isn't an on/off either.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

You know, never thought of it that way, but that's a deep concept. A Whammy pedal, or even a wah - is a manually modulated EQ pedal.


OOOOH - OOOOOH - OOOOH. Pedal idea!!!!!!

A pedal, like a Wah, that could be set for Phase, Chorus, Flange or Tremolo where you could select to vary either the depth, rate or level of the effect!!!!

So image setting it to Chorus and then manipulating
- The level to fade the chorus into or out of a clean arpeggio, or into a section of a lead
- The depth to thicken a portion of a lead that was chorussed, or to reduce the depth when switching from clean to distorted
- the rate to add intensity to an arpeggio as the the notes went from 8ths to 16ths, or increase the rate during a solo and slow back down during rhythm.

You saw it here first {now waits for brilliant idea to be crushed with an example of this already out there....)

Consider how you could work phase, Flange etc. Tinghere are already terms that can do this sort of thing for rate.

Digitech Expression Factory is a little like that. Crybaby or Vox wahs, Whammy, Univibe, Leslie, Flange, and Space Station swells, plus you can assign one of 7 distortions to each mode - the pedal has heel and toe switches for effect+distortion or just effect.

Can also function as a volume pedal when effect isn't engaged, but I think only in certain modes?
Expression pedal only functions as expected for speed, etc - no nifty balance functions that I can remember.
Still a pretty cool unit. Never made it onto one of the boards because it requires its own special power supply, also it weighs several pounds.
Fun to play around with though.

 

[Mincer]

I had forgotten about the Expression Factory, and well, the Space Station, which was pretty revolutionary for the year it came out.
However, outside of wah & delay, I never need control over modulation the same way. Generally, I like slower speeds and stay there.

 

[GuitarStv]

That's another way to look at it....D'oh!

But I'm talking a dedicated pedal that had a switch to set these things, like the Dunlop Tremolo pedal. A Flanger in a pedal, not an expression pedal connected to a Flanger. Extra stuff - PITA.

Rotovibe and the MDV-2 are both kinda what you're describing here, aren't they? Although they're heavily phase based rather than flanger.