DigiTech "Drop" Polyphonic Drop Tune Pedal

DigiTech "Drop" Polyphonic Drop Tune Pedal 

The Lowdown on a Pedal that Goes Down Low

by Chris Loeffler

Polyphonic pitch-shifting has historically been a challenge for manufacturers to bring to guitar players. The moment a digital processor tries to adjust the analog guitar signal's pitch,  the sound's “naturalness” starts to deteriorate due to bit rate reductions, digital artifacts, and a "flattening" of the tone depending on the quality of the A/D/A processors, the pitch-shifting algorithm, and the amount of pitch shift. DigiTech debuted the Whammy pedal in 1989 as an expression pedal-controlled pitch shifter that brought the same technology used in pricey rack processors to guitar pedalboards, and although it featured several algorithm (five Whammy effects, nine harmony effects, and two detune effects), the "divebomb" pitch bends were the Whammy's trademark sound. However while not as dramatic, the ability to drop pitch seamlessly to play in a lower tuning without switching guitars also attracted a lot of players to the Whammy.

DigiTech's Drop carries on the tradition of the Whammy's pitch-shifting, but a lot has happened with technology since 1989 - and Drop takes advantage of faster digital signal processing and improved algorithms to drop your guitar's pitch with better fidelity and more accuracy.

BEND DOWN AND DROP  

The DigiTech Drop applies DigiTech's pitch-bending technology to drop your guitar's pitch. Whether to chunk out stoney riffs in drop C without grabbing a second guitar or quick transpositions to accommodate vocalists, The Drop's main knob lets you drop pitch polyphonically by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 semitones below the original pitch as well as an octave below; an additional setting combines the detuned octave with the original (dry) signal.

The footswitch itself is a true bypass type, so the pedal is completely out of the signal chain when the effect isn't selected. However, a toggle switch changes the footswitch mode from momentary (great when you want to a quick drop and then return to normal or do "drop trills"), to push on/push off (latching mode).

To maintain audio fidelity Drop uses 24-but conversion at a 44.1 kHz sampling rate, with high frequency response up to about 11 kHz - more than adequate for guitar. The circuitry draws 2.3 watts, which is more than batteries can handle comfortably, so Drop includes an AC adapter. 

SO DOES IT SOUND ANY GOOD?

Put simply and without hyperbole, Drop caught me by surprise. It sounds incredibly natural and kept the character and nuance of the different guitars I played through…the moment the amplifier exceeded the volume of the acoustic I wouldn’t have been able to guess the signal was being detuned. Obviously, extreme settings are so far from a guitar’s "native" range that chords and the like sound odd, but single notes and root-fifth chordings sound great and boomy without sacrificing the playing attack or sustain. The only challenge Drop presents is feeding it into an amp with enough headroom and large enough speakers to do it justice in the lowest settings.

DigiTech made a wise decision to take the Whammy technology and fold it into a more specific and more refined direction. Drop produces known-quantity, useful sounds, but still manages to remain unique in the crowded sea of effects.

Resources

Digitech The Drop Product Page (includes audio example)

Buy Digitech The Drop at B&H, Zzounds, Sweetwater, Musician's Friend (MSRP $279.95, Street $179.95)

DigiTech Luxe Anti-Chorus Polyphonic Detune Pedal review by Chris Loeffler

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Chris Loeffler is a multi-instrumentalist and the Content Strategist of Harmony Central. In addition to his ten years experience as an online guitar merchandiser, marketing strategist, and community director he has worked as an international exporter, website consultant and brand manager. When he’s not working he can be found playing music, geeking out on guitar pedals and amps, and brewing tasty beer.