Is the DigiTech Whammy pedal about to be dethroned?

The versatile red pitch-shifter has dominated the market for years, now Boss is going toe-to-toe with it

For years, the DigiTech Whammy pedal has been the go-to pitch-shifting pedal for countless players. Its domination has spanned decades, too, with innovative players constantly finding new ways to weaponize its features, but with the arrival of Boss’ XS-100, is the Whammy about to be dethroned?

From Dimebag Darrell and Tom Morello to Jack White and the current crop of modern metal players, the Whammy has been a mainstay for generations of guitarists.

The DigiTech whammy works by manipulating a guitar's input signal. It takes the signal and, using the expression pedal, changes the pitch. It can move the pitch up and down by one to two octaves, add harmonies, such as a 5th harmony, or a strange, chorus-like effect, with the original signal mixed in. Songs like Killing in the Name and Seven Nation Army simply wouldn’t be the same without it.   

The Whammy DT, which launched in 2011, took things further. It added a whole new suite of controls for pitch shifting by semitone values, running simultaneously with its foot-controlled gimmicks.  

Armed with MIDI capability, thall guitarists have started using it to pitch guitars mid-riff with wild results that take the guitar beyond its physical limitations (see below), and it’s a concept that has caught on like wildfire.

But throughout the years, there hasn’t been a like-for-like rival, which is surprising. Sure, there have been pitch shifters from the likes of MXR, Electro-Harmonix, and Earthquaker devices, but none quite the same.

Boss is now looking to change that narrative and beat the Whammy at its own game.

The Boss XS-100

Boss believes it is setting “a new benchmark in polyphonic pitch-shifting effects” with the XS-100 and its compact companion, the XS-1, which does away with the expressive element for those with limited pedalboard real estate.

So, what's to shout about? Well, it has an expansive eight-octave range - four up, four down - doubling the Whammy's money. There's also the promise of glitch-free performance and simultaneous shifting and dropping, meaning the entire signal can be pitch-shifted and affected by the expression pedal at the same time.

The fact that it's blue, too, tells you that this is setting its stall out as the Whammy's arch nemesis.

Another feature it has that the Whammy does not is a clear LED screen, while its MIDI compatibility ensures a proper contest is afoot.

Tonal artefacts produced as a result of the Whammy's operation are said to have been eradicated, although in some contexts, players have found those glitches to be quite charming, adding an extra element of sci-fi like bastardry to their sound. But a cleaner sound will also greatly appeal to other players.

Other benefits include a wide frequency range, meaning its compatible with bass guitars, a range of in/outputs to accommodate various setups, and momentary operation.

It’s a pretty extensive suite of features, but how does it stand up to the current king of pitch shifters?

The head to head

Thankfully for us, Vildhjarta guitarist Calle Thomer has rushed out to buy one and see how it fares against a pedal that his music is never without.

Thomer has actually said he’s veered away from writing with the Whammy now, but for live, he wants the best in class.

“I played around with both of them for a bit, and I had to say there are there are some pros and cons for sure, but they sound pretty similar,” he says. “Maybe the DT sounds slightly more aggressive when you do chugs, and with the detune feature. Overall, the Boss is cleaner. It's a matter of taste, I guess.”

He adds that there was some signal loss when recording with the DT, while the Boss had none. But this isn't make-or-break, as DI signals can be normalised in your DAW. The latency, he says, is better with the Boss when down-tuning to more extreme depths, but the Boss was “a clear winner” when pitching up.

“There's so much bullshit and noise that's not meant to be there with the DT,” Thomer says. “And the latency is fucking horrible. The Boss still has latency, but it was a lot better. And the Boss has better range.”

Conversely, the DT's chorus-like effect, Shallow and Deep, doesn't have an outright rival in the Boss, making it a unique feature, and it's one I personally love as well. There's a real off-kilter warble to it which can add a sort of paranoia to a riff. It's cool as hell.

However, a known issue with the Whammy is countered by the Boss. Sometimes, the dial that used to navigate through the different modes can be extremely temperamental. I had this issue with my old Whammy, before I upgraded to the DT, where it would change mode of its own accord. It was a nightmare for live.

For Thomer, it isn't actually an issue as it’s completely controlled by MIDI for live, but the Boss doesn't have that problem as you use footswitches to flip between modes. Although it would be slower to swap things on the fly, for me, the Whammy – when the dial behaves itself – is a lot quicker and easier to operate mid-song.

“In conclusion,” Thomer says, “for recording, it doesn't really matter. But for live, I'd probably go with the Boss.”

That, ultimately, is a big win for Boss. For the cost of the units – £249 for the Whammy, and £299 for the Boss – and the closeness of the shootout, I wouldn’t expect too many Whammy players to immediately jump ship. That’s a very costly thing to do. But for those buying their first pitch shifter, or looking to upgrade an old, tired option, it really does seem to be neck and neck, with Boss taking the edge.

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