Guitar Effects Pedals vs Rack Mount Guitar Effects Processors

If you play electric guitar or even if you're just a fan, you've undoubtedly asked yourself how your favorite artist gets "that sound" on one of your favorite tunes. There is a dizzying array of guitar effects processors available these days and finding the right combination of guitar effects pedals and rackmount gear can be a daunting task that requires a certain amount of experimentation before finding the combination that works best for you.
Larger touring rock bands often have racks full of processors and a stage littered with pedals to switch between effects patches. Still, many musicians have found the old-style stompbox guitar pedals to offer the best bang for the buck. Although digital multi-effects processors offer some distinct convenient advantages, allowing guitar players to build combinations of effects -i.e. Chorus + Delay + Reverb + Distortion - into patches and banks for easy recall and switching later, there are some drawbacks to this approach. The combination of effects that's written to a patch and the associated parameters (amount of delay, reverb decay etc.), generally can not be changed on the fly. In addition, when switching between effects in a live gig situation, oftentimes there is a slight sound dropout which makes it impractical to use while sustaining a long chord for instance.
The stompbox guitar effects pedal set up, however provides much greater flexibility, allowing the guitar player to switch on and off individual effects at will. In addition, many guitar players prefer the "warmer" tone provided by some of the older analog effects pedals. For convenience, you can purchase a pedalboard style case that will allow you to keep standard sized stompboxes connected together, so you don't need to continuously reconnect everything each time you play. Many of these pedalboards also provide power supplies to connect all guitar effects pedals as well, so that batteries don't need to be constantly changed.
In the end, the best way to find what works for you is to experiment. Individual guitar effects pedals, multi-effects pedals and rackmount processors, along with various midi switching devices can be bought fairly inexpensively on sites like Ebay, if you take the time to look around and do your homework. If you find something that doesn't work for you or your setup, you can always find someone who will be willing to buy it from you.

Save Money With Reliable Air Compressor Accessories

Air compressors provide pressurised air for powering air or pneumatic tools you use around the house. While pneumatic tools minimise operator fatigue and drastically reduce time spent completing your home improvement projects, the right accessories make the job even easier.
When purchasing air compressor accessories, it's important to keep in mind the existing features of your air compressor and to buy only compatible accessories.
Air hose: Your compressor supplies pressurised air to your pneumatic tool through an air hose that is attached to the air powered tool on one end and to the air compressor on the other end. Durable and right-sized hoses ensure the continuous supply of air pressure and the correct pressure output.
An air hose that has holes or suffers from wear and tear should be replaced. Consider a retractable hose that you can easily wind up for safe storage. For durability, look for a hose with built-in layers of rubber, nylon or polyurethane materials and a mesh layer for reinforcement.
Hose reel: This allows you to roll up the air hose neatly for quick and convenient storage. Look for a hose reel that is equipped with wheels and a handle for portability.
Air fittings: Air fittings such as couplers and connectors seal the connection between the air hose and the pneumatic tool. Determine the size of your tool before buying new air fittings to ensure a secure fit.
Regulator: This accessory controls the air flow to your pneumatic tool. It is built with a gauge for controlling the amount of air that flows through the air hose. Consider a regulator equipped with a filter for controlling air quality as well.
Tool attachments: Different tool attachments provide versatility in applications. Nail guns are for shooting nails in roofing, framing and carpentry works. A paint sprayer provides a consistent finish when painting walls, ceilings, cars and furniture while saving you time and energy. A drill can create holes in various materials.
Choose the right bits and grips according to the intended application. Sanders are used for polishing, grinding and sanding surfaces during surface preparation, cleaning or finishing works.
The key to choosing air compressor accessories and tools lies in knowing the capacity of your air compressor and the planned applications. Your accessories must be compatible to the air compressor and the compressor must have sufficient capacity to power the attached tools.
Finally, buy only quality brands that manufacture reliable tools and accessories and provide the best value for your money.

Guitar Tuning - The Mystery Explained

Learning how to tune a guitar effectively is one of the most basic skills all guitar players need to learn and one of the most elusive skills to master. There are two main methods of guitar tuning. (with several variations) The first of these is by ear, the second is using a tuner. No matter which you choose, being in tune is essential to your success.
Tuning a Guitar by Ear
Tuning the guitar by ear is a way for the musician to ensure that the instrument is in tune with itself. It does not necessarily mean the guitar will be in tune tonally with the agreed upon standard that is known as concert pitch. Therefore, unless the musician is gifted with perfect pitch, it is only really valuable for practice and solo play. You may of course play with other musicians if everyone tunes to the same instrument, even if it is not in concert pitch.
However, if the musician has access to a reference note, possibly from a pitch pipe or tuning fork, then it is possible to use this method to tune to concert pitch. The most common method is to begin with the bottom E string, and tune it to pitch. Then move a finger to the 5th fret and play the E and A string together, and tune the A string to the same pitch as the bottom E, repeat this for the D and G strings, the B string is tuned using the 4th fret of the G string, instead of the 5th fret, and then back to the 5th fret on the B string to tune top E. This is the simplest method of tuning a guitar by ear; it is quick and effective, although it does suffer from inaccuracy if the intonation of the guitar strings is not adjusted correctly. There are several more advanced methods, some of which play strings in multiple positions to overcome intonation imperfections using harmonics.
Tuning a Guitar using a Tuner
The electronic guitar tuner may be the single most unifying feature for the everyday guitarists. It enabled even the most apprentice guitar player to tune with confidence and sound like everybody else. Unless you happen to be lucky enough to have perfect pitch, then using a guitar tuner is probably the most reliable way of ensuring your instrument is tuned to concert pitch. A guitar tuner is a small electrical device, which measures the electrical current of the guitar output, to judge the current tuning. The most simple electric guitar tuner will allow the musician to plug their guitar in to the device, and then choose which string they wish to tune. There is also a feature for acoustic guitars that allows you to avoid plugging into the device and only use a built in microphone. The musician then plucks the string, and the tuner displays whether the string is sharp (too highly pitched), flat (too low pitched), or in tune by a number of methods; either a needle display or LED lights or a combination of both. Once the musician is satisfied that the current string is in tune, they move on to the next. Note, most competent musicians prefer to check the tuning by ear afterwards. The reason for this, is if a string is tuned first, and other strings have their tensions changed as part of the tuning process, then the first string (or possibly several strings), will lose their perfect tuning. Most commonly, a musician will use the tuner to get a rough tuning, then tune again by ear, then recheck using the tuner, making fine adjustments.
For those new to playing the guitar, tuning can be a scary subject. However, it is entirely straightforward, a quick lesson from any competent guitar instructor is usually sufficient to teach the new player how to tune a guitar accurately, and quickly. Rest assured the skill of tuning a guitar can be learned with the use of the right tools and some good listening. It is a skill that will reward you and the musicians around you for a lifetime

Some Thoughts On Buying Guitar Effects Pedals

If you are thinking about buying a guitar effects loop pedal you will already know that it records short passages played on a guitar and plays them back in a repeating loop. Did you also know that these loops of sound can be mixed together to create complex rhythms and harmonies from layers of simpler musical parts? A loop pedal is usually used as a backing track that you can play along with.
A loop pedal is operated with the foot leaving your hands free to strum and fret. They are extremely versatile and allow guitar players to open up new musical avenues.
There are many benefits to these guitar effects pedals, the first of which is that it acts as a recording device and therefore allows you to capture creative riffs or licks on the spot.
With a looping rhythm track a guitar player can play lead guitar over backing track of their own making, as opposed to one that might not be quite what you were after. Tailored backing tracks.
A guitar loop pedal should be able to take input from an external source other than a guitar which will allow you to loop vocals, keyboards, in fact anything that you can output into the looping device.
A loop pedal is not only for practice as it can also transform you into a one man band where you play rich multi-instrument songs alone!
You can build up song performances with percussive rhythm sounds, bass line and chord backing, then solo or sing over the resulting mix. Search for "loop pedal" on YouTube to find some amazing performances to inspire you.
So where can you get one of these from? Frankly, just about any online guitar shop worth its salt will stock whole ranges of effects pedals. Whilst there is nothing wrong with second hand one's through auction sites, it should still be noted that they have generally been used by someone else and as they are an electrical item that they are unlikely to have any warranty or returns available
So, these guitar effects pedals are a versatile practice and performance tool that allows guitarists to explore new musical ideas quickly and easily.
Using a guitar loop effects pedals you can instantly create any backing you like to practice along with. It can be a versatile sound recorder for practicing and song-writing, and then it can even assist you in giving impressive performances as a one man band.

A Guide to Effects Placement on the Guitar Pedal Board

When you are seeking to create an original and effective tone for your guitar, you will want to arrange your guitar pedal board in the most efficient manner. The pedal board helps to keep pedals and effects in the same area, so they do not rotate or slip when they are stepped on. While most pedal boards rely on a square or boxy form, they can be customized so that your pedals can be placed in a semi-circle or some other shape. While tone is subjective, there are some loose rules that should be followed when selecting guitar pedal order. These placements can be experimented with and altered to create different tones and sounds.
Personal preference and comfort are the most important factors when deciding how your pedals should be placed. This guide follows a logical pattern that associates the purpose of each pedal with its placement on the board. First up would be any Tuners that you may have. A tuner can technically be placed anywhere and still function, but the clearest signal will be received in the first slot. Next up would be your Filters and Phasers. This includes items such as Wah-Wahs and Envelope Filters. Like the Tuner, these pedals work best when placed closest to the unprocessed signal coming from your guitar.
These should be followed by any Compressors you may have. They will act to smooth out the tone for the rest of your effects. Distortion and Fuzz Boxes will come next, along with any Overdrive options. The next slot is a great spot for the EQ. It will help to shape the tone and also offer a volume boost for soloing. Pitch Shifters and Modulators should follow and these pedals can include Flanger effects as well as the Chorus pedal. Volume and Delay pedals are best placed toward the end of your set up. The Reverb works best in the final position, so it can affect all of the other sounds as a whole.
While the guitar pedal order is very personal, the above suggestions will help anyone to achieve a more consistent and interesting tone. Placement on the guitar pedal board can also be effected by such factors as the size and shape of the pedal, along with any aesthetic considerations that may come into play. When setting up your board it is a good idea to have some fun and experiment. That is best way to come up with the most unique and original sounds.

Guitar Accessories: Effect Pedals and Devices

Electric guitarists seldom just plug into an amp and start playing. Well, they may start out that way, but if you listen to the radio - or any recorded guitar music, for that matter - you quickly notice a lot more going on than just a "straight" guitar sound. At the very least, you hear some ambient treatment in the form of artificially created echo, or reverb, as the effect is known in guitar lingo. You may hear some (intended) distortion, especially in rock and blues music, and you may hear additional effects, such as wah-wah, vibrato, and other electronic manipulations. Welcome to the wonderful, wacky world of guitar accessories known as effects.
Effects are devices that plug in between your guitar and amplifier and enable you to alter your signal in all sorts of creative and unusual ways. Scores and scores of these guitar accessories are available from all different manufacturers and in all price ranges. You can buy them as individual units or as an all-in-one box, called a multieffects processor. But whether you go for the package deal or à la carte, effects can spice up the basic sound of your guitar in all sorts of exciting ways.
Most effects come in the form of foot-accessed pedals, also known as stomp boxes because they reside on the floor and you activate them by stepping on a footswitch. This setup enables you to selectively turn effects on and off while playing the guitar without interruption.
If you plug, say, a reverb device inline (that is, between the amp and guitar), you can make your guitar sound as if you're playing in a cathedral. A distortion unit can make your tones sound like those of Jimi Hendrix, even at low volumes and with your amp set to a clean sound. Dozens of different types of effects are available - more than you could possibly own, not to mention use all at once. The price of these individual units varies, too, with distortion boxes as cheap as $45 and digital reverbs and delays as much as $175 (or more).
Individual pedals are a great convenience because they enable you to buy effects one at a time and use them in a modular fashion - you can choose to include them in your chain or not, and you can rearrange their order to create different effects. But many guitarists opt for a multi-effects unit, which puts all the individual effects into one housing. Multi-effects units are programmable, meaning that you can store different settings in the effects and recall them with the tap of a foot. Multi-effects guitar accessories, like individual pedals, also offer a modular approach to effect ordering, although they accomplish this electronically rather than physically.

The Beginners Guide to Guitar Effects and Pedals - MultiEffects and Single Pedals

In this article, I just want to touch on the delight that you can get when you use a pedal, or distortion. In the beginning, distortion was thought of as something unwanted, as a malfunction that was to be corrected, but, over time, musicians began to realize that a distortion or the effect of a pedal could sustain a guitar note, if used properly, and it could also add some other interesting sounds to the guitar that gave it a whole new range, and audience.
When amplifiers were first used, they discovered that the tubes could not handle the sound well enough to allow it to disperse properly and so, distortion happened. However, when musicians realized that there was a completely new world to be explored with the different sounds, they began to play with all the possibilities.
Many musicians still like to use the old tube amplifiers because of the distortion they give. They have a warm, more resonant tone that puts audiences in that mood where they can appreciate better the qualities of the different tones that can be created.
Later, a thing called equalization was discovered, Equalization, or EQ, happens when certain frequencies are amplified within a signal. It can highlight the treble or the bass to make it a little more equal with the sound being produced, hence the name equalizer. You have to experiment with EQ, because the distortion or the amplification you get may not work with what the rest of the band is playing.
Other properties of the Guitars pedal are known as modulations and delays and those occur when the signal is split into two equal parts so that one follows the other at an interval of your choosing. Modulations don't have the natural sound of a delay, and so have to be evaluated as you experiment.
The next characteristic of the pedals is the pitch shift. This is where you can alter the pitch of a note or chord by operating the pedal to your liking. Again, you have to experiment with all the sounds because with pitch shift, you can go too far and go completely out of key with the song being played.
Modeling while not really an effect as much as a program is also used to imitate a certain guitar sounds that is different from the one you were just using. You press the pedal and choose the desired sound that you have programmed in. This goes along with multi-effects that combine individual effects, or allow you to mix and match according to the sound you want. This gives a depth and range that can create a whole array of different sounds.
Individual pedals have different effects, from tone to sound variations to pitch alteration to different guitar sounds. What the pedal does is allow for you, the player to create a whole world of sound and variations that will invariably delight the audience, as long as you use it right.

Guitar Effects Pedal To Improve Your Sound

Listen to an electric guitar plugged dry, into an amplifier. Observe how, as soon as the note is played it pretty much fades away. Note how every mistake that the player makes, is sounded out in all its glory. You only have to see how many professional guitarists rely on small boxes in their signal chain (between the guitar and amp in cabling terms) to beef up their tone, to make it more lush and wet or to make their technique a little more forgiving.
Broadly speaking there are certain types of guitar effects pedals with different sub-variations. Here are some of the more common examples (it's not an exaustive list - check product pages for big brands such as Boss, Mooer, MXR or Electro Harmonix for more):
Delay / Reverb - These FX pedals are great for stretching out your guitar tone using timed repeats for delay or a lush reverberation (think shouting inside a stone building) for reverb. You play a note and you can have it automatically replayed, making your riffs sound bigger and potentially more effective. Listen to U2's guitarist, The Edge on "The Joshua Tree" for some amazing use of delay. This type of effect normally comes in analog or digital formats with the former sounding a little more grungy and the latter going for the clean sterile sound.
Modulation - Chorus, Flange, Phase and Tremolo all come under this guitar effects pedal banner (reduced to Mod for short). Chorus plays back the original signal along with a slightly de-tuned cloned version. The two soundwaves collide to create the effect. Phase and Flange are a little less subtle with a whoosh or aircraft taking off being the nearest analogy here. Tremolo fades the volume in and out to create a wavy effect that is very effective in country and blues. All can give you a richer, more interesting twist to your guitar playing.
Distortion - this effect varies hugely from a soft clipped overdrive to a punch-in-the-stomach brutal high gain guitar tone. Distortion comes via a pedal and often direct from the amp itself using its natural characteristics. Pedals can be useful for a distortion that changes the amplifier's natural sound. For example Vox produce the Satchurator distortion pedal that can give you Joe Satriani's tone (or something approximating it). Valve based technology is popular in the distortion market for it's natural driving characteristics though transistor based pedals can do a great job - just try the MXR M78 Badass for a good example of this.
Looping - not really an effect but very popular for sampling playing and then repeating it back for practice or performance purposes.
Expression - this covers Wah Wah, Volume and Expression pedals. These rock backwards and forwards under your foot to control the sound. Wah was made hugely popular by Hendrix and is used in most genres of music today, producing a "wah, wah, wah" sound that can be controlled dynamically. Volume is useful for fading out your guitar sound and creating volume swells like those of Mark Knopfler. Expression pedals can change an effect parameter up or down with pedal movement. For example you can connect one to some delay pedals and change the millisecond parameter as you play.
Compression - a tricky one to describe but roughly speaking, Compression smooths out your sound, taking the peaks out. It's often used for clean, funky playing and lead guitar. Listen to the product demo for Rothwell's Love Squeeze compressor - great pedal and very popular.
As mentioned previously, there are more pedals than mentioned here and it's up to you to seek out demos online but if you have maybe at least one pedal from each of the above types, you wont go far wrong. Use them with taste and in the right musical place and learn how your favourite players use their effects. Sometimes it is great to just plug into an amp and keep it simple but open your mind to guitar effects pedals and you wont look back.

Beginner Guitar Lesson - How to Play Wild Things

A great song for a beginner to play
The version of "Wild Thing" by the Troggs is an excellent first song for someone interested in starting to play the guitar. The song only has 3 chords, and they are usually some of the first chords a beginner guitar student would learn. The chords are A, D, and E. Also, we will implement an easy strumming pattern, so you can sound pretty good early on. Later, as you become more advanced, fancy strumming patterns will really impress those who listen to you play.
It was a big hit many years ago
Back in 1966, "Wild Thing" made it to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U. S. It also reached number 2 in Britain. Rolling Stone magazine listed "Wild Thing" as number 257 on it's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song certainly is fun to listen to, and makes a great beginner guitar lesson. It has been covered by many artists, including Jimi Hendrix, who gave an amazing performance of the song at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Even if this song isn't your style, it can be an excellent song to begin your guitar playing career with.
Learning about the guitar
As your holding a guitar, the lowest sounding string, the sixth string is located on the top. The next string down is the fifth string, and so on. Eventually you will get to the bottom string, which is the first string. Its also the thinnest and highest sounding string. The open sixth string is an E. The open fifth string is an A. The open fourth string is a D. The open third string is a G. The open second string is a B, and the open first string is an E.
The frets are the individual squares on the guitar fretboard. This is where you place your fingers when playing the guitar. A good place to start is the fret closest to the top of the guitar. This is called the first fret. There are dots located on the guitar fretboard. Each one represents different frets on the guitar. The first dot is on the 3rd fret, the second one is on the 5th fret, the third dot is on the 7th fret, and so on. Most guitars will have these dots.
Finger numbers
Just like the strings and frets on the guitar, we also assign a number to the various fingers of the left hand. The first, or pointer finger is number one. The middle finger is number two. The third finger, or ring finger is number three, and the pinky is number four. It is important to know finger numbers to properly place your fingers on the guitar.
How to play the chords
"Wild Thing" only has three chords. They are A, D, and E. The A chord is formed by placing your first finger on the fourth string, second fret. Your middle finger on the third string, second fret, and your ring finger on the second string, second fret.
The D chord is formed by placing your first finger on the third string, second fret. Your ring finger on the second string, third fret, and your middle finger on the first string, second fret.
The E chord is formed by placing your middle finger on the fifth string, second fret. Your ring finger on the fourth string, second fret, and your first finger on the third string, first fret.
The strumming patterns
Because this is a beginner guitar lesson, we will incorporate a simple strumming pattern for "Wild Thing". The intro has three chords. The A, D, and E.
1. Strum the A chord twice. Strum it straight down from the fifth string.
2. Strum the D chord twice. Strum is straight down from the fourth string.
3. Strum the E chord six times total. Strum it four times, then a slight pause, and strum it two more times. Strum all the strings when playing an E chord.
The verses contain the chords A, D, E, and D again. For simplistic purposes, strum each chord twice, straight down. Remember to start your strumming on the proper string, or you will get some strange sounds. There is another part of the song with the chords GAGA each strummed one time.
If possible, listen to the original recording to get a feel for the timing of the song. If you are a beginner, not everything is going to sound the way you want it. Playing guitar is not easy, especially early on. Keep practicing, and in time, you will start to sound like a pro.

Gary E Kerkow has been playing guitar for several decades. This includes teaching guitar, and playing in successful bands that toured the Twin Cities area. Kerkow is also an accomplished piano player.

Collings 12 String Guitar

Collings Guitars builds fine handcrafted acoustic and electric guitars in Austin Texas. These instruments appeal to anyone looking for one of the very best guitars built in the USA today. Collings guitars have developed a sterling reputation for producing some of the finest acoustic guitars available today. Until recently the company has focused exclusively on six string guitars. Before the introduction of the current 12-string guitar production model Collings had previously only produced a 12-string twice before as a one-off custom guitar. And, with those two guitars one was a SJ model and the other was a 000. With their new 12-string Collings decided to use their very popular 12-fret 0 (single-oh) body size. This decision helps reduce string tension, which is always an issue with any 12-string guitar.
The Collings 12-string is available in various appointment levels. The 01 features a Mahogany back and sides, Sitka top and tortoise binding. The O2H features East Indian Rosewood back and sides, Sitka top and grained ivoroid binding with herringbone trim. The 03 model also features East Indian Rosewood back and sides and Sitka top but adds Grained ivoroid top/back/neck/peghead binding, and an abalone rosette. Also, the guitar can also be constructed with a Maple back, sides and neck.
All appointment levels feature a slotted peghead outfitted with Golden Age Restoration tuners with a 15:1 ratio, 1 7/8" nut width, and a easy-to- play 24 7/8" scale length.
All of these various configurations are stellar in their own way. However, the most interesting combination would be the 01 Maple. Most acoustic guitars built with Maple bodies and necks tend to live on the verge of being "too bright". Not the case with this guitar. Although the maple does add a focused high-end and clarity the Collings 01 Maple produces a very balanced tone with plenty of warm mids that work well with the brightness produced by the maple. The Sitka Spruce top, which isn't as stiff as Adirondack and has a lower stiffness-to-weight ratio, helps produce a more flexible soundboard that in turn adds warmth as well.
Also, aesthetically the Flamed Maple chosen for the back and sides of this guitar is stunning and is well set off by the tortoise bindings.

Beginners Guide to Guitar Effect Pedals

Almost since the invention of the Electric Guitar, musicians have been using electronic devices to modify the sounds created by their instruments. These days there is a vast range of effects units available, both hardware and software based, which can create a dazzling array of sounds. Despite this, there are still a few core effects which continue to provide the staple diet of most guitar players.
Distortion
This effect relies on overloading the signal, so that the waveforms become distorted, or "clipped". This means that smooth sound waves become squarer, making the original clean guitar tone more "gritty" or "dirty". The effect was originally achieved by literally overloading guitar amplifier inputs, to an extent that the electronic components, usually valves, were unable to process the signal properly.
Delay
There are different types of delay pedal, ranging from the short "slap-back" delay popular in Rock & Roll and Rockabilly styles, to the longer "echo" delay favored by U2's guitarist "The Edge" (Dave Evans to his mates). The classic method of getting these results is to use a vintage Roland Space Echo.
Chorus
This effect is interesting because most non-musicians aren't even aware it exists, but in the 1980s it was all over just about everything! For one of the most famous examples, listen to anything by The Police from the late 70s/early 80s. Andy Summers used the effect on just about every track, and along with Sting's vocals and Stuart Copeland's idiosyncratic drumming, it formed part of The Police's trademark sound.
Wah-wah
This is one of the most recognisable guitar effects - just listen to the opening riff of "Voodoo Chile" by Jimi Hendrix for one of the best examples of the wah-wah sound. It gets it's name simply because it sounds like a person saying "Wah wah wah"! It was invented by Vox while creating an electronic filter, and basically works by filtering out particular frequencies in the guitar signal, based on the position of a foot pedal. The guitarist plays the guitar normally, and rocks the pedal to move the filtered frequency around, creating that distinctive sound.
That should give you an idea of what's available, and what it does. But don't forget, no amount of effects will cover up bad playing! You need to get stuck in and practice. And if you're serious about your playing, you really want to look into some proper tuition.

There are some superb Online Guitar Courses available these days, which represent superb value for money when compared with private tuition. They're probably cheaper than all the books and DVDs you could end up buying,too! If you want to improve your guitar technique, and are serious about your playing, you owe it to yourself to look at them.

Snoring Partner? Get a Good Night's Sleep With Moulded Ear Plugs

There's nothing worse than a disturbed night's sleep due to a partner snoring. If you're deprived of sleep due to your bed-mate's loud snoring, looking for a quick fix can cause a degree of stress. However the solution is simple, moulded ear plugs. Yes, these innovative devices can solve sleep disturbances and you will be able to sleep again in peace.
Sleep Deprivation
When your body is deprived of sleep, this affects not only your senses but your body will reflect a lack of sleep. It is required in order for your body to restore itself from the activities during the day. If you have a snoring partner who keeps you awake tossing and turning all night, you will feel frustrated and fragile the next day. Chronic lack of sleep can lead to depression, anxiety and poor performance at work. Ceasing snoring is not always possible, however can help prevent your snoring partner from disturbing your sleep by wearing ear plugs (snoring and ear plugs go hand-in-hand like fish and chips). By choosing a variety that moulds to you, you will soon be able to sleep like the proverbial baby.
What are Moulded Ear Plugs?
These are able to fit you perfectly in the way that standard varieties cannot. You will no longer have to endure prodding and poking of ear plugs in order to gain some comfort. These moulded ear plugs are made of a special material that shapes to your outer ear and protects your eardrum and canal from environmental elements.
Will I be Able to Hear Anything?
You will still be able to hear noises, but the sounds will be muffled and softened. The ability to hear is astonishing; nerves sends a message to the brain, enabling us to perceive sound. So by blocking this gateway, the sound of a snoring partner will be significantly reduced, allowing you to switch off and visit the land of nod with ease.
Once you are asleep, you will no longer hear your partner's snoring. Hearing protection can be worn for a range of other activities but are an essential tool in the battle to get a good night's sleep. Not to mention they can help preserve your sanity, leaving you feel refreshed once sleep is restored.
Choose from a wide range of varieties that mould themselves to your ear and get back to a healthy sleep regime - no matter how loudly your partner snores.

Acoustic Guitar Tuner

A quality guitar tuner is a crucial tool in any guitarist's gig bag. A typical acoustic guitar has six strings, each of which is adjusted to produce a specific pitch (or musical note). While there are many varieties of guitar tunings, the strings on a standard guitar are tuned, from lowest to highest note, as follows: E-A-D-G-B-E.
"Tuning" a guitar refers to the process of precisely adjusting each string to produce the correct note. In order to accomplish this, a "reference pitch" is necessary. A reference pitch is a correct note to which the guitar may be adjusted (either higher or lower) until it perfectly matches. The reference pitch may come from another instrument, such as a piano or another guitar, or a tuning device, such as a tuning fork or pitch pipe. Many electronic guitar tuners also feature a reference pitch emitter for tuning by ear. However, making accurate adjustments by ear can be challenging, and even frustrating, especially for beginning musicians.
That's where an electronic guitar tuner comes in. The main function of an electronic tuner is to automatically determine the pitch a string is producing and to visibly indicate whether that pitch is sharp (high), flat (low), or "in tune." The acoustic guitar tuner uses a microphone to detect the sound emitted from the guitar and displays its readings by LED or on an LCD screen. The most basic tuner is programmed for the standard guitar tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), while chromatic tuners feature the flexibility of tuning to match any note on the 12 note scale.
For tuning acoustic guitars, the quality of the tuner's microphone is very important, as this is only input source. The better the quality microphone, the more accurate reading you will receive. There are many cheap "entry level" tuners, but be careful, as you may end up frustrated by a tuner that is unable to correctly determine the pitch of your strings.

Which Are The Best Earplugs?

Deciding which are the best earplugs depends on what you are planning to use them for. There are several reasons why you may wish to wear a pair; you may want to simply block sound from your ears but you may also need to keep water out. Sometimes people want to exclude water but not sound, for instance if you are surfing you don't want to get surfers' ear but you want to be able to hear a speedboat coming. There are several types available, including foam, wax, molded, silicon and plastic.
For occasional everyday use the foam variety may be suitable but if you are using them frequently then these are less suitable as they are uncomfortable and unhygienic with frequent use, they are also unsuitable for use in water as they are made of sponge and will soak up water readily. They can also be abrasive on the ear canal and so are not recommended if you are prone to otitis externa.
Moulded earplugs are very good at keeping both sound and water from the ears and they tend to be more comfortable and longer lasting than other types. The main disadvantage is the initial price. However with frequent use they become more economical because of the number of times you can reuse them. If you are a frequent user it may be worth calculating the cost per use of different types. You may find that it is less than a penny per use for a good molded pair. There are several different types of moulded earplugs available, you could visit an audiologist and have your ear canals moulded from an impression, this can be expensive and time-consuming. The alternative is to buy a kit allowing you to take moulds at home, this can be much cheaper and you will be able to remould them if they don't fit the first time.
The thermoplastic type can be remolded, unfortunately silicon cannot be remolded. With these you only get one chance to get it right; if you get it wrong the first time or if your ears change shape over time you need to throw them away and start again. The reason that the moulded ones tend to be more comfortable than other types, particularly foam earplugs, is that they exert very little pressure on the delicate skin lining the ear canal. Foam earplugs, however, expand and cause pressure and discomfort. Some thermoplastic molded earplugs may contain an antibacterial compound which makes them more hygienic as they actively kill bacteria which can cause infections.
Silicon versions and most other types do not contain an antibacterial. Wax pairs have the advantage that they are waterproof, fit tightly as they are very sticky and are effective at blocking sound. The disadvantages include the fact that only last for a few uses as they tend to become dirty and break up, sometimes leaving pieces behind in the ear canal. People with long hair find them a problem because their hair often becomes caught in them.

Zoom 1201 Guitar Multi-Effects Processor

Zoom is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, effects processors and accessories. Allegedly the name of the company was chosen simply to stand out among its competitors, simply because it started with the "unusual" letter Z. Zoom released their first product in 1990, the Zoom 9002 multi-effects processor. Seven years in 1997 later came one of their most successful products, the Zoom 1201.
The Zoom 1201 is a clear-cut stereo digital reverb and multi-effects processor. It does not support MIDI and allows for very little in the way of patch programming. However this simplicity, combined with its price tag (it originally retailed for around $150 and is now sold used for less than half that amount), is actually the main appeal of the 1201.
Users can select from 11 types of effects, each of which are available in 11 variations, by using knobs on the front panel of the unit. A three position slider is used to select from patch bank types.
The first available patch bank, Bank A, contains reverb effects grouped into Halls, Rooms, Plates, Vocal, Ambience, Dimension (panning reverbs and mono-to-stereo simulation patches), Percussion, Ensemble, Power, Gate and Reverse. Each reverb type has 11 variations, which can be selected by the Character/Variants knob. The Adjust control sets the reverb decay time.
Bank B contains mostly delay and modulation effects, such as chorus and flanging, as well as in various combinations.
The final effect bank is where other various effects offered by the Zoom 1201 can be found. A pitch shifter with 11 types of detuning, phasers and tremolo/pan effects, an auto-filter and ring modulator are all located in Bank C.
One of the most ridiculed effects on the 1201 is the Karaoke setting, which was intended to remove vocals from recordings using a combination of phase cancellation and filtering. However, the results are seldom useable.
The Zoom 1201 is a rackmount unit and takes up a single rack space. It uses an external power supply unit. Stereo inputs and outputs along with an input for a bypass footswitch are also included. Overall it makes a great entry-level effects processor for guitarists and electronic musicians alike.