这是2005年Music Player网上杂志评选出的自从有单块以来历史上50个最牛逼(greatest)的单块。给喜欢收集单块的朋友做个参考，少走些弯路。当然这种评选难免挂一漏万，因为是从历史角度回顾，自然还有很多很好的单块不在其中。不过列在这里的都是最有代表性的，开创音乐新领域的原创性的单块。



引用出处：http://www.musicplayer.com/article/50-the-greatest/Mar-05/4174


ADA Flanger
Debut: 1977
With its 35-to-1 sweep ratio—which was more than doublethat of the MXR A
uto Flanger and Tycobrahe Pedalflanger—the ADA could sweep anaudio signal over the horizon faster than you could say “voltage controlledclock oscillator.” When it comes to extreme flange effects, the ADA is stillunbeatable.
就是说有35比1的sweep比率，比MXR和Tycobrahe的同类产品都好。




Arbiter Fuzz Face
Debut: 1966
You’d have to have been frozen in a glacier for the past3,000 years to not know about the Fuzz Face or the left-handed Strat player whomade it famous. Introduced in 1966 by London’s Arbiter Music, thedynamic-sounding Fuzz Face represents mankind’s best use of two transistors,four resistors, and three capacitors.
就是说这个fuzz相当有名，因为吉米，亨德里克斯在1966年的伦敦用过。动感的fuzz代表了使用两个晶体管，四个电阻和三个电容的单块的最高水品。




Bixonic Expandora=
Debut: 1995
Surfacing at the height of the mid-’90s stompbox boom, theExpandora made friends fast with its rich fuzz sounds and its ability to beoptimized for distortion or overdrive via a pair of internal dip switches.Billy Gibbons’ onstage use of multiple Expandoras (most of which weren’t hookedup to anything) helped make the effect an overnight success.
90年代中期的fuzz单块，很容易调出来牛逼的失真。Billy Gibbons舞台上用的，所以该单块一夜成名。





Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble~
Debut: 1976
Famous for its lush analog sound, the stereo CE-1 set thestandard by which all chorus pedals are judged. With its dual footswitches(chorus/vibrato and effects bypass), input-level switch, chorus intensity andvibrato depth and speed controls, the CE-1 was also one of the most flexible ofthe breed.
模拟声音，立体声合唱，已经是工业标准了。双开关。可调性是同类产品中最好的之一。




Boss DM-2 Delay
Debut: 1981
Highly regarded for its tape-flavored tones, this classicanalog delay pedal specializes in short echoes (33ms to 330ms), and featuresecho, intensity, and repeat rate controls. Cranking the intensity knob makesfor a pretty rad effect in itself!
磁带延时的感觉。短延时很牛逼(33ms to 330ms)。






Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Debut: 1986
This ultra-popular digital pedal gave guitarists fargreater sonic flexibility than was possible with analog technology. Clearsounding, quiet, and delivering up to 800ms of delay, the DD-3 was an immediatehit. Features include dual outputs and a handy hold function that will loop adelayed part infinitely.
这个相当有名。当时电子延时刚出来，吉他手们一下子觉得声音的多样性增加了。而且很安静，延时达到800毫秒。还有双输出等功能。




Boss DS-1 Distortion
Debut: 1979
This ultra-classic distortion box is known for its warm,tube-like growl and excellent dynamics and punch. If you could have only onedistortion box, you couldn’t go wrong with a DS-1.
这个经典失真有温暖类似电子管的声音。动感和力量感都很好。如果只能有一个失真单块就是它了。



Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
Debut: 1991
Packing furious gain and powerful EQ, the MT-2 is wellequipped for scorching lead tones and gut-shaking, modern-metal chunk.
巨大的增益和失真。均衡也特牛。很适合现代金属的主音和大块的强力和弦。





Colorsound Overdriver
Debut: 1972
Boosted grind is the forte of this great-sounding,British-made overdrive. Equipped with drive, treble, and bass controls, theOverdriver is ideal for making even clean amps perform very dirty tricks—justask Jeff Beck.
英国产的失真。能让最干净的箱子发出脏声音。Jeff Beck用的。






Demeter Tremulator
Debut: 1982
Designed to deliver soft, amp-style tremolo with no volumelosses or unwanted coloration, the compact Tremulator needs only speed anddepth controls to yield smooth, Fender-style pulse.
能发出柔软，管箱一样的颤音，而没有音量损失和印染。体积小。类似FENDER 管箱式的平滑颤音。






Guyatone Flip Series VT-X Vintage Tremolo
Debut: 1999
The VT-X is a fat-sounding, tube-powered tremolo thatoffers a wide range of trem speed, as well as a bevy of controls. Along withintensity, speed, and tone knobs, the unit sports a slow/fast range switch andan Emphasis function that adds bite to the tones without taking the warm,amp-like undulations straight to the chopping block. The VT-X features dualoutputs and is powered by a 12-volt AC adapter. Put it last in line and digwhat it does for your tone!
声音肥厚，电子管颤音，可调范围很广。双输出。12伏特交流电输入。



DigiTech Whammy
Debut: 1991
This 11-year-old audio acrobat is currently performing itsdigital wang-bar tricks, chorus-like manual detuning, and pedal-controlledinterval morphing for a generation of nu-metal players. Even jazzers such asJohn Scofield and Jim Hall have grooved on this wild pedal. If you’re itchingto get down with something spicier than an octave fuzz, but not as diabolic asa ring-modulator, the Whammy is a great middle ground.
哇音单块。电子哇音。新金属里用得多。但是爵士吉他手比如John Scofield和Jim Hall也用。可以当作音调升降单块用。





Dunlop 535Q Wah
Debut: 2001
The 535Q is like having several wah pedals in one. Itsmultitude of functions (which include a 6-position wah range switch, a wahfine-tune control, a boost on/off switch, and “Q” and volume trimmers) mayinvite option anxiety, but they give the 535Q the flexibility and power tofield everything from funk to metal.
这个哇音单块仿佛是几个哇音单块和在一起。6档的哇音范围调节，哇音微调控制，增益开关等等。



Electro-Harmonix 16-Second Digital Delay
Debut: 1982
Electro-Harmonix introduced a ton of revolutionary pedalsin the ’70s and early ’80s, and one of the most adventurous was the 16-SecondDelay. Able to record parts on the fly, and then replay them at the touch of abutton, this early digital sampler opened the door to onstage looping, and itwould become a key element in the textural styles pioneered by Robert Quine andBill Frisell.
EH公司七八十年代******性单块之一。能延时16秒。还可以录音。最早的数码Looper。





Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man
Debut: 1976
Famous for its warm, tape-like delays and detailedchorusing (owing to the fact that only the feedback signal was chorused, thuspreserving the integrity of the dry signal), this classic chorus/echo/vibratounit stands out as one of the major reasons so many guitar players still freakat the mere mention of the word “analog.”
因为其温暖的，类似磁带延时的声音。延时的声音加了合唱，但是本音没有合唱。这是一款经典的合唱，回声，和颤音单块。模拟单块。




Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
Debut: 1971
Though not quite the distortion-free sustainer the originalEH ads cracked it up to be, the Big Muff’s soft-clipping and treble-rolloffcircuitry yielded smooth, singing tones that were way more tube-like than anyfuzzbox could deliver.
EH公司最初的广告说这个是没有失真的延音加长单块，虽然这倒未必是真的，但是这个款的soft-clipping和高切让声音更平滑和动听，比其他fuzz单块更象管箱。



Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress
Debut: 1977
The Electric Mistress is a pretty unique sounding animalthat’s less of a flange/chorus box and more of a spacy detuning machine thatdoubles as a portal into the mind of Robert Fripp. Using the Filter Matrixswitch to disengage the automatic sweep lets you manually dial in metallicchimes and other strange noises.
对于Robert Fripp来说，这款单块不象是合唱/flanger单块而更像是范围广阔的音调变换器。Filter开关让你发出金属般的共鸣声和其他奇奇怪怪的声音。




Electro-Harmonix LPB-1
Debut: 1968
The LPB-1 wasn’t a stompbox—it plugged right into the inputjack of a guitar—but this single-transistor power booster gave guitaristsunprecedented powers of distortion. Able to drive even the cleanest amplifierinto clipping, this tiny titan not only put Electro-Harmonix on the map, italso paved the way for the advent of high-gain amplifiers.
这款其实不是单块，它直接插入吉他的输入口产生强大的，前所未有的增益失真。当年这款不仅让EH公司扩大市场，而且为高增益音箱的诞生铺平了道路。


Electro-Harmonix Small Stone
Debut: 1976
This simple phase shifter needs only a rate knob and acolor switch to deliver rich, swooshy, psychedelic swirl. Costing about half asmuch as the MXR Phase 90, the Small Stone was an immensely popular phaser and ahuge hit for Electro-Harmonix.
这个phaser单块声音肥厚，移动而且迷幻。而且比MXR的Phase 90便宜一半。相当有名。

Foxx Tone Machine
Debut: 1972
One of the hippest octave–fuzzes ever made, the ToneMachine packed tons of output and it tracked well to boot. Obtaining one ofthese flocked boxes will prove costly nowadays, so it’s worth noting that theDanelectro French Toast mini pedal incorporates the vintage Foxx circuit.
最嬉皮的octave/fuzz单块。

Fulltone Distortion Pro
Debut: 2001
This highly evolved pedal offers thick distortion, potentoutput, and the ability to precisely tailor the dynamic response to suit youramplifier, playing style, and mood. And it does all this while keeping thesound of your guitar intact. Amazing! Definitely one of the most talented newoverdrivers on the market.
肥厚的失真，有力的输出，可调行也很广阔。重视表现吉他原来声音。是最近几年最有才的新失真单块。

Fulltone Full-Drive 2
Debut: 1995
This dual-channel unit features the usual volume, tone, andoverdrive controls, but adds a footswitchable boost function with a separatelevel control. A great-sounding overdrive in its own right, the Full-Drive 2 isparticularly hip for its ability to deliver two distinct distortion flavors
这个双输出通道失真单块在一般的控制之外，还加了一个增益开关。两种失真的声音很不同。
Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer
Debut: 1980
Made famous by Eric Johnson, this definitive overdrive is aclose cousin of the popular TS-9. The TS-808 delivers warm, grainy distortion,plenty of output, and has a strong upper-midrange bump that colors your guitarsound considerably.
由于Eric Johnson而出名。是另一个款有名的失真单块TS9的堂兄。声音温暖而有颗粒感，输出大，而且突出中高频。

Klon Centaur
Debut: 1994
Featuring a beautiful cast-metal enclosure and a retro-coolbronze/oxblood color scheme, the Centaur is a medium-gain pedal noted for itsopen-sounding distortion and beefy low-end.
漂亮的金属外壳。中等输出的失真单块，声音宽阔而且有beefy的低音。

Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler
Debut: 1999
One of the first digital-modeling stompboxes, the DL4provides simulations of 15 classic analog delays and tape-echo units. With itsuser-friendly interface, and smart features such as tap-tempo, stereo ins andouts, and a 14-second looping function, the DL4 is one-stop-shopping for delayfreaks.
最早的数字单块之一。模拟15种经典的模拟线路的延时。使用方便，立体声输入输出。14秒loop。喜欢延时的老兄有这个其他都不用买了。


Lovetone Meatball
Debut: 1995
Featuring four frequency ranges, multiple filter types(with depth and resonance controls), attack and decay knobs, a trigger section,and a handy effects loop, the British-made Meatball can do the funky-filterthing as readily as it dishes up animal snorts, bird whistles, insect matingcalls, and endless iterations of lower-tract distress.
四段均衡，多种filter。英国造。什么都能玩。

Maestro Fuzz-Tone
Debut: 1963
As the first commercially available fuzzbox, thiswedge-shaped device added signature buzz to hundreds of ’60s-era country, pop,and rock recordings. Based on a transistor circuit cooked up by a Nashvillestudio engineer, the Fuzz-Tone kicked off the beginning of the stompboxrevolution.
这个是第一个投入市场的fuzz单块。给60年代的乡村流行和摇滚乐录音带来了许多毛糙的边缘感。


Morley Power Wah Boost
Debut: 1973
Morley broke with the wah pack by introducing a model thatused a photo resistor in place of the standard potentiometer. The PWB doubledas a volume pedal, and it also featured a footswitchable, variable boostfunction. With its wide, smooth sweep and quiet operation, the PWB was arevolutionary design that opened the door for a slew of ever more elaborateMorley pedals.
用一个胶片电阻取代了标准的电位器。这个新发明是后来更进步的Morley哇音增益单块的鼻祖。


Musitronics Mu-Tron III
Debut: 1972
Developed for Musitronics by electronics designer MikeBiegle, the Mu-Tron III envelope follower/voltage-controlled filter producedautomatic wah effects that changed timbre in response to your playing dynamics.Made famous by Stevie Wonder—who plugged one into a clavinet for the hit“Higher Ground”—the Mu-Tron III was a key element in ’70s funk, and it was alsofavored by Larry Coryell and Jerry Garcia.
自动哇音效果器，但是也对弹奏的动感很敏感。Steve Wonder用过。70年代的Funk音乐里少不了这个。LarryCoryell and Jerry Garcia也用这个。


MXR Distortion +
Debut: 1973
This early buzz box—a favorite of Randy Rhoads—used asimple op-amp circuit that provided both insane gain and tube-soundingdistortion textures (provided that you made sure to roll off the treble on yourguitar and amp). The + was also one of MXR’s most popular effects, selling inexcess of 20,000 units per year at its peak.
早期的失真单块。Randy Rhoads最喜欢的单块。简单的线路，旷野的失真，听起来象管箱的质感，必须要把吉他和音箱高音切掉一些。这个是MXR最受欢迎的单块，最多时候每年卖掉2万个。

MXR Dyna Comp
Debut: 1973
Putting the pop in country licks and helping slide partssound silky smooth has long been a specialty of this king of stompboxcompressors. The Dyna Comp was quickly adopted by ace Nashville session playerssuch as Reggie Young and Jerry Reed—who used the script-logo versions onhundreds of hit recordings—and it was also a key tool of slide master LowellGeorge.
搞流行和乡村的喜欢用，比如Reggie Young and Jerry Reed在几百首上榜歌曲中使用了一个特别版。滑棒大师LowellGeorge也用。

MXR Flanger
Debut: 1980
The moment Eddie Van Halen kicked on this baby for“Unchained” in 1981, the MXR Flanger was guaranteed a place in the stompboxHall of Fame. Besides delivering deep, powerful swoosh, this AC-powered analogbox could delve into chorusing, steel-drum simulations, and other shades oflo-fi lusciousness.
自从1981年范海伦在Unchained中使用，这款Flanger就出名了。音色深广有力。交流电推动。

MXR Phase 90
Debut: 1973
This orange box needs just a speed knob to yield complexswirl and cool, rotary-speaker simulations. Another essential ingredient in VanHalen’s classic setup (he set it for a very slow sweep), the Phase 90 is theone to get if you can only have one phaser.
这款橘红色Phase单块就一个速度钮。也是范海伦的经典。如果只能有一个phase单块，就是这个了。

Prescription Electronics Experience Pedal
Debut: 1993
This boutique octave-fuzz offers intense sustain, loads ofoutput, and a unique swell circuit that can simulate the effect of playingbackwards. The Experience’s soft, wooly octave sound is one of the attributesthat makes this pedal a standout.
这个八度音fuzz单块提供紧张的延音，大量输出，还可以模拟反弹的效果。柔软的八度音很杰出。

Pro Co Rat
Debut: 1978
The Rat’s distortion and wide-ranging filter controls yieldtones that are straight from the Tube Screamer quadrant, but with considerablymore gain and bass. Plug into this thing and you’ll understand why Ratsinfested so many pedalboards in the ’70s and ’80s.
老鼠的失真有广泛的filter，和多种Tube Screamer系列的单块一样广阔的音谱，但是失真和低音更多。70和80年代无数单块盒里都有它。


Roger Mayer Octavia
Debut: 1966
If Roger Mayer wasn’t the first boutique stompbox builder,he certainly was the most famous. His biggest hit was the Octavia, whichdelivers a ringing second-octave effect. Mayer recalls that within a few daysof hearing the effect, Jimi Hendrix took the Octavia to the studio and pluggedit straight into a Marshall for his solos on “Purple Haze” and “Fire.”
又最有名的boutique单块制造者Roger Mayer制造。这个单块提供第二个八度音效果。听了这个单块之后几天，JimiHendrix就拿着这款去录音室直接插到一个Marshall音箱里录了“Purple Haze” and “Fire.”的独奏。

Roland AP-7 Jet Phaser
Debut: 1975
Best known for creating the swirling, nasally fuzz sound onthe Isley Brothers hit, “Who’s that Lady,” the Jet Phaser combined amulti-setting phase shifter with a fuzz circuit that was probably lifted fromRoland’s Bee Baa pedal. The rarely-seen AP-7 packs a bunch of controls andspecializes in psychedelic colors that no combination of fuzz and phaser canquite duplicate.
这是一个fuzz 和phaser的2合1单块。Isley兄弟的名曲 “Who’s that Lady”中旋转的，充满鼻音的fuzz音色。而且phaser很迷幻。

Snarling Dogs Mold Spore Psycho-Scumatic Wah
Debut: 1999
It’s easy to believe that a pedal packing wah and ringmodulation would be pretty extreme. But even those who think they’ve heardeverything will likely be blown away once they start messing with this baby’sFreakwincy, Psychoscumation, and Straightjacket controls—not to mention theFreak Sweep button, which allows for foot control of the ring modulationcenter-point. Bottom line: If you want to show you’re nuts, this is the pedalto do it with.
哇音器和钟鸣模拟器的合并单块。

T.C. Electronic Stereo Chorus + Pitch Modulator& Flanger
Debut: 1982
Lots of players consider this Danish-made unit to be theultimate chorus pedal—and it’s great for Leslie-style tones, too. Thanks to abeautifully designed analog circuit that delivers a 20Hz-20kHz bandwidth andimposes a noise-gate on the wet signal, the T.C. is one of the clearest andquietest chorus boxes ever made.
许多吉他手都为人这个丹麦产的合唱单块是最牛逼的合唱单块。模拟线路提供20Hz-20kHz音频宽度，还有一个降噪门。这个是最干净而安静的合唱单块。

Tech 21 SansAmp
Debut: 1989
This brainy D.I. device uses analog circuitry to simulatethe sounds of different amplifiers in clean and distorted configurations. TheSansAmp’s eight character switches—which can be used individually or incombination to do such things as boost mids, alter the treble response, andenhance the lows—are at the heart of this studio-oriented device’schameleon-like powers. Kurt Cobain used a SansAmp onstage.
这个多样的模拟器模仿多种音箱，清音和失真都可以。8个旋钮提供变色龙一般的多样性。一般在录音室里用，但是涅磐的KurtCobain在舞台上也用。

Tube Works Tube Driver
Debut: 1979
The Tube Driver has at least three distinctions: It was thefirst distortion pedal to use a real tube, it was designed by a keyboard player(Brent Butler), and it was made famous by Eric Johnson (who used one straightinto a Marshall for his lead sound). Several versions of this box were made,and the four-knob models built by Butler for Chandler are generally consideredthe best.
这款是第一个用真的电子管的单块，由键盘手Brent Butler发明，而Eric Johnson让它成名，Johnson直接插入Marshall箱******主音。有几种型号，为Chandler做的4个旋钮的型号被认为是最好的。

Tycobrahe Octavia
Debut: 1970
In the beginning, there were only two ways to get anOctavia: You could become a rock star and get it directly from Roger Mayer, oryou could purchase a Tycobrahe clone. The tale of two Octavias began whenbassist Noel Redding brought one of Jimi Hendrix’s broken units to theTycobrahe folks to be repaired. The rest, as they say, is history.
在最初，获得一个Octavia单块的方式只有两个，一个是成为摇滚明星，这样Roger Mayer就会给你做一个送来，另一个方法是买一个Tycobrahe的克隆版。这个单块的故事是贝司手Noel Redding买了Jimi Hendrix的一个坏了的Octavia送去给Tycobrahe公司的人维修。然后这帮人就开创了克隆的历史。

Univox Uni-Vibe
Debut: 1969
Another stompbox made famous by Hendrix is the Uni-Vibe—anearly rotary-speaker simulator that used a pulsating light source and fourphoto resistors to modulate its four-stage phase-shifting circuit. It’sprimitive technology, but what would Band of Gypsys be without the Uni-Vibe’sthick, smoky swirl? Or, for that matter, Robin Trower?
这是另一个因为Hendrix成名的单块，本来是模仿喇叭旋转的效果的。很原始。但是吉普赛乐队没有它不行。

Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive
Debut: 2000
What makes this distortion/overdrive pedal special is itsability to simulate the layering effect of two amplifiers. The Sparkle Drive’skey feature is its clean knob, which lets you add boosted clean signal to thedistortion sound to enhance clarity and detail.
这个失真单块的特殊性在于可以模仿两个音箱的层累的效果。还有一个清音旋钮，让你在失真声音上加一层增益过的清音型号，来提升清晰度和细节。

Vox CryBaby
Debut: 1967
Hendrix was the first and most famous to jump on thisessential effect—which was invented by a Thomas Organ engineer named BradPlunkett. The CryBaby’s distinctly vocal inflections are irresistible tohumans, who have used the device with impunity on practically every style ofmusic ever since.
Hendrix是第一个也是最有名的使用这个单块的乐手。Crybaby有独特的音色变化，每一种音乐种类都需要。

Vox Tone Bender
Debut: 1967
This classic British fuzz was Vox’s answer to the MaestroFuzz-Tone. Listen to Jeff Beck’s exotic-sounding guitar work on “Over UnderSideways Down,” and you’ll get a pretty good idea of why the Tone Bender islegendary.
经典的英国Fuzz，是Vox对Maestro Fuzz-Tone的回应。听Jeff Beck充满异国情调的作品“OverUnder Sideways Down,”来理解为什么这个这么有名。

Way Huge Blue Hippo
Debut: 1998
Broad, rich chorusing and the ability to preserve thetonality of your guitar make the Blue Hippo a heavyweight of the analog jungle.This is one chorus you can really lay into without feeling like you’ve dunkedyour tone in a muddy Muzak watering hole
广阔多彩的合唱，同时保持你的吉他本身的音色。模拟线路。

Way Huge Swollen Pickle
Debut: 1996
Though one of the most corpulent-sounding fuzzes, thisherkin’ gherkin can also deliver explosive treble bite.
最肥厚的fuzz的音色单块。同时有爆炸式的高音。

Z.Vex Fuzz Factory
Debut: 1995
Featuring volume, gate, comp, drive, and stab controls, theFuzz Factory produces everything from classic, Beck/Clapton-style buzz toanimal squeals, garbled spacecraft chatter, and dying-transistor sputters. Thisis one of the widest-ranging fuzzes of all time.
有volume, gate, comp, drive, and stab等控制，这个Fuzz单块能发出经典的Beck和Clapton的音色到模仿动物的叫声和其他怪声。有史以来声音种类最广阔的fuzz单块。

Z.Vex Seek Wah
Debut: 1996
Packing eight individually tunable, sequentially driven wahcircuits (which can be set to fire in four-, six-, or eight-voice patterns),the Seek Wah is well equipped to produce such trippy effects as modulated-wahtremolo, oddball-sounding arpeggios, and myriad dialects of robot speak.
这个哇音单块有8种不同的哇音线路。还有哇音颤音和琶音，还可以模拟各种各样的机器人讲话的声音。