Chapter 4: Wah and Envelope filter

supplementary content/information

This page corresponds with your copy of Chapter 4: Wah & Envelope Filter. This page focuses on the history of wah and envelope filter along with various wah audio clips to accompany your reading.


Wah and envelope filter pt. 1

Page 2 - Sugar Blues and tuxedo junction


page 5 - Sivad

Page 4 - burning of the midnight lamp


Page 7 - Scratch & Sniff

page 6 - Higher Ground


Page 8 - Brecker Brothers

Slapback Delay - Normal Trails (Single Repetition) - Keeley Delay Workstation (Sax)
Slapback Delay - Longer Trails - Keeley Delay Workstation (Sax)
Analog Delay - Trails TOO SHORT - Nemesis (Trumpet)
Analog Delay - Trails TOO LONG - Nemesis (Trumpet)

  The examples below are meant to open a window into the possibilities in the live performance world with wah and envelope pedals. Try to take the basic ideas encapsulated in these clips and expand upon them, explore them, and use them as a jumping off point to develop your own methods and strategies for using these types of pedals in your live performance.


Page 9 - How it works: Wah

These clips are simple illustrations of the full spectrum of sounds within a standard wah pedal from the heel down position to the toe down position.

Wah Heel Down - Trumpet
Wah Heel Down - Sax
Wah Toe Down - Trumpet
Wah Full Sweep - Trumpet
Wah Toe Down - Sax
Wah Full Sweep - Sax

Page 10 - Spotlight: Dunlop CryBaby

crybaby small.png
CryBaby with Slapback Delay - Sax
Crybaby with Distortion - Sax
CryBaby with Harmonizer - Sax
CryBaby with Rhythmic Delay - Sax
CryBaby With Reverb - Trumpet
Mini CryBaby With Reverb - Trumpet
CryBaby In Context 1 - Trumpet
Crybaby In Context 2 - Trumpet

page 11/12 - Wah controls

In the clips below, you will hear how the Q parameter affects the sound of the wah. Notice how less Q makes the effect more subdued and less overt. Also, take note of how faster lines translate with different levels of the Q parameter.

Low Q 1 - Sax
High Q 1 - Sax
Low Q 2 - Sax
High Q 2 - Sax
Low Q Fast Lines - Sax
High Q Fast Lines - Sax

These examples show the different sonic profiles of wide and narrow sweeps of wah pedals. Notice how the more narrow sweep limits the degree to which the “wow” sound is articulated.

Bad Horsie Wide Sweep - Trumpet
Bad Horsie Wide Sweep - Sax
Bad Horsie Narrow Sweep - Trumpet
Bad Horsie Narrow Sweep - Sax

Page 13 - Other Wah Pedal Examples

Morley George Lynch Dragon Wah 1 - Trumpet
Morley Dragon Wah 3 (Wah Lock at 12 O'Clock) - Trumpet
Morley Dragon Wah 2 (wow setting at 9, 12, 3 O'Clock, and Max) - Trumpet
Morley Dragon Wah 4 (Wah Lock at 3 O'Clock) - Trumpet
Morley Wah:Volume 1 (Full Sweep) - Trumpet
Morley Dragon Wah 5 - Trumpet
Morley Classic Wah 2 (With Dry + Octave Down) - Sax
Morley Classic Wah 4 (With Distortion) - Sax
CryBaby 2 (Cocked Halfway with Slapback Delay) - Sax
Morley Wah:Volume 2 - Trumpet
Morley Classic Wah 1 (Full Sweep) - Sax
Morley Classic Wah 3 (With Reverb) - Sax
CryBaby 1 (Slow Sweep with Rhythmic Delay) - Sax
CryBaby 95Q 1 (With Reverb) - Sax
CryBaby 95Q 2 (With Distortion) - Sax

page 14 - spotlight: Morley Bad Horsie mini wah

morley bad horsie.png
Bad Horsie with Harmonizer - Sax
Bad Horsie With Distortion and Delay - Sax
Bad Horsie Full Sweep - Trumpet
Bad Horsie In Contour Mode (Full Sweep) - Sax
Bad Horsie In Contour Mode With Contour at Max - Sax
Bad Horsie In Contour Mode With Contour at 12 O'Clock - Sax
Bad Horsie In Contour Mode With Contour at Min - Sax
Bad Horsie In Bad Horsie Mode - Sax
Bad Horsie with Phaser, Half Cocked Wah, Delay - Trumpet
Bad Horsie with Delay - Trumpet
Bad Horsie with Slapback Delay - Sax