How does an electric cello sound without effects?
Playing an electric cello without effects will neither be appealing to your audience nor enjoyable for you. The sound produced cannot be similar between an electric instrument and an acoustic one. This applies as much to electric violins as to any other electric instrument with an acoustic equivalent for comparison. The use of a solid body on electric instruments instead of a hollow body forming its resonance chamber, as found on acoustic instruments, completely changes the journey of sound waves and thus the sound signal.
An electric cello without effects produces a rather dry sound, lacking depth. The sound waves no longer travel through its resonance chamber. They do not benefit from natural amplification.
An electric instrument must be accompanied by effects to enhance your signal. Adding effects can be done through small individual effect pedals chained together, a multi-effects processor capable of simulating all effects, a preamp equipped with various frequency-specific settings, or an amplifier allowing certain adjustments. Naturally, each device plays its own role in an effects chain.
Which devices should you choose for creating effects?
Are there models of devices that perform better than others? Yes, most certainly, especially if you compare the ranges from different manufacturers. But if you’re wondering whether individual effect pedals outperform a multi-effects processor, the answer is: it depends on your needs.
Today, these devices each have their advantages and disadvantages. However, in terms of sound quality within the same price range, they are comparable. It’s often said that multi-effects processors produce digital effects and sound as such. This was certainly true in their early days. However, we see famous musicians playing with multi-effects processors. Do you think they would use them if the sound wasn’t up to par? Most of them use both types of devices.
Technologies evolve rapidly, and every year, manufacturers release new, increasingly advanced models. There will always be a debate between analog and digital for purists. But the sonic differences are now minimal.
| Individual effect pedals | |
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Weight per pedal | Be careful, weight becomes a disadvantage when you exceed 4 to 5 pedals. |
| Ease of use | You create a specific order of effects and settings, which cannot be changed during a live performance. |
| The price remains high per pedal (about a hundred euros per pedal). | |
| Analog effects (vs digital for processors) | If you’re a fan of very precise settings, you may lose them during transport by accidentally touching a knob, and above all, you cannot save them. |
| Managing the pedalboard and its power supply can become a real headache. | |
| Multi-effects processors | |
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Ideal for beginners, but… | requires working on effects chains, as the built-in chains correspond to guitar frequencies. So, you need to take the time to dig a bit. However, this is extremely educational on the subject! |
| Weight | Be careful, some high-end models can be very heavy. |
| Includes all possible effects in a single device | For sound purists, the effects are digital, not analog. |
| Simple to connect and power. Works with all global electrical systems thanks to a power supply compatible with any international outlet. | |
| Creation of hundreds of saved and foot-switchable effect chains | Difficult to master using only the processor’s interface, unless the model comes with computer software. The latter greatly simplifies effect creation. |
Which effects should you aim for with a cello?
The basics: the equalizer
As with all musical instruments, the first “effect” to implement is the equalizer or EQ. An equalizer allows you to adjust the sound signal spectrum of an instrument to attenuate or amplify certain frequencies.
The equalizer is essential for every instrument because it allows you to give body to the main timbre of your instrument. A cellist generally plays on the low tonality of their instrument rather than the high frequencies, which are more in the range of a violin.
It’s impossible to compete with frequencies your instrument cannot produce. It’s better to focus on what it does best.
A cello’s equalizer (EQ) will span a frequency range from approximately 65Hz to over 1kHz. You can limit the bass if the cello isn’t acting as a bass in the ensemble. You can also choose to extend the highs to 1.5–2kHz. These figures are given as examples; it’s important to test different possibilities with your cello, your device setup, and to consider the other instruments in your ensemble. A cello has 4 strings, sometimes more for electric cellos. As a reminder, the 4 installed strings are:
- C (65Hz)
- G (98Hz)
- D (147Hz)
- A (220Hz)
It is thus tuned an octave below the viola.
Why do you need to adjust your EQ?
The EQ should truly be seen as a way to boost your instrument and the role you play in a musical ensemble. Whether for a live or studio mix, the key is not to cover the important frequencies of another instrument. If all instruments start playing in the same frequency range, you end up with an incoherent ensemble where each instrument more or less masks the others. The result lacks clarity. This is why sound engineers always work on the overall mix. They try to assign a frequency range to each musician so they can be heard.
As a musician, an EQ can be tailored to the role played by the musician (soloist or accompanist) or the instrument in a piece (rhythmic or harmonic base). Multi-effects processors have a huge advantage here. By allowing the creation of dozens of effect chains, they also enable the addition of a customizable EQ per chain. This isn’t possible with an individual pedal. It is configured to match the instrument’s frequencies and is no longer adjusted afterward.
Some multi-effects processors allow you to set a general graphic or parametric equalizer to define the frequency position of bass, mids, and highs. Then, within each effect chain, you can insert an equalizer to manage their presence.
In any case, it’s always easier to create an effect chain if the input signal is clean. If the cellist starts creating effects with a signal containing parasitic noise, it will be amplified by the series of added effects. The clearer the signal, the easier it is to manage effects. The EQ is one of the tools that facilitates generating a clean signal.
Effect variations
Aiming for an acoustic sound
Now let’s tackle the variation of different effect chains. For an accompaniment or soloist role, the basic delay and reverb combo is a must-have for any cellist. This effect chain is used by all electric bowed string instruments because it aims to approximate the sound produced by an equivalent acoustic instrument.
This acoustic sound can also be approached using cello Impulse Response files, which should be paired with the previous effect chain. An Impulse Response file is, in a way, the reproduction of an acoustic breath produced by an instrument, a device, or a place, contained in a digital file. This file is used in an effect chain to replicate a specific acoustic. Impulse Response files exist for instruments, rooms, or spaces with particular sound reverberation (churches, cathedrals, halls, etc.), amplifiers, microphones, etc.
Below, cellist Leah Metzler plays our Horizon electric cello paired with the Hotone Ampero II Stomp effects processor.
Can I use a violin Impulse Response file with a cello?
An Impulse Response file is, in a way, an “acoustic capture” of an instrument, a space, or another device. An acoustic cello Impulse Response file will contain the frequencies produced by a cello. It corresponds to a specific frequency range. If you use an IR file designed for a violin but applied to a cello, some frequencies cannot be reproduced, particularly the violin’s high frequencies, which do not exist on a cello. IR files do not reproduce an instrument’s sound but simulate its “acoustics.”
Saturation effects
In a more expansive and prominent role, an electric cellist can opt for saturation effects, also called gain effects, such as distortion or overdrive.
Modulation effects
To multiply sonic possibilities, a polyphonic octaver is essential. It allows the addition of notes at different octaves from what the musician plays. The added octaves can be higher or lower.
Then, a harmonizer is also a must-have. It allows the creation of intervals, such as a third, corresponding to a chosen scale. It combines the received signal with the transformed signal using the harmonizer to create harmony.
Tone effects
We suggest the wah or auto-wah. We won’t go into the details of this effect, as we’ve written a detailed article about it here: The history and workings of the wah-wah effect.
5 ideas for effect chains to create
If we had to choose only 5 effect chains, we would opt for:
- delay + reverb (paired, if possible, with a cello IR file)
- boost + distortion (or another gain effect like overdrive)
- octaver + delay + reverb
- octaver + a saturation effect (overdrive or distortion)
- the first effect chain paired with a wah effect
This is the most basic effect chain, but it’s also the most used. It’s clearly a must-have for any cellist!
Who should you ask for advice on creating effects for the cello?
The first people who come to mind are guitarists. Because we assume they necessarily use effects and master the subject. This isn’t always true. They’re lucky to have devices on the market already configured for their instrument. Generally, they buy a model, plug it in, test the pre-integrated chains, select their favorites, and adapt them only if necessary. Most of the time, they stick with what’s offered because it works!
Unfortunately, this approach doesn’t work with a cello or any other bowed string instrument. The cellist absolutely has to get their hands dirty! They will need to adapt the effects to their instrument’s frequencies to fully benefit from high-quality sound. We therefore think it’s better to ask cellists, violinists, or violists who are adept with these devices. Moreover, they always have little tips specific to this family of instruments, particularly for reducing the noise of the bow on the strings.
Sources and images: 3Dvarius, Leah Metzler, Manufacturers of effect pedals or multi-effects processors
