Can You See Guitar Pedal Saturation in Real Time?
Static THD and output plots can tell us a lot about how a guitar pedal behaves, but they can be difficult to connect directly to what happens while we’re actually playing.
In this video, I use a teaching tool I created called DynaTOP, the Dynamic THD and Output Predictor to make that connection easier to see. DynaTOP combines previously measured THD and output-versus-input characteristics with the changing input envelope of a real guitar signal.
Using a volume pedal, I move deliberately from relatively clean operation through edge of breakup and into stronger saturation while hearing and seeing the transition at the same time.
I also show several very different gain pedals to visualize their saturation characteristics.
DynaTOP is something I created with ASIO401, Python and the QuantAsylum QA403 as part of my teaching and pedal analysis workflow. I expect to use it in future videos to help connect what guitarists hear and feel with what the measurements are showing.