Music Factory

The term “amplifier” or simply “amp” is now used not only to mean any device that increases the signal’s breadth of range. Its modern usage is primarily to refer to an electronic amplifier used in microcomputers, hi-fi stereos, television and radio transmitters and receivers, electronic digital equipments and instruments for audio applications, such as guitar amplifiers.

Buying an amplifier therefore requires one to determine what you are using it for. Another factor to be considered is the amplifier’s efficiency, meaning, its ability to convert power input to output. Amplifiers can fall under categories that range from Class A to Class D, with Class D being most efficient and Class A being the least. And like all other technologies, the compatibility of the amplifier to where you intend to use it is the key factor.

One of the first tasks for rock bands upon arrival at a new venue involves adjusting to the sonic properties of the space. A room’s dimensions and surfaces play a dramatic part in determining the quality of sound, but this effect can be manipulated to a point by the musicians themselves. Bigger bands have roadies and technicians to handle such tedious chores, but the onus might fall to you if you’re playing in a small-time rock band.

After plugging an electric ax into a guitar amp, you’ll need to adjust the equalizer settings. Start by turning the bass, mid and treble levels to zero. Starting with bass, strum a power chord on the lowest two strings of the instrument. Crank up the bass knob until you hear a “wave” or “swell” sound – that’s how you know you’ve found the proper sound level for the given venue. The process should be repeated for the mid and treble levels, strumming power chords on the other four strings in a similar fashion.

These days, distortion is considered a fundamental part of rock music, basically the complement to a catchy pop hook. But in rock’s formative years, people considered dissonance to be a sign of musical weakness. It was all about the purity of pop songs and the technical virtuosity of jazz standards. Before long, however, musicians discovered that they could make a whole new range of interesting noises with the help of a guitar amplifier.

More than just a way to amplify sound, the amp can be used for creative purposes as well. In the late 1980s and early ’90s, the Irish shoegaze band My Bloody Valentine pushed the boundaries of what rock music could sound like. By implementing effects pedals, amplifier feedback and offbeat tunings, they cranked out sounds that might have originated in a whole different universe.

If you’ve ever attended a rock concert, it’s very likely that you’ve spent the rest of that night or even the following day nursing your ringing ears. The level of noise that concert goers experience at these events is created with the help of a series of industrial guitar amps. These electronic amplifiers enhance the level of noise produced by both electric and acoustic guitars, and their use first became widely popular in the 1940s.

During this time, Hawaiian music was extremely trendy, and people simply couldn’t get enough of the laid back tunes. Indicative of that sound, the lap steel Hawaiian guitar was frequently amplified for this particular brand of music. Since that time, artists have increasingly played with the musical possibilities offered by amplifier distortion. By overdriving the guitar amps, The Kinks developed a distinctive sound, which would later be carried over to heavy metal, hardcore punk, and blues rock.