A wah wah pedal is a tone control, a potentiometer that rotates by way of a foot pedal from low to high, high to low and anywhere in between. Moving the pedal to a set position makes it effective as a stationary envelope filter.
The WD7 is a wah pedal with a wide range of aural possibilities. The movement of the pedal triggers an optical sensor rather than a potentiometer making it noise and maintenance free.
Among its features are spring and normal footboard action, selectable wah range, and fine tuning. These controls allow the player to customize the sweep of the filter.
There are three knobs:
The Lever on the left side of the pedal is the Mode switch. There are two modes.
There are also other adjustments: Pedal Friction and Spring Tension, Range Fine Tuning, and Auto Off Delay.
The recommended settings for the classic wah sounds are moderate adjustments with the levels just right or left of center. The pedal does respond well to adjusting the control levels from minimum to maximum. It can also handle a complex set of waveforms at the input stage.
The output stage is another platform to alter the sonic picture.
The ability to sculpt the wah sound is personified in the work of Melvin Wah Wah Watson
Bagin
(1950-2018). Using the filtering effect of a Cry Baby, he would add a delay of 230 ms with two or three repeats to a picked downward glissando producing a signature effect. He also added phasing and drive to create textures as well as rhythm1 (check out Papa was a Rolling Stone,
The Temptations). Using the wah pedal in conjunction with other effects is an ideal way to improvise with and personalize the sound of your instrument.
The WD7 is an excellent expression pedal for the electric vibraphone, besides having all the classic sounds, through its varied adjustments, it contributes a vocal quality to phrasing. The wah is a physically controlled effect making the interplay between the vibe pedal and the wah pedal an unlimited resource of phrasing and sound.
Using both feet to alter your phrasing makes maintaining a center of balance essential. Where do you put the pedal to accommodate a balanced and comfortable playing position? Whether you mount the pedal to a board or leave it floating, changing your position while playing is a given, so accommodating an adjustable balance point is always a consideration. With this parameter in mind, it is always best to access your foot pedal as close to your normal stance as possible.