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Similar effect(s) to the Digitech Whammy...?

zartalexander

zartalexander

Guest
Mar 17, 2012
105
9
California
#1
So I'm sure this has been asked before (in fact, I'm sure it has), but I'm looking for something similar to the Digitech Whammy pedal.

HOWEVER, I am really just looking for one effect that I was able to get out of it. I was borrowing my guitarist's whammy and I really enjoyed playing around with the 1st setting (harmony: ˅octave, ^octave) and I was getting some crazy sounds when the pedal was positioned somewhere in the middle. It was resonating in a weird, detuned warbling double guitar effect. I don't really know how else to explain it.

But what I am looking for is to see if anyone is familiar with this pedal or that setting/effect, and can maybe offer something that will do the exact same thing? I would just use the whammy, but I really don't want or need the other settings and it is kind of large footprint on my pedalboard with limited space. Plus, it would be nice to have a knob rather than a foot pedal to dial in the setting just right. I guess it's like a frequency sweep, yeah?

Any help would be appreciated.
 
#3
I don't think what I'm hearing is a true "detune" sound. The whammy also has a detune setting and it sounds similar to a chorus. I know they also make the Luxe pedal now, which is also a detune that sounds chorus-y, but again it's not really the effect I'm looking for...
 
#6
You want a wet+dry octave signal that's tunable. Yes that's technically a "detune" but it's not that same as, for example, the Detune setting on the Whammy.

An H9 can do it but you'd need to spend at least $300 to get one unless you luck out somehow. The only other pedal that comes to mind is the EHX Ring Thing (and probable some of their _OG line) but that's about the same size as a whammy.
 
#8
i think you should check out the ehx mini pog, if you are using the older whammy pedal or those that have the classic setting those warbling is caused by digital artifacts like what Bassbrad says.

The ehx mini pog's verdict is that it has that warbling thingy going on if i recall correctly from reading the original thread for the mini pog.

Also check out the Earthquaker devices organizer, if you see the lag knob was meant to get the pedal to warble[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
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#9
Sounds like you need a pitch shifter that will allow you to continuously vary the shift amount. I don't recall if the old boss PS-3 did this or not, and there may be some out there. The cheapest solution would be to get something like the Behringer U600 shifter and either use an expression pedal or wire up a pot if you just want a single setting/shift value.

Not a subtle warble, but a dissonator, right?
 
#11
A lot of you guys are missing a key aspect to what the OP described. The whammy in its Oct down/up harmony setting can be set somewhere in a middle position that is a very out of tune harmony with your original bass note. I would think that maybe the EHX pitchfork with an expression pedal could do the same thing and maybe certain ring mods. Not an easy effect to replicate.
 
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#12
Oneirogenic said:
A lot of you guys are missing a key aspect to what the OP described. The whammy in its Oct down/up harmony setting can be set somewhere in a middle position that is a very out of tune harmony with your original bass note. I would think that maybe the EHX pitchfork with an expression pedal could do the same thing and maybe certain ring mods. Not an easy effect to replicate.
Click to expand...

I totally appreciate everyone's help, but I think that this is exactly what I'm looking at (the way I described it yielded a variety of responses I think).

I tried the Earthquaker Pitch Bay, and it was really cool except it didn't work for me because the octaves only move up and down in semitones (if it was the microtones (?) in between that maybe could have done the trick). The music store I went to didn't have the Organizer, but I think it would have been the same issue. The pitch fork is the same in this way, unless I add an exp pedal I suppose. But again, trying to avoid a footpedal for several reasons...I just want that same effect, function, and control but with knobs.

I also tried the Digitech Luxe, which actually got closer to the sound than I thought it would! But it is really just the "detune" setting that can be found on the Whammy, maybe with a little more range...? Unfortunately, not quite enough range (but close!)

I guess a ring mod could maybe work, but I just don't want that metallic/robotic sound. Don't get me wrong, Ring Mods are awesome. But I don't want to sound too synthy or "electronic"

Any thoughts? Ideas? Anyone?
 
#16
Update if anyone is interested...

I tried the Boss Harmonist with and without an expression pedal, and it does not do everything that the whammy does...specifically what I am trying to do.

I tried the Pitch Fork with a exp pedal and it DOES get the sound I'm looking for. I found a couple small builders that make compact expression pedals with knobs instead of foot pedals, so I think that I can get that sound using one of those. Seems like my best option, and I'm okay with that. :)
 
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