DigiTech Whammy
Whammy DT
Manufacturer DigiTech
Dates 1989 – 1991 (IVL Technologies)
1991 – present
Technical specifications
Effects type
Pitch shifter
Whammy mode
Harmony Bend model
Wah-wah pedal (on XP-100)
Hardware Digital
Polyphony supported (on Whammy DT & V)
Filter 1 wah-wah (on XP-100)
DigiTech Whammy
The Whammy pedal is a digital effects pedal designed for guitar and manufactured by DigiTech. The Whammy was the first widely known effects pedal that could do foot controlled pitch shifting effects. The pedal emulates sounds that a guitarist normally makes using the vibrato (“whammy”) bar on the guitar, but with a greatly enhanced pitch range and without tuning hassles associated with traditional vibrato bars.
Pitch shifters typically combine the workings of an octaver (which adds a synthesized sound one or two octaves higher or lower than the original) sound with pitch bends and harmony shifts.[2] The Whammy digitally produces such sounds in a variety of preset settings and controlled by the foot pedal. A noteworthy user of the Whammy is Tom Morello, who with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave used the Whammy to create otherwise impossible effects. Besides Morello, Dimebag Darrell, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Jack White of The White Stripes are often mentioned as expert users. David Gilmour has been using one since his Pink Floyd song Marooned (instrumental) (The Division Bell, 1994). Noel Gallagher of Oasis has also been seen using a Whammy IV in his pedalboard for the Dig Out Your Soul tour in 2008-2009. Recently Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine is also known to use two Whammy IV pedals whIle on tour for the album MBV. The Whammy is popular among heavy metal guitarists, with guitarists such as Virus of the bands Dope and Device, and Mikey Demus of the band Skindred using it to great lengths in both their riffs and solos alike. Other users include Jimmy Page, Page Hamilton and Mouse from the Shows.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia