MOD(ulation) Effects

Modulation Effects Overview and Demo Video

The Fender Mustang amps and Fender Fuse software are loaded with 14 on-board MOD(ulation) effect "pedals" (12 unique to the MOD bank, and 2 shared with the STOMP bank). See Built-In Effects, for high level description of each type of effect.

• Chorus
  • Sine Chorus
  • Triangle Chorus
• Flanger
  • Sine Flanger
  • Triangle Flanger
• Tremolo
  • Vintage Tremolo
  • Sine Tremolo
• Wah (also available on STOMP effects bank)
  • Wah (Fixed)
  • Touch-Wah (Dynamic)
• Pitch Shifter
  • Diatonic Pitch Shifter
  • Pitch Shifter (Chromatic)
• Other Modulation Effects
  • Phaser
  • Step Filter
  • Vibratone
  • Ring Modulator

Fender Mustang (V2) III, IV, & V Modulation Models

Sine Chorus

• A chorus pedal copies the signal, changes the pitch of the copy and adds a short delay. The sound wave of the copied signal can be controlled by changing its amplitude, frequency and shape. The shape may be a sine or triangle. A sine chorus changes pitch smoothly.
• Settings:
  • ​Level – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Rate – Changes the rate/frequency and creates more pitch modulation
  • Depth – Changes amplitude/intensity. It changes the amount of delay over the cycle and defines the maximum and minimum delay
  • Avg. Delay – Sets the average delay, around which the Depth works
  • LR Phase – Left/Right phase
    • Stereo effect utilization requires LINE OUT or multi-speaker Mustang amp combo (IV/V)

Triangle Chorus

• A triangle chorus changes pitch more abruptly than the sine chorus, otherwise they work identically (see Sine Chorus)
• Settings - see Sine Chorus

Sine Flanger

• A Flanger creates a “swooshing” sound by pairing the original signal with a varying frequency copy of the original signal. Emulates the sound of an old studio trick whereby an engineer slows down and speeds up an overdubbed copy of the guitar track
• Settings:
  • ​Level – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Rate – Changes the rate/frequency of phase shifting, so that different frequencies are de/emphasized on each pass
  • Depth – Changes the amplitude/intensity of the copied signal
  • Feedback – Adjusts the amount that the effected signal is fed back into the effect
  • LR Phase – Left/Right phase
    • Stereo effect utilization requires LINE OUT or multi-speaker Mustang amp combo (IV/V)

Triangle Flanger

• A Triangle Flanger changes pitch more abruptly than the Sine Flanger, otherwise they work identically (see Sine Flanger)
• Settings - see Sine Flanger

Vibratone

• Creates a Doppler effect of a sound approaching and receding, repeatedly
• Settings:
  • See Sine Flanger
  • Rotor - Changes the rate/frequency of Doppler effect, so that different frequencies are de/emphasized on each pass

Vintage Tremolo

• Tremolo increases and decreases the volume at regular intervals
• Settings:
  • ​Level – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Rate – Sets the speed/frequency of the modulation
  • Duty Cycle – Sets the amount of time that the signal spends at the top and bottom of the sound wave. Lower duty cycle produces thinner sounds; higher duty cycle produces thicker sounds
  • Attack – How quickly tremolo reacts to the signal
  • Release – Duration of tremolo, after falling back below the threshold

​Sine Tremolo

• Tremolo increases and decreases the volume at regular intervals
• Settings:
  • ​Level – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Rate – Sets the speed/frequency of the modulation
  • Duty Cycle – Sets the amount of time that the signal spends at the top and bottom of the sound wave. Lower duty cycle produces thinner sounds; higher duty cycle produces thicker sounds
  • LFO Clip – Low Frequency Oscillation is the method of modulating the effected signal. LFO Clip will flatten the oscillation peaks and valleys, creating a subtle variation on the “warble”. (0% = No Clipping; 100% = Max Clipping)
  • Shape – Gradually converts Sine Tremolo to Triangle Tremolo (0% = Sine; 100% = Triangle)

Ring Modulator

• Creates a highly processed/synthesized electronic sound by multiplying the frequencies of the original and processed signal. Called a ring modulator because the original circuit formed a ring
• Settings:
  • ​Level – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Frequency – Adjusts the carrier frequency of the effect (0% = lower frequency; 100% = higher frequency). Sets the speed of the “warble”
  • Depth – Changes the amplitude/intensity of the copied signal (0% = min intensity; 100% = max intensity)
  • Shape – LFO Shape (Sine / Triangle)
  • Phase – Shifts the modified signal out of phase (0% = in phase with original signal; 100% = 180° out of phase)

Step Filter

• Creates a heavily processed, Doppler-like, swirling sound with periodic changes to amplitude, by multiplying the frequencies of the original and processed signals
• Settings:
  • ​Level – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Rate – Changes the rate/frequency of phase shifting, so that different frequencies are de/emphasized on each pass
  • Resonance – Feedback causing frequencies to amplify themselves. Thickens the sound. (0% = Min Resonance; 100% = Max Resonance)
  • Min. Freq. – Sets the lowest frequency outputted by the effect. (0% = More low frequencies; 100% = Less low frequencies)
  • Max. Freq. – Sets the highest frequency outputted by the effect. (0% = Less high frequencies; 100% = More high frequencies)

Phaser

• called “Phase Shifters” makes a copy of the incoming signal and shifts it out of phase from the original. The phase-shifted copy is then blended back with original, so that the in-phase/out-of-phase relationship can be heard. Gives a “swirling” sound as it gets more extreme.
• Settings:
  • ​Level – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Rate – Changes the rate/frequency of phase shifting, so that different frequencies are de/emphasized on each pass
  • Depth – Changes the amplitude/intensity of the copied signal
  • Feedback – Adjusts the amount that the effected signal is fed back into the effect
  • Shape – Sine (smooth) or Triangle (abrupt) changes to the copied signal

Wah

• Modeled on VOX V847A Wah-Wah (Fixed)
• Wah is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice, creating a "wacka-wacka" funk styled rhythm or used to boost certain frequencies by keeping it in a single position, emphasizing the "sweet spot" in the tonal spectrum of an instrument.
• Settings:
  • Mix – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Freq – High frequency band pass filter (100% = more treble)
  • Heel/Toe Freq – Sets the highest/lowest frequencies filtered for the virtual heel and toe positions, virtually pivoting the pedal (100% = max treble)
  • High Q – Band pass filter controlling width of frequencies filtered, affecting tone (On = narrower range, more treble

Touch Wah

• Modeled on VOX V847A Wah-Wah (Dynamic)
• Adds a “touch” effect that reads signal level (i.e., string strike) and adjusts effect proportionally.
• Settings:
  • Mix – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Sensitivity – Controls degree that effect will react to touch (100% = max effect)
  • Min Freq – Adjusts the frequency the wah relaxes to when your playing volume is at a minimum (100% = max treble)
  • Adjusts the frequency the wah sweeps to when your playing volume is at a maximum (100% = max treble)
  • High Q – Band pass filter controlling width of frequencies filtered, affecting tone (On = narrower range, more treble)
• Also known as Envelope Filter.

Diatonic Pitch Shifter

• Creates a diatonic harmony with the original signal, based on user-designated key, scale and amount of pitch shift
• Settings:
  • ​Mix – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Pitch – Selects the precise pitch shift in diatonic steps, from down a full octave to up two octaves
  • Key – Selects the key from C (at the lowest setting) going up in half-steps to B
  • Scale – Selects the "modern" scale and associated interval sequences
    • Major / Ionian
    • Dorian
    • Phyrgian
    • Lydian
    • Mixolydian
    • Minor / Aeolian
    • Locrian
    • Harmonic Minor
    • Melodic Minor
  • Tone – High frequency band pass filter (100% = max treble)

Pitch Shifter

• Creates a chromatic harmony with the original signal, based on user-designated amount of pitch shift
• Settings:
  • ​Mix – Controls the ratio of the effected and original signals; the “wet/dry mix” (100% = max effect)
  • Pitch – Adjusts the pitch shift in 0.2 step increments (-24.0 = down two octaves; +24.0 = up two octaves)
  • Pre Delay – Adjusts the amount of delay between the original signal and the effected copy
  • Feedback – Adjusts the amount that the effected signal is fed back into the effect (0% = Min delay; 100% = Max delay)
  • Tone – High frequency band pass filter (100% = max treble)