Guitar equipment, Part 2/2 2/20/13 MUS1472 Brendan Lake

Overview Pedals Cables Microphones Things everyone should have ONLY SLIDES IN BLUE WILL HAVE INFORMATION ON THE MIDTERM

Electronic Pedals Units that alter the signal going from the guitar into the amplifier

Video Demo: Overdrive/Distortion: adds distortion/”fuzz” to the sound Chorus: Thickens your sound by reproducing the signal slightly off, several times over Wah: varies the timbre from muffled to bright, imitating a vocalist widening and closing their mouth Digital Delay: creates an echo effect Loop: allows you to record music and play back in a repeating loop

Cables Two main types of connection: XLR and TRS – XLR: microphones (primarily) – TRS: Guitar and speaker cables (both use ¼”) TRS = Tip/Ring/Sleeve, also used in 3.5mm headphones

Guitar cables vs. Speaker cables Both use ¼” TRS, but should not be mixed up Guitar cables: connect your guitar to the amplifier, to/from pedals, to/from a mixer Speaker cables: from the mixer/power amp outputting into loudspeakers/cabinets (for instance, in a half stack from the head to the cabinet)

Cable mix-ups Guitar cables handle very low current signals and are shielded to maintain clarity Speaker cables carry power and large currents Using a guitar cable where a speaker cable should be can melt some cable components and will pose a risk to your amp Using a speaker cable instead of a guitar cable is less harmful, but you’ll get buzzing from the lack of shielding

Microphones Terms/things to know – Dynamic Mic: basic microphone, cheaper, good for low level musical performances and public speaking – Condenser Mic: fancier, more expensive, more sensitive, quicker response, requires “phantom power” (electricity flowing to/from the mic to assist with signal clarity)

More terms: – Omnidirectional – collects sound from all directions – Cardioid – standard uni-directional, collects sound from one direction (with a little pickup from behind the mic) Hyper-Cardioid – Tighter areas of sound collection Super-Cardioid – Tightest area of sound collection

Things every serious guitarist should have Capo – to quickly change keys String winder/cutter – to assist in changing strings Microfiber cloth and a good guitar polish Good tuner, preferably a contact-tuner Metronome (also available online) Back-up cables (for electric guitarists) Humidifier (for acoustic guitarists) Depending on your preferred style, this list will obviously vary

Questions?