Since 1991, the field of pitch-shifting effects has been dominated by the DigiTech Whammy; an effect which allows users to perform dive bombs and radical octave-shifts using digital pitch-manipulation rather than a guitar-mounted vibrato-bridge. But in the last decade or so, DigiTech’s Whammy has been given a run for its money by new comers in the pitch shifting market.
While DigiTech’s recognizable brand and classic design could keep the pedal alive and well, the company is unsatisfied with a product that does not dominate its competition. The Whammy-DT is a product which addresses virtually every other feature of its competitors head on at a price point that gives it the clear edge. The Whammy-DT brings the classic effect up-to-date with a fantastic true bypass, the ability to control the unit via midi (with a Source Audio midi-HotHand, one could effectively have an invisible vibrato bridge!), and most importantly, polyphonic tuning. The DT stands for Drop Tune, and is marketed to go after precisely one competitor: Morpheus FX, whose new-kid-on-the-block Bomber pedal has become a big hit with heavy guitar players such as Brent Hinds of Mastodon.
For the purposes of this review, I put the Whammy-DT head to head with the HOG’s whammy function, the Morpheus FX capo pedals, and the whammy and low octave settings of Pigtronix’s analog synthesizer, The Mothership. You can read the results of this pitch shifting “orgy” here. – Ben Wigler
Check out also this video review from Deli reader Chris Cannon from Vertigo Venus.
