Ring Modulation: How to Begin

Ring modulation is a bizarre effect, but here's 5 practical ways you can use it without being weird for the sake of weird. Detailed info for each pro-tip is below. Stop-motion animation and drone footage by John Marty.

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PRO-TIP #1: GREAT DISTORTION
Whichever ring mod pedal you have, try setting the frequency shift to somewhere a little above the halfway point of its range, and setting the mix to something like 40%. Then run it into an overdriven amp or into your dirt pedals, and it should fuse with the distortion in a really cool way. In my example, I'm using the Quadrature mode (specifically amplitude modulation) in the Strymon Mobius to do this.

PRO-TIP #2: THE BELL SOUND
Pick a single note that's in the key of whatever song you're about to play, and then turn the frequency shift up on your ring modulator until it sounds like it's on an octave of that note. Then play that note in various positions with a lot of reverb, and it will sound like bells.

PRO-TIP #3: THE UNIVERSAL SWEET SPOT
While turning the frequency shift, find the spot where it's right in between a simple tremolo effect and a weirder, telltale ring mod effect. Once you're in that spot, use an LFO to continuously move the frequency shift, so that it drifts in between tremolo and weirdness while you continue to play.

PRO-TIP #4: THE CARRIER SIGNAL=SYNTH
If your ring mod pedal can output its carrier signal, use that as an instrument on its own, with the frequency shift knob now acting as a simple pitch control. Note that in order to do this with Randy's Revenge from Fairfield Circuitry, which is what I use in the example, you will need to unscrew the back of the pedal and adjust the DIP switches inside. Make it so that only switch #3 (OSC) is activated, and the rest are deactivated.

PRO-TIP #5: USE AN EXP PEDAL FOR MIX
Set up an expression pedal to control the mix of your ring modulator. Then experiment by blending the mix in and out while you're playing. See if you can start to play phrases that incorporate this technique in ways that sound intentional.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:34 Pro-Tip #1: Great Distortion
01:37 Sound Example
02:12 Pro-Tip #2: The Bell Sound
03:02 Sound Example
03:56 Pro-Tip #3: The Universal Sweet Spot
05:18 Sound Example
05:51 Pro-Tip #4: The Carrier Signal=Synth
07:36 Sound Example
08:35 Pro-Tip #5: Use an Exp Pedal for Mix
10:09 Sound Example