DigiTech

October 2011 Guitarist 127
DIGITECH WHAMMY DT £289
EFFECTS
DigiTech
Whammy DT
PRICE: £289
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Pitch-shifting, harmonising
and drop tuning pedal
EFFECTS: Nine harmony, 10
whammy, two detune, 18 drop tune
CONTROLS: Effect selector knob,
drop tune effects selector, whammy
effects switch, drop tune effect switch
and momentary switch
CONNECTIONS: Mono input and
output, footswitch input, MIDI In port
OTHER FEATURES: Onboard
expression pedal, DSP bypass or true
bypass modes
DIMENSIONS: 208 (w) x 59.5 (h)
x 196mm (d)
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 1.59/3.5
POWER: 9V external DC
PSU (supplied)
EXT CONTROLLERS: Three-way
FS3X (£49)
RANGE OPTIONS: DigiTech
Whammy (£219)
Sound Technology
01462 480000
www.digitech.com
Test results
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
GUITARIST RATING
treadle, plus input for the
optional DigiTech FS3X
footswitch for selecting the
effects. There are also two
bypass modes, true and DSP
bypass, with the later
smoothing the operation of the
momentary switch – and you
can even recalibrate the treadle
if necessary.
Sounds
All of the harmony and
whammy effects provide a
smooth glissando between
intervals, and there isn’t, nor
has there ever been, any ugly
stepping or glitching to contend
with. Although the Whammy
does work with chords, it’s with
single notes that the effects are
at their most strident. For sheer
ferocity, using the octave up
options provides some truly
searing notes and the treadle is
so smooth that emulating Tom
Morello is just a question of
timing [and talent! – Ed].
The dive bomb feature, which
was first introduced to the
Whammy in 2000, mimics the
unbridled joy of abusing a
double-locking vibrato system
without the need to drill holes
into your pride and joy, and the
drop tune section can genuinely
operate as a virtual capo, albeit
restricted to the interval you’ve
set the pedal to.
If you plan to use the
momentary switch, we would
suggest setting the pedal to
DSP bypass, as there is an
infinitesimal yet discernible
hiccup between the original
and shifted signal when used
with true bypass. While we’re
on the subject of more technical
issues, the level of unappealing
digital fluttering, which is
especially apparent when using
full clean chords with the
harmony effects, is somewhat
reduced from previous
Whammys: good news.
Verdict
The Whammy DT is a unique
pedal, and if you fancy joining
the ranks of some of the guitar’s
greatest and most innovative
players then this is the version
to add to your pedalboard. A
lower spec version – the
Whammy (£219) – is available,
but the drop tuning options
afforded by the DT should not
be missed. Easy to use and with
a robust construction, it can
provide a powerful addition to
your arsenal whether you play
metal, country or styles in
between: how many pedals
can you say that about?
The Bottom Line
We like: The drop tune
effects; ease of use;
authenticity of the effects
We dislike: The occasional
digital fluttering
Guitarist says: The best
Whammy pedal so far?
We think so. If you’ve ever
fancied giving one a go,
the time is now
All the harmony and whammy eff ects provide a smooth
glissando between intervals, and there’s no ugly stepping
or glitching to contend with
The harmony and whammy effects are as effective and ferocious as ever
GIT347.rev_digi.indd 127 9/12/11 12:16:30 PM