radio frequencies an issue with the wahoo?

[CthulhuChaos]

I don't know if this is a stupid question or not, but it has been a big problem for me over the years living so close to lake michigan. I've had a couple of traditional style wah pedals in the past and I run into big problems with picking up really loud radio signals once the wah is engaged. I read that the Wahoo uses a different motion sensoring technology for the foot pedal and not a pure antenna. My question is... At high gain, is this going to give me less radio interference than a regular crybaby type wah?

If you need me to elaborate let me know. thanks for your time

[james]

The Wahoo should be much less susceptible to radio interference like this, for two reasons:

Firstly, it uses a different filter topology to a CryBabay, and similar Wahs. Those use a large inductor as part of the frequency-shaping electronics, the Wahoo doesn't. That large inductor is very sensitive to picking up radio signals.

Secondly, there is lots of shielding in the Wahoo to minimise interference from the outside: the case itself is mostly metal, then there is another metal shield over the analogue circuitry.

Anyway, if you have the same problems, we can make sure you will be able to return it and get a refund.

Do you know the frequencies that the radio channels you have problems with are transmitting on?

[CthulhuChaos]

I don't have a nice scope so I'm not quite sure (and wah-less right now). It would often pick up this spanish language radio station which somewhere high on the dial on the AM radio. If I ran the wah with a fuzz (front or behind), the problem became pretty much unbearable (almost fighting to overtake my guitar signal itself). I tried a noise gate for a while, but then just gave up and got rid of the wah's.

Okay thanks for the info I appreciate it! Not having a large inductor is probably going to help out my issue a lot. I do use fuzz pedals so I'm not expecting silence

I think that covers my questions before I purchase

[CthulhuChaos]

I've had the wahoo for a few days now, and I'm happy to report it is very quiet. I am not having the problems with radio frequencies like I had with a regular wah. . I stacked a proco vintage rat (with distortion cranked to act like a fuzz) before the wahoo and an earthquaker devices monarch overdrive after it. Running one (or both!) the only noise and hiss I was getting were off of the drive pedals themselves.

The only time I was getting noise out of the wahoo itself was if I cranked the drive and level on it (which gave me a fuzz/wah sound). Also, a few of the factory presets (in the 70s I think) on bass had some LFO type sequence stuff that sounded kind of like a synth that would continue to oscillate and create sound even as I was not playing. Both cases, I'd consider that normal use.

[james]

Thanks for the update, and I am very pleased to hear your radio-interference problems have gone away now you have a Wahoo.