There was a time not long ago when effects were strictly a studio tool, the result of experimentation by engineers and musicians, such as Les Paul, who began to create echo effects by manipulating reel-to-reel tape. Once guitars became amplified … Continue reading Musicology: A History of the Guitar Effect Pedal, 1941-1977
Today’s musical landscape would look completely different without the advent of the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), which is now so commonplace that the majority of artists working today would rarely record with anything else. Not only can the development of … Continue reading Musicology: A Brief History of The Digital Audio Workstation
Here at Words by Watts we spend a lot of time thinking, talking and writing about gear, by default always looking towards the new and exciting. It’s pretty difficult to say when this fascination with music making machines began, but … Continue reading Musicology: The Origins of the World’s Oldest Instrument: A Brief History of the Flute
House music grew out of the disco movement of the early 1980s, with club DJ Frankie Knuckles being widely credited as helping to establish the genre. It was during his tenure as musical director of the Chicago club the Warehouse … Continue reading Musicology: The Birth of House & Acid House
