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Published on 11/27/11 at 07:24Steel construction
High-impact plastic ends and switches
Steel rocker
Wet/dry ratio knob
1 bypass footswitch
1 "scroll through the settings" footswitch
5 shift modes, 6 harmony modes, and "detune"
1/4 inch input and output jack
UTILIZATION
This is not the original Digitech Whammy; it is the 2nd generation unit. The first is the distinct red pedal with the "whacky" font, so it is the pedal everyone knows and recognizes. The first pedal was the pedal that was reissued, albeit with an additional midi port added.
However, THIS pedal, the II - THIS is the pedal that should have been reissued. It may be a sleeker look, a bit more non-descript, but there is one feature this pedal has that the other Whammy pedals do not have - FOOT CONTROL OF PRESETS! The other pedals require one to bend down and turn a knob in order to change a setting. This is a major annoyance onstage, as one should have to bend down to adjust on a minimal basis. The Whammy II allows the user to scroll up each of 12 presets, one per click. Also, 2 favorite presets can be saved to toggle back and forth between, so one wouldn't have to clickclickclickclickclickclickclick to get to the preset that's needed for a new song part.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal is incredible. It is quirky, in that it really only likes single notes to be played through it for full fidelity. A single note, with the unit on shift mode, will make a smooth portamento as one sweeps through the rocker pedal. Adding in multiple notes, ala a chord or arpeggio that rings out, will make the sound become a bit garbled, but in a really unique and cool way. Other pedals now will do full polyphonic chord shifting, and that is a nice feature to have, but I like the quirkiness of this Whammy II pedal.
OVERALL OPINION
This is the best of the old-school Whammy units, by far, just because the presets can be selected with the foot instead of the hand. Otherwise, it's functionally the same, and I happen to like the sleek black cosmetics of this pedal. Recommended.
High-impact plastic ends and switches
Steel rocker
Wet/dry ratio knob
1 bypass footswitch
1 "scroll through the settings" footswitch
5 shift modes, 6 harmony modes, and "detune"
1/4 inch input and output jack
UTILIZATION
This is not the original Digitech Whammy; it is the 2nd generation unit. The first is the distinct red pedal with the "whacky" font, so it is the pedal everyone knows and recognizes. The first pedal was the pedal that was reissued, albeit with an additional midi port added.
However, THIS pedal, the II - THIS is the pedal that should have been reissued. It may be a sleeker look, a bit more non-descript, but there is one feature this pedal has that the other Whammy pedals do not have - FOOT CONTROL OF PRESETS! The other pedals require one to bend down and turn a knob in order to change a setting. This is a major annoyance onstage, as one should have to bend down to adjust on a minimal basis. The Whammy II allows the user to scroll up each of 12 presets, one per click. Also, 2 favorite presets can be saved to toggle back and forth between, so one wouldn't have to clickclickclickclickclickclickclick to get to the preset that's needed for a new song part.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal is incredible. It is quirky, in that it really only likes single notes to be played through it for full fidelity. A single note, with the unit on shift mode, will make a smooth portamento as one sweeps through the rocker pedal. Adding in multiple notes, ala a chord or arpeggio that rings out, will make the sound become a bit garbled, but in a really unique and cool way. Other pedals now will do full polyphonic chord shifting, and that is a nice feature to have, but I like the quirkiness of this Whammy II pedal.
OVERALL OPINION
This is the best of the old-school Whammy units, by far, just because the presets can be selected with the foot instead of the hand. Otherwise, it's functionally the same, and I happen to like the sleek black cosmetics of this pedal. Recommended.