Stomp Effects Overview and Demo Video[]
The Fender Mustang amp includes 11 on-board Stomp effect "pedals" organized into 3 effect categories. See Built-In Effects, for high level description of each type of effect.
- Overdrive/Distortion/Fuzz
- Wah
- Compressors
- Simple Compressor = Dunlop MXR Dyna Comp
- Compressor = Boss CS-3 Compressor Sustainer
Ranger Boost[]
- Modeled on Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
- Treble boosters increase signal strength and tones at the higher end of the spectrum. They were used to overdrive amplifiers (mostly dark sounding, British tube models) in order to create a more distorted yet focused sound. By the 1980s, they had become obsolete. Guitarists used overdrive pedals instead, in a similar fashion.
- Settings:
- Level - Adjusts the output level of the effect
- Gain - Adjusts amount of gain (distortion)
- Locut - High frequency band pass filter (100% = maximum treble)
- Bright - Boosts high frequencies (100% = maximum treble)
Greenbox[]
- Modeled on Ibanez Tube Screamer Overdrive
- The Tube Screamer Overdrive is used to try to mimic the sound of a vintage tube amplifier. The classic Tube Screamer sound includes a "mid-hump," which means that the circuit accentuates frequencies between the bass and treble ranges (mid-frequencies). Softer clipping than Distortion and Fuzz pedal.
- Settings:
- Level - Adjusts the output level of the effect
- Gain - Adjusts amount of gain (distortion)
- Tone - High frequency band pass filter (100% = maximum treble)
- Blend - Blend of signal (0%) and effected signal (100%)
Overdrive[]
- Modeled on Fender Drive Pedal
- Like the Greenbox (Tube Screamer), the Overdrive pedal emulates the sound of an overdriven tube amp (e.g., more distortion and some tube clipping).
- Settings:
- Level - Adjusts the output level of the effect
- Gain - Adjusts amount of gain (distortion)
- Low - Low frequency band pass filter (100% = max bass)
- Mid - Mid-range frequency band pass filter (100% = max mid)
- High - High frequency band pass filter (100% = max treble)
- Blend - Blend of signal (0%) and effected signal (100%)
Fuzz[]
- Modeled on VOX Tone Bender Fuzz
- Fuzz is a distortion type that transforms the input nearly into a square wave and adds complex overtones with a frequency multiplier. Sounds more processed and artificial than overdrive and distortion effects.
- VOX version of the Tone Bender has more treble response (good for dark British amps, too trebly for Fender clean amps).
- Settings:
- Level – Adjusts the output level of the effect
- Gain – Adjusts amount of gain/distortion (100% = max distortion)
- Octave – Controls the level of the octave doubled voice (0 = less fuzz; 10 = more fuzz)
- Low – Low frequency band pass filter (100% = max bass)
- High – High frequency band pass filter (100% = max treble)
Orangebox[]
- Modeled on Boss DS1
- Emulates the sound of a heavily overdriven tube amp, with harder clipping than overdrive effects and altering the guitar’s sound more than overdrive effects.
- Settings:
- Level – Adjusts the output level of the effect
- Dist – Adjusts distortion (100% = max distortion)
- Tone – High frequency band pass filter (100% = max treble)
Blackbox[]
- Modeled on ProCo "The Rat"
- Emulates the sound of a heavily overdriven tube amp, with harder clipping than overdrive effects and altering the guitar’s sound more than overdrive effects.
- Settings:
- Level – Adjusts the output level of the effect
- Distortion – Adjusts distortion (100% = max distortion)
- Filter – High frequency pass band pass filter (0% = max treble/brightness)
Big Fuzz[]
- Modeled on Big Muff
- Fuzz is a distortion type that transforms the input nearly into a square wave and adds complex overtones with a frequency multiplier. Sounds more processed and artificial than overdrive and distortion effects.
- Settings:
- Level – Adjusts the output level of the effect
- Tone– High frequency band pass filter (100% = max treble)
- Sustain – Increases sustain (100% = max sustain); volume jump is by-product
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)
- Max Freq – 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. Much more info on envelope filters here.
Simple Compressor[]
- Modeled on Dunlop MXR Dyna Comp
- Compressors reduce the dynamic range volume spikes from guitar. Softening it when too loud and loudening it when it’s too soft.
- Settings:
- Type – Dials the amount of compression (Low-Med-Hi-Max)
Compressor[]
- Modeled on Boss CS-3 Compressor Sustainer
- Compressors reduce the dynamic range volume spikes from guitar. Softening it when too loud and loudening it when it’s too soft. Dynamic range compression
- Settings:
- Level – Adjusts the output level of the effect
- Threshold – Sound level where the Compressor dis/engages
- Ratio – Amount of signal compression (measured in dBs)
- Attack – How quickly compression reacts to the signal
- Release – Duration of compression, after falling back below the threshold