You know that feeling you get when you hear that first Dm chord and opening lick of ‘Shakedown Street,’ or the first few funked-up keys at the start of ‘Superstiton?’ Well, you might not, but if you do, today’s pedal is right in your wheelhouse. The Disco Terrapin from Hochstrasser Electronics is a super funk machine, an envelope filter and auto wah conceived with numerous options and a wide range of 70’s-infused tones that will get both you AND your crowd groovin’ right along.
Right away after you engage the Disco Terrapin, you’ll notice that familiar auto wah-ish sound, but with more pop and attitude. The control sectionstarts with the Sense knob, controlling the response of the circuit, increasing the filter’s sensitivity to your playing dynamics. Decay sets the time it takes the cutoff frequency to return to its starting point – turn down for quick, sharp filter sound, or up for longer sweep and chordal bliss. Speaking of Sweep, this next knob adjusts the range of the filter, working in tandem with the Sens control for a multitude of options.
The Peak parameter sets the feedback within the circuit, making the filter effect more or less pronounced, while the Gain (audio gain going into the filter) and Output (gain of the output amplifier) knobs play off of one another as well. Be sure to set these low and then adjusts to taste, no need to have them both cranked at once. A toggle switch lets you choose High, Band or Low Pass filters, and a second footswitch alternates the direction of the filter sweep, for even more sonic adventuring.
As you’ll hear in the demo below, there are an absolute TON of options to play with here, and so many different voices and nuances that will add to your overall sound. An inspiring pedal to say the least, the Disco Terrapin Envelope Filter will expand the scope of your musical prowess, and invite you to create and investigate new sounds and auditory wonders for years to come. Or, if you just want to get your Jerry Garcia, Stevie Wonder or Bootsy Collins on, it’ll do that to perfection. Thanks to Erich and the crew at Hochstrasser Electronics – they’ve got a couple pedals in their lineup now, with more on the way, so check out their website here, and stay tuned for more reviews and demos coming soon!
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