The Definitive Guide To Tremolo: A blog describing tremolo and other time based effects – with suggested settings and applications.
Tremolo was the first modulation effect I ever encountered. I was a teenager, standing in a music store, poring through the preset effect patches on the rack of effects units available at my disposal.
I stumbled upon the simple sound of tremolo, and it immediately caught my attention. It sounded so cool! The rhythmic pulsing of volume was mesmerizing. I was immediately hooked.
It wasn’t long after that my curiosity got the better of me and I started to experiment with different settings. I tried playing around with the speed control and found that there were many more sounds available than just the basic setting I had discovered in the preset list.
The Definitive Guide To Tremolo: A blog describing tremolo and other time based effects – with suggested settings and applications.
A blog describing tremolo and other time based effects – with suggested settings and applications.
So what is Tremolo? Tremolo can be defined as a periodic and rhythmic change in volume. It is most commonly used to create an undulating effect by rapidly turning the volume up and down, although other parameters can be used such as panning from left to right or changing the filter cutoff frequency.
Tremolo was originally achieved through mechanical means on some early organs and many other instruments including guitars, but these days it’s more likely to be created using an LFO. This is a low frequency oscillator signal which modulates something else, in this case the amplitude (volume) of the signal passing through it.
Most tremolo effects units offer both depth and rate parameters. The depth controls the amount of volume variation and the rate controls the speed of the volume changes.
So what is tremolo? Tremolo, as it is applied to musical audio effects, is the variation of amplitude over time. The name comes from the Italian word “tremare” which means “to shake,” and was most likely chosen to describe the vibrato effect that results from using a tremolo pedal on an electric guitar.
You can hear this effect in the song “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5. Listen for the interplay between the constant tempo guitar riff and the more dynamic vocals in the verses. It’s subtle, but quite effective.
A common misconception about tremolo is that it’s actually a variation in pitch over time (a la vibrato). This is not really true-tremolo is a manipulation of volume or amplitude, not frequency or pitch. The result of using a tremolo effect produces an apparent variation in pitch because the amplitude changes on a waveform will alter how the waveform sounds when reproduced through a speaker.
Tremolo is one of the oldest guitar effects. Dating back to the early days of tube amp technology, tremolo adds a pulsating amplitude to your tone. The fluctuation in volume is what gives tremolo its namesake: the tremble in sound that can be heard at distinct speeds (or rates).
In this guide, we’ll dive into how tremolo works, why it’s still being used today and some tips on how to use it effectively.
Tremolo: The Definitive Guide
Tremolo is an effect that gets used a lot in surf music, and to a lesser extent, heavy metal. It is essentially a variation in loudness, which makes the sound seem to pulse. On some amps there are dedicated tremolo circuits, on others it is achieved by turning down the volume or using a built in overdrive circuit. It can also be generated by pedals or rack effects units.
It’s not quite the same as vibrato, where the pitch goes up and down, but tremolo varies the loudness rather than the pitch of the note. It is possible to combine both effects to create something that sounds like a helicopter taking off!
A tremolo is the pulsating change of volume that occurs when a signal is turned on and off repeatedly. The rate of these changes in volume can range from very slow (1/4 note) to very fast (16th or even 32nd notes).
A tremolo effect requires two signals: one to control the volume envelope and another to be affected by it. It’s like an AM radio with two frequencies: one for the broadcast, and one for the carrier.
Most guitarists use a “volume” pedal (which is actually a swell pedal) to control the tremolo effect, although your amp’s volume knob can be used as well. So if you have an electric guitar and an amp, you already have all that you need to create this effect.
However, if you want to add more depth or variation to your sound, you might consider adding a dedicated tremolo effect pedal or tremolo VST plugin.