Wah block

Manual

• 5.33 Wahwah (WAH)
• 16.13 Setting up a Wah Pedal
• 16.13.1 Using the Onboard Pedal Jack
• 16.13.2 Using an Expression Pedal on a MFC-101
• 3.2 The PEDAL Jack

User contributions

Preventing thump when engaging the Wah

• Cliff (answering a question about hearing a thump when auto-engaging a Wah): "The thump isn't the wah, it's the Input Impedance changing. If your preset is set to Auto for the Input Z, when you engage the wah the impedance switches. This causes a slight thump if you are playing since the load on your guitar changes. If you want to avoid this, turn Input Z to 1M OHM (Input Z is in the INPUT/GTE page of the Layout menu)." Source
• Cliff: "Set the Input-Z on the preset to 1M rather than Auto. The reason the Wah engages abruptly is because it switches the input impedance. Setting Input-Z to 1M overrides the impedance switch (and, frankly, sounds better IMO)." Source

Wah developments

• Release notes 10.10: Improved WahWah block. Improved transfer function yields more authentic and fatter tone. The Wah block now features selectable models of actual wah pedals. The “Taper” parameter selects the sweep response. The “Fat” parameter modifies the “pedestal” of the transfer function which can be used to fatten the response. These parameters are set to default values when a model is selected. Currently available models are:
  • FAS Standard – Equivalent to the “Bandpass” setting in earlier firmware.
  • Clyde – Based on an original Vox Clyde McCoy wah.
  • Cry Babe – Based on a Dunlop Cry Baby.
  • VX846 – Based on a Vox V846-HW handwired wah.
  • Color-Tone – Based on a Colorsound wah.
  • Funk – Modeled after the “Shaft” sound.
  • Mortal – Based on a Morley wah/wolume pedal.
• Release notes 10.11: Added “VX485” Wah model based on a Vox V845."

Tracking

• Cliff: "Tracking controls how much the Q changes with the Control knob. The Q in a wah is not constant. The amount of Q change varies from brand-to-brand and model-to-model. It even varies between identical models due to component tolerances." {http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-discussion/79738-small-tip-wah-block-tracking-parameter.html#post969579 Source]
• Cry Baby model: decrease Tracking to 3 to make this wah type sound more "vowel". Source

Various tips

• The random wah effect is also known as "seek wah", based on a Z.VEX effect.

• Decrease Max Freq to make a wah cut better through the mix with high gain tones.
• Use Auto Engage with Off Val set to 95% to switch off the wah automatically at toe-down position.
• See Envelope filter for "auto wah" tips.

What is a Wah pedal

• Wikipedia

Simulating other wah pedals

• Mother-of-all-pedal-and-effects-emulations thread