Editing Effects unit (section)

===Distortion===
{{main|Distortion (music)}}
{{Listen|filename=DistortionPedalDemo.ogg|title=Distortion effect|description=Electric guitar played first ''clean'' (no effects), then with distortion pedal.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
[[File:Clipping waveform.svg|thumb|right|[[Clipping (audio)|Clipping]] an instrument's [[audio signal]] produces distortion]]

Distortion, overdrive, and fuzz effects units add a ''warm'', ''gritty'', or ''fuzzy'' character to an audio signal by re-shaping or [[clipping (audio)|clipping]] it, which [[distorts]] the shape of its [[waveform]] by flattening its peaks, creating ''warm'' sounds by adding [[harmonics]] or ''gritty'' sounds by adding [[inharmonic]] overtones. Distortion effects are sometimes called [[Gain (electronics)|gain]] effects, as distorted guitar sounds were first achieved by increasing the gain of [[tube amplifier]]s.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Menasche|first=Emile D.|title=Home Studio Clinic: A Musician's Guide to Professional Recording|publisher=Hal Leonard|year=2007|page=[https://archive.org/details/homestudioclinic0000mena/page/80 80]|isbn=9781423418078 |url=https://archive.org/details/homestudioclinic0000mena|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="Ross">{{Cite book|last=Ross|first=Michael|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CddgbKkAoxYC&pg=PA39|title=Getting Great Guitar Sounds|publisher=Hal Leonard|year=1998|page=39|isbn=9780793591404}}</ref><ref name="google171">Aikin, Jim (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=_042p3GHkBQC ''Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming''], Hal Leonard. p. 171.</ref>

While distortion effects units produce perfectly flattened peaks or ''hard'' clipping, overdrive effects units produce ''soft'' tube-like distortion by compressing the waveform without completely flattening it. Much like guitar tube amplifiers, overdrive effects units are capable of producing ''clean'' sounds at lower volumes and distorted ''warm'' sounds at higher volumes.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Zölzer|last2=Amatriain|first1=Udo|first2=Xavier|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h90HIV0uwVsC|title=DAFX: Digital Audio Effects|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|year=2002|page=117|isbn=9780471490784}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Brewster|first=David M.|title=Introduction to Guitar Tone and Effects: A Manual for Getting the Sounds from Electric Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects Pedals and Processors|publisher=Hal Leonard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q99-bY3cL8YC&q=overdrive+tube+amplifier&pg=PA18|year=2001|page=18|isbn=9780634060465}}</ref>

Notable [[List of distortion pedals|examples of distortion and overdrive pedals]] include the [[Boss DS-1]] Distortion, [[Ibanez Tube Screamer]], [[Marshall ShredMaster]], [[MXR Distortion +]], and [[Pro Co RAT]].<!--This article has often been used to advertise. List only products that 1.) have Wikipedia articles and 2. ) have been well known for a number of years and used by influential musicians-->

A fuzz pedal, or fuzzbox, is a type of overdrive effects unit that clips a signal until it is nearly a [[Square wave (waveform)|square wave]], resulting in a heavily distorted or ''fuzzy'' sound.<ref name="google171"/><ref>Platt, Charles (2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=PQzYdC3BtQkC ''MAKE: Electronics: Learning Through Discovery''] O'Reilly Media. p. 257.</ref> Fuzzboxes may contain [[frequency multiplier]] circuitry to achieve a harsh [[timbre]] by adding complex [[harmonics]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Holmes|first1=Thom|title=The Routledge Guide to Music Technology|publisher=CRC Press|year=2006|page=177|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iH1tZ64riu4C&q=%22frequency+multiplier%22&pg=PA117|isbn=0-415-97324-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Manning|first1=Peter|title=Electronic and Computer Music|publisher=Oxford University Press US|year=2004|page=170|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P2dClS4LdPQC&pg=PA170|isbn=0-19-514484-8}}</ref> [[The Rolling Stones]]' song "[[(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction]]", with a fuzz effect featured prominently on the main electric guitar riff played by Keith Richards, greatly popularized the use of fuzz effects.<ref name="museumofmakingmusic1">{{cite web|title=The Art of the Stompbox|publisher=The Museum of Making|year=2010|url=http://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/stompbox-effects|access-date=13 September 2010}}</ref> [[Fuzz bass]] (also called bass overdrive) is a style of playing the [[electric bass]] that produces a buzzy, overdriven sound via a tube or transistor amp or by using a fuzz or overdrive pedal.

Notable examples of fuzz effect units include the: [[Fuzz Face|Arbiter Fuzz Face]], [[Electro-Harmonix Big Muff]], [[Shin-ei Companion FY-2]], [[Univox Super-Fuzz]], [[Tone Bender|Vox Tone Bender]], [[Z.Vex Fuzz Factory]].<!--This article has often been used to advertise. List only products that 1.) have Wikipedia articles and 2. ) have been well known for a number of years and used by influential musicians. Wikipedia is NOT a free advertising service-->

While distortion effect units are most associated with electric and bass guitar, they are also commonly used on keyboard instruments (i.e. [[synthesizer]]s, [[Combo organ|combo]] and [[tonewheel organ]]s, [[electric piano]]), as well as drums and vocals.