DigiTech FreqOut review

Get nothing but good feedback

  • £149
  • €180
  • $179
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MusicRadar Verdict

The FreqOut isn’t the first pedal to attempt feedback emulation, but it is the only one to nail it, and that makes it a must-buy in our book.

Pros

  • +

    Superb, authentic performance.

Cons

  • -

    None.

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Feedback is the telltale sign of a guitar running at full tilt into a real, raging amp. 

Yet it’s not something that can be easily replicated - until DigiTech dropped the FreqOut, which utilises a combination of pitch-shifting and reversed feedback suppression tech to capture the wails beloved by the likes of Hendrix, Cobain and Satriani. 

There are two modes of operation: momentary, which adds feedback when the footswitch is held; and latching, which uses your pick attack to automatically trigger the feedback. 

These sounds are controlled via Gain (feedback level) and Onset - the time it takes to reach max ’back, as indicated by the left-hand row of LEDs. 

A type control adjusts the harmonic frequency of the sound, going from a cab-rumbling sub to a two-octave-plus 5th harmonic squeal. The natural hi/lo settings, meanwhile, offer the full range of frequencies, making the feedback more likely to transition between them. It can be unpredictable, but that only adds to the realism. 

What’s more, a dry switch kills your guitar signal, leaving only the feedback: slide between notes and you’ve got a thoroughly usable theremin/EBow impersonation. 

It’s hard to believe the sounds you can coax from the FreqOut aren’t real feedback, until you remember you’re playing a clean tone through headphones - this pedal makes the impossible possible, especially for anyone seeking live-in-the-room sounds from plug-ins.

Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.