All user reviews of 3/5 for the DigiTech Whammy WH-4

I bought this from a friend for a quality $100. I wanted it so I could have a little more fun with my guitar, and Tom Morello is my hero.

This sexy red mean machine digitally bends your guitar to the end of the horizon. You can dive bomb 3 octaves down, or shoot 2 up, it has two sweet choruses (shallow/deep) and harmonies. Its solid as rock. I don't know how many times I've tripped and landed with all my weight on it in my room, but it never has screwed up once (except one time it actually went up 4 octaves, I was totally confused). It's perfect for beefing up intense solos. It also has barely any delay between input and output, which is sweet. You can hook your stereo up to it too, which is good times.

What I didn't like about this unit was its function. Anything you did with it was so strange that it had to be saved for a separate bridge in the song. And whenever in harmonies, or bent mode, and you play two notes, it gets really nasty sounding. Its good for rock, a few things jazz, or definetly any kind of out-there music. But after that, it doesn't fit in. And, power adapter is a must.

It'a about the size of a cigar box, with a beautiful red coat. It has an expression pedal at the left used for your whamming. and a knob, and all the functions with LED lights on either side of the knob. It lets you know what your doing, in case you were wondering... There is no place for batteries, you need an adapter

It's loads of fun, but if you try it out, make sure its right for your band.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Other opinions are very well written Caracteristics on this pedal, mono, digital, in metal case very solid and well built in my opinion.

I've never used the second outlet, in retrospect it's a great addition, to put such a tuner!

I never used any MIDI connectors, so I do not talk about it.

The specific voltage AC adapter is annoying, something more portable. Apparently, only Burkey offers a brick for powering the whammy.

UTILIZATION

The general configuration is not super complicated, if only one knows his lines and tones on the part harmonizer. Editing sounds is easy.
Fortunately, the manual is to explain how to "recalibrate" the pedal when it becomes false. It's a shame, and a bit surreal on a mechanical effect if known, and still cost price.

SOUND QUALITY

Then the effect is proposed just awesome. The guy who thought the time was a couple harmonizer with an expression pedal is a genius. I used it with my guitar, all sounds of Morello are directly accessible (or almost, AC is also technical!).
The problem is that with two years of guitar behind me and little experience, I found that the pedal of his puffed and dynamics, so I sold. I can not imagine what I would think today! As syl2412 puts it very well: it is a pedal just fine for a unique effect.

OVERALL OPINION

I used some time before I part with it. I had tried any effect like this before, and for good reason, it does not exist. The Boss ps have similar characteristics, but the expression pedal is separate and not included.
I loved her, but I hated the way she had to eat the sound. Over time, I have come anyway to find a little too "gimmick". Morello, Vai and White used it intelligently. We left? This is the kind of effect that quickly becomes unpalatable if one makes a mess.

The value for money I think is a little unfair. Not the level of benefits, but given the quality of the product.

The new DT whammy air to solve a lot of defects WH4, but its size is an insurmountable handicap for which no one pedalboard brawny and broad.

If my choice was to do again, I orienterais to the Boss PS-6 coupled with an expression pedal, I alimenterais v 9 in me not to take the lead, and that I would take up less space.

I will not spend the lowest There's all that necessary.
just my personal opinion:
efficase is simple, I just AIM another knob that would have a dry mix of sound and sound related.

UTILIZATION

Nothing to say, it's great ... well done

SOUND QUALITY

Ben for me is the hurt that has:
I have not found her that well, once the sound is modified by the Octaver, it's really bizarre, note ranges, it's not fluid at all (like the sound of d stall a harmonizer) is also what happens if you play two notes at once.
It goes into distortion, but its clear you can hear it really, the sound is not accurate even if it actually keeps a good momentum trs. I am not quibble, I really t's.

OVERALL OPINION

I got it for 1 year and I have all of the same well with jou, but some things I've always drang.
I found what c'tait when I sold it to buy a 88 yd. or there is a transition from one octave to another very fluid trs, trs singing, a sound as pure trs, no tremor and amme consistent if we want. forcment is not done but it does a much better
But hey it's the only good which whammy pedals, it's true ...

We do this more. Everything has been said below.

UTILIZATION

Yes it is simple to use. A knob that lets you choose the effect, an on / off switch that turns on the fact, with the pedal to open or closed position or as you like, and the expression pedal. We chose the effect is active, you play.
Things to know, you must regularly calibrate the expression pedal that goes wrong (probably in the transport). It is therefore imperative to test before each concert to avoid disappointment!

SOUND QUALITY

The effect is effective, but mono. Useless to try a chord by activating the effect, the result would be a slurry sound inaudible.
No true bypass, but when the effect is disabled, it will more or less.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for two years, it is substantially better than the built-whammy effect in my old Digitech pedals GNX3.
I have a similar function in my pedal Rocktron Utopia. A kind of Whammy. The advantage, the effect is polyphonic (it also works for the agreements), but it is limited to one octave lower than two octaves (against two upper and two lower for the whammy). In addition, there is a slight "aliasing" in the sound when the Whammy is "fluid".
In conclusion I would do so this choice despite the shortcomings of the whammy. I do not know many competing products, but I think that there is unfortunately not much.

T say everything I think: 3 catgories effects, a knob, expression pedal, a switch, and 2out 1in (one to connect a tuner), a MIDI (for the rest of MIDI), and between the adapter (SPECIFICATIONS elsewhere, which is not cool at all ...)

UTILIZATION

Still, it simplicime use: we choose, it engages and rock'n'roll.

SOUND QUALITY

So is the less well on certain points: the effect is trs fun and all, sounds zarb and machinery and it ca ...
But (because there is a but) when the switch is activated but the pedals is not actuated, there is a latency that is felt: loss of attack, lightweight dcalage ... In addition, not more than 2 notes at once without it makes draft (we could have an effect with the 12-string octave doubler but not!).

But overall, it's still a good effect, and found a useful (especially with the octave personal) to ca ...

OVERALL OPINION

I use it since 3 years, 3 years since I do not know what too tell me ... It's not a bad pedals, you can experiment, but it's hard to place in a song, we may easily fall into the "I is everywhere" (as Tom Morello and Jack White dernieremment ... in my opinion).
And it's expensive! A rating pedals that expensive (as Laurent Ruquier the tl), I had to leave the seller a testicle ...
Jpense I would do this choice because I still use it starts a little, but given the complexity mastered the trick, I rflchirai 2 times ...

Everything has been said about the Whammy almost. It's a digital pedal and that is that there's a catch!

UTILIZATION

The problem of selection of different modes at the foot of the Whammy is easily adjusted through the tutorial available on the AF forum. I myself realize this little box (type EH nano) for thirty euros at Banzai effects. Because if you change the mode during a song the original potentiometer requires us to let go of our instrument (not glop). Inside the manual is the tip to reboot his whammy. Because the bitch be fussy with some rooms flickering electricity and pure paranoia I was trying to paste a acordeur the output of the Whammy. Power consumption also the effect does corespond no other which makes it mandatory to provide space for the small transformer, even if one has planned a general power to his pedalboard.

SOUND QUALITY

The effects of the Whammy is faiths today thanks to Tom Morello Darell or Dime and The Edge. However, the initial defects of the original Whammy (which I sold a copy possedeo for electrical instability and also to ridicule the size of its expression pedal) are still there.
A pedal that horribly digitized sound of your instrument (this is also its charm). And the effect does not maintain true bybass, the worse the effect occurs and triggers the expression pedal in the air, your sound becomes Pettit and with no boundaries, it is imperative to turn off the effect if any part Whammy is expected. The Whammy is a harmonizer of fair quality. Remains the Whammy effect that it will have are: LEGENDARY you are told.

OVERALL OPINION

Given the commercial success of this gear, the engineers at Wacky Digitech have become major flemards sitting on the laurels of a fabulous machine but was duty bound to evolve. And not with Muse that will change! I'm like everyone else I love this digital (sic).

The Digitech Whammy pedal is a pretty interesting piece of gear. It certainly has a unique sound that many players have found to be inimitable. Tom Morello, Wes Borland, Dimebag Darrel, and many others were fond of this in the late 90's, and much of that music has its stamp all over it. While that music may have fallen out of fashion, there are still plenty of uses for this pedal in other genres that haven't been tried.
Unlike most octave pedals, this one lets you take the signal up or down two octaves instead of just one (for the somewhat old-fashioned, the one octave feature is still there). If you're having trouble finding an electric bass, the one octave down setting can sometimes be a decent replacement for practice sessions.
It has some other effects too, like a series of harmonizers that sound pretty decent, and the sweet "dive bomb effect" that basically simulates the Floyd Rose Whammy Bar, without taking forever to set up and potentially ruining your tuning. The newest model has a midi controller that was absent on the first.

UTILIZATION

The pedal is pretty self explanatory. Anyone who knows what octaves and intervals are should not have a problem with it. The manual is probably unnecessary for all but the newest players.

SOUND QUALITY

Ever wonder how Tom Morello plays that nuts solo in "Killing in the Name"? He uses this pedal on almost everything Rage did. If wild, crazy noises are the kind of thing you are into, then I suggest you buy this pedal. You will have some of the funkiest noises imaginable coming out of your amp. If used sparingly it can change up the sound during a live show and really turn heads! The best effects are the dive bomb and the octave jumps. The harmonizers are cool but I really have no use for them.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, this pedal is pretty great. I've had it for about six years and it's served me well when I needed it. The only thing I can say is, handle with care. I dropped mine once and the knob that changes the settings broke off. It's become almost impossible to use without a makeshift knob replacement, and even then, it's a pain. Also, stay away if you are looking for more traditional sounds, because this pedal is supposed to be pretty wacky. If you don't want other players to know exactly what you're using, find something else, because this might be one of the most obvious pedals on the market. It also can be quite grating on the ears if not EQ'd properly, so be careful. One bad experience with it was enough for me to put it down for awhile. It's also pricey so make sure you're gonna get your money's worth.
Personally, I tend to play more classic-style rock and R&B, and when I freak out I tend to stick more to feedback and echoes. Two octave leaps usually aren't what I'm looking for. If you are looking for something to really make people notice you, this might be it, but use it sparingly and don't rely on it or you'll risk sounding more novelty than innovative.

(Originally written by charlou la fouine/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Everything has been already said: three effect categories, wheel, expression pedal, switch, 1 x in and 2 x out (one for a tuner), Midi out and PSU socket (not universal...).

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use: select, switch on and rock'n'roll!

SOUND QUALITY

When it comes to this point it's another story: the effect is fun, strange, etc.

But you can feel some latency when the switch is on and the pedal is not used: less attack, short delay... And it's impossible to play more than two notes simultaneously without getting a muddy sound.

As a summary, it's still a good effect and you'll find applications for it (specially the customizable octaver)...

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using it for three years and I still haven't made my mind up about this effect... It's not a bad pedal. i mean, it's great if you want to experiment, but it's not easy to use it properly within a song, and you tend to overuse it (like Tom Morello and Jack White do, IMO).

And this unit is expensive!!! A very expensive effect pedal...

Nevertheless I think I would buy it again because I'm beginning to use it more. However if you consider how difficult it is to control I'd probably have second thoughts...

The Digitech Whammy is a pitch-shifting pedal that allows a variety of octave shifts and interval harmonizing. For instance, you can set the Whammy to harmonize 5ths and use the pedal to shift to 4ths. It also has a detune function, both shallow and deep, and a divebomb function which is essentially just a 3-octave drop.

UTILIZATION

Everything is spelled out on the face of the unit. It's not very hard to figure out, though it can take a little while to get used to. In order to change the pedal's function, you use the rotary knob which can be a bit touchy. I used my foot to change settings, and it's pretty easy to skip a function or two. Obviously, using your hand isn't really a problem, but for fast switching on the fly, using your foot is the easiest way. It's very easy to do, but the problem is that the control is touchy, so to change between settings with precision can be a little difficult. Not really the pedal's fault, I guess.

SOUND QUALITY

Alright, a lot of people seem to think that the original pedal is some kind of godsend while this newer version is crap. I disagree. Sure, there's probably some sonic differences between the two, but as far as artifacting is concerned (that "digitalness" that the sound has), you can hear the artifacts of the original WH-1 on some Rage Against the Machine songs, and they sound extremely similar to this pedal. The artifacts themselves aren't a bad thing, in my opinion. They create a dimension to the sound that either you can use to effect (like Tom Morello does) or you can't. The nature of the pedal is that it won't sound absolutely realistic, but I realize this and I don't knock the pedal for it.

The problem is that it sucks the sound out. Even when you're not changing the sound, you can hear a difference with the pedal on, and I really didn't like that aspect. It's not a true bypass pedal, none of the Whammy pedals are, but if you want a true bypass Whammy, you're only option is to by an original WH-1 and modify it, because that is the only Whammy that can be modified for true bypass.

The tracking is less than perfect. Artifacting aside, chords sound like crap and there is a perceptible delay between playing notes and hearing them. These qualities, along with the sound degradation, ultimately led me to returning the pedal. It's just not as great as it is often made out to be, and if you don't need to bend the pitch between octaves, you can get a much better octave effect with an EHX POG.

On the plus side, the detune function actually makes a great chorus, so it's not all bad. And the pedal can definitely be used to good effect, but it's got some downsides. Too many for me.

OVERALL OPINION

I returned it. There's some good stuff here, but if Digitech could make it true bypass, ditch the AC adapter and make it 9V DC, and rid the delay between playing and hearing notes, it would be much better. Maybe the original WH-1 is better, but from what I can hear of the big name artists that use the WH-1, it sounds almost exactly like the current pedal. I just didn't feel like dealing with the shortcomings at the end of the day, and I feel the POG gives a better alternative for someone who doesn't need the expression pedal function of it.