I have a digitech grunge pedal which I plug into itself producing a continuous note quite.

Turning the bass knob adjusts the pitch, the volume adjust pitch and volume, and the high and tone knobs adjust the tone.

Shifting pitch causes a sound very similar to a bowed saw or theremin.

My question is, does this count as an instrument?



You can do something similar with a wah pedal too

If you can make a sound with it, it's an instrument as far as I'm concerned.

i'd consider it like this. would you walk up to a group of musicians and tell them you play a distortion pedal as an instrument and expect them to take you seriously? i suppose it depends on the context of what you're playing and whether or not you're like the bulk of the synth types i've met (read: super anal) and have to list off every last piece of gear they use for a recording because they're all 'different instruments'.

seriously. when you check liner notes do guitarists list off every specific guitar they used on a tune? no. they say 'i play the guitar'. if you play 'electronics' then leave it at that.

technically seba is right, anything that can produce a controllable sound can be considered an instrument. i just don't see the point in needing to reclassify everything.