Bass Whammy

I'm using this on a LeFay Midas custom built active 6string fretless bass and a Roland Bass Cube with a whole bunch of other effects. The unit doesn't seem to create any noticeable noise at all. I´ve been looking for this pedal in order to be able to create synthesizer sounds including extreme pitch bends, and it does this job extremely well. Most fun when used in pitch-shift mode (you only hear the pitched sound in this mode) in combination with an octaver and an Auto-Wah or (for some reason i couldn´t quite figure out) set BEHIND an Electro Harmonix Bass Balls pedal for great Moog Sounds or combined with Flanger or Chorus set to high rate and depth values for Techno sounds. Offers a Harmonizer Mode in which you can bend up and down between a pitch above and a pitch below your original signal by using the expression pedal, mixed 50% with the original pitch. Great Synth sound as well in this mode. Third mode: Detune - a Chorus mode in which the micro-pitch shifting of the chorus can be controlled via expression pedal. In Regard to what I expected from this stomper, it´s absolutely perfect. Smooth pitch bending. Slight tracking in Harmonizer Mode and minimal delay which to me seems hardly recognizable - which is why I don't give it a ten. If you´re looking for authentic, pure, natural sounds... why are you looking through a bass whammy pedal review at all? Of course this doesn´t make your fretted bass sound as if you were playing a fretless! Of course this sounds somewhat artificial! What did you expect? I mean - you wouldn´t buy a ring modulator and complain that it sounds too dissonant, would you? If you´re looking for pure natural Bass Sounds, go get an Eden Cabinet instead. If you´re looking for synthesque sounds of all sorts and moog-bending, go for it! It´s just perfect for this purpose! I´ve found it pretty easy to imitate synth sound like the bass line from "Barrel of a Gun" by Depeche Mode oder just about any moog sound with the whammy in combination with octaver/ electro harmonix bass balls or electro harmonix bass microsynth. For me, it's definitely a dream come true!

Seems pretty sturdy to me. Metal plating on the top and the bottom, plastic on the sides, though. Well, if you´re lucky enough to get one of these these days i expect you not to try use it as a frisbee anyway. Would use it on a gig without backup, simply cause a) I could't afford another one b) I would hardly even find another one for sale.

No Problems at all - It takes you about 1-2 minutes to read the short manual, but even if you dont´t, it really should be no problem to understand how to switch through and control the effects by trial and error withing minutes. Very comprehensive Interface. No Editing of effect parameters included (except from the input level wich can be adjusted by using a small knob which is easily accessible without having to turn the unit over and except from the pitch being controlled by the expression pedal, of course), so no Problems with handling effect parameters as well.

Didn´t have to deal with them, yet.

Guys... I´m in love. This is it! I´m such a lucky bastard I managed to get one! I still can't believe it. Well, I mainly play funk and electronica music, drum & bass and hip hop, experimental sound and just about any other style (maybe except from country music). For the styles mentioned above, this pedal is a blast. If you´re into these sounds, and happen to stumble across a bass pedal that's out for sale - GET IT! NOW! I´ve been playing bass for about thirteen years now and own the LeFay mentioned earlier, an Ibanez ATK, the roland bass cube, eh bass balls, zoom rfx 2000 (by the way: you´re looking for an affordable vocoder? get the zoom!), EH Bass Micro Synthesizer, Korg DRV 2000. If it were stolen, I'd definitely hunt down the bastard that stole it for years if necessary and do some heavy violation of the Den Haag conventions on him. If it were lost... well it sure as hell won't be. I don't intend to lose this any more than I intend to lose my ears or feet. As far as I know, this pedal isn't comparable to anything else on the market. If you're planning on using some boss pich shifter with an expression pedal to imitate this - forget it. You won't even come close. It very much helps me in achieving the sounds I've been wanting to use for years and years.

Overall I thought the sound quality was poor.  The detune/chorus function is about the best sounding effect (it's to bad you can only control the speed).  Next would be the pitch shift.  Fairly fun to play with, but you have to use it in conjuction with other effects to make it worth your while. The harmony function tracks poorly and really cheapens up the sound of your bass. In fact, the whole unit seems to slightly delay the signal output.  It's noticable enough to be annoying.  If you are a "pocket" bass player that is meticulous about your timing and you don't want to sound like you are playing behind the beat, then don't use this thing.  I'm not going to go through my entire bass rig setup, but I can assure you that I use only top of the line gear. oh yeah, there is also a slight loss of quality in the bypass mode, but that is minor compared to when the thing is on.

I bought it used and put it straight on the road to test it out.  It went through about 20 shows with no problems.  Then I sold it in the same condition I bought it in.  The pedal is built tough.  It does seem that if you needed to get into the thing, it would be tough.  The plastic sides are glues in place.

Fairly simple operation.  I didn't get a users manual, but I figured it out pretty quick.  You pretty much just toggle between effects and stomp the bypass when you want to go.

?????

These pedals have made a huge increase in demand recently because they were only made for a short amount of time.  I myself heard the hype, read reviews, and had my heart set on getting one.  The fact is, the ideas in the unit are great.  They just were not executed well enough for my taste.  I think that if Digitech decided to continue production of the Bass Whammy, they could make great improvements.  I don't believe that the Bass Whammy was a one hit wonder.  It was more like a one time blunder.  Definetly not worth what people pay for them these days.  Luckily you can turn around and sell right back to the community for at least what you payed for it.

An Ibanez BTB bass, Ampeg rig. No noise, tracking is better than average although it burps and flutters at extreme settings. Great detune!

It's built like a tank. I have no worries whatsoever.

Very simple, however I haven't figured out yet how to change back and forth between two programs instead of going thru them all.

It's definitely what I've been waiting to lay my hands on. I like all kinds of drasic pedals and this is perfect. Would like some better tracking of cours but with a distortion effect it pretty much covers the shortcomings.