Stompbox Offers Instant Drop-Tuning

DigiTech debuts the Drop pedal   12-Jun-14

DigiTech has announced the introduction of Drop, a dedicated polyphonic drop tune pedal that lets guitar and bass players instantly lower their tuning from one semitone all the way down to a full octave. Digitech says that, with the Drop, guitarists can get down-tuned chunk without having to change guitars or re-tune between songs and bassists can delve into deep bass depths even lower than a five-string low B. Featuring polyphonic drop tune algorithms drawn directly from the  Whammy DT pedal, the Drop makes it easier than ever to get down.

Tom Cram, marketing coordinator, DigiTech, told us, "Our new Drop pedal makes down-tuning and changing keys literally as easy as stepping on a switch. But the Drop also has cool dynamic performance capabilities by using the switch in momentary mode to add accents or trills with your feet."

One look at its bold red, black and white graphics and its clear the DigiTech Drop shares its DNA with the iconic Whammy DT. The Drop offers a choice of eight drop tune and pitch-shifting intervals from one semitone (half-step) to a full octave down, plus an Octave + Dry mode that blends the original signal with another note an octave down. Digitech says that the Drop incorporates the same polyphonic pitch-shifting algorithms as the Whammy DT, to perfectly track notes and chords for precise drop-tuning performance with no glitching or lag.

The Drop features a Momentary/Latching switch to create dazzling hammer-on and pull-off type effects. Players can instantly get a drop in pitch of the notes they're playing by stepping on and holding the footswitch – then releasing it to instantly go back up to pitch to add dramatic musical impact.

The Drop features true bypass operation, which Digitech says keeps the pure tone of the instrument intact when the effect is not engaged. They tell us that its metal chassis is built to withstand night after night of constant gigging and its red LED is easy to see. The compact Drop is operated via its 9-volt input and included power supply.

Pricing and Availability:
The DigiTech Drop will be available in July 2014 at a suggested retail price of $249.95.

More information:

• Digitech