Contents:
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Introduction
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Breaking Down “Multi”-Effects Processors
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Plugin Settings
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Effect #1: Clean
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Effect #2: Clean with Chorus
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Effect #3: Light Distortion
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Effect #4: Light Distortion with Delay, Flange, and Reverb
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Effect #5: “Wild” Effect
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Heavy Distortion
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Conclusion
Introduction
With all of the effects units that are available there is literally an infinite about of possible combinations and sounds that can be created with them. The intent of this lesson is to first "demystify" the complexity of multi-effects processors and then demonstrate how to use VST plugins with your guitar, just as you would a guitar effects pedal or processor. All of the effects used in this lesson are from my list of
Free VST Effects Plugins which are listed
HERE. Hopefully this will give a basic starting point that can be expanded on and tweaked to get the particular sounds that you want. These effects can be used on your computer with the free recording program
Kristal Audio Engine, the
VERY inexpensive program ($50)
Reaper (I highly recommend Reaper), or any other program that supports VST plugins and VST effects monitoring. With this you will be able to load the effects plugins and hear the effects live while you play your guitar.
I chose to use only free software so that anyone with a guitar, computer, and soundcard can try this. Since we all don't have access to the same effects units/pedals/amps/mics/etc... I figured this would be the best way to do a tutorial because everyone will have access to the same effects.
Other Necessary Tutorials:
If you have not already done so, then please check out the following tutorials as they will be necessary once we get to working with the plugins.
How to connect your guitar to your soundcard
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How to setup Reaper as a Guitar Processor
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How to setup Kristal Audio as a Guitar Processor
How to adjust the volume on your soundcard so that you do not clip
The knowledge gained while experimenting with these plugins will apply to any multi-effects unit you come across. Once you understand the basics of how each effect works individually it will be much easier to understand how to get the most out of using them in combination. So even if you don’t plan on using your computer for your guitar tones it will still be very beneficial to download the plugins and give this a try.
For this lesson I made a few samples of effects I think sound cool using strictly free plugins so everyone can participate at no cost. I will also post the preset files so you can load my settings directly into the plugins as well as mp3’s so you can hear what the effects will sound like before loading them. Hopefully this will give a good starting point for tweaking the effects further and seeing how changing certain settings will affect the sound. A good way to start would be to turn off all the effects and just listen to one of them at a time to hear what each effect contributes to the overall sound. Then you can turn off all but one effect and start tweaking the settings one at a time (starting with the amp sim plugin).
Some of these samples will have up to five plugins running at once, so there will be a lot to experiment with. Kristal has a max of five plugins that it can use at one time (two plugins on a track and then three plugins on the master bus), so I won’t go more than five.