The BOSS AW-2 Auto Wah is a compact pedal that sweeps a filter across your guitar's tone automatically, producing the quacking, vowel-shaped sounds players use for funk, filtered leads and percussive rhythm parts. It is an analog circuit1, and while it carries the auto wah name, one builder's buying guide describes it as "More of an envelope filter, simple and easy to dial in," in the words of Patrick Benson at EarthQuaker Devices2. An envelope filter responds to your picking dynamics rather than rocking a pedal, so the effect tracks how hard you play.
What it does
The AW-2 sits in the family of filter pedals related to wah-wah pedals, but instead of a rocker pedal it shapes tone from your signal. Because it is described as an envelope filter, the filter sweep follows the attack of your notes: pick harder and the filter opens further. Benson's guide frames it as a straightforward option for players building a first board, simple and easy to dial in2.
Power and practicalities
The pedal runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 15mA1. That is a modest draw by pedalboard standards, so it can share a standard supply output rather than needing a dedicated high-current slot. BOSS's English manual for the AW-2 is published by Roland1.
The AW-2 is an earlier design in BOSS's line. Players looking at current production will also find the Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah, which carries the idea forward, and the earlier Boss TW-1 Touch Wah in the same family.
Where it sits among BOSS's wah and filter pedals
BOSS has approached the wah and filter idea in several forms: a foot-controlled wah pedal like the Boss PW-3 Wah, the touch-sensitive TW-1, the AW-2's automatic filter, and the AW-3 that followed it. The AW-2's appeal, as described in the EarthQuaker guide, is that it removes the footwork: the filter responds to your playing instead of a pedal, and it stays simple to set2.
Videos
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Cameron Johnson
Wall of Sound
Questions
Is the BOSS AW-2 an auto wah or an envelope filter?
EarthQuaker Devices' Patrick Benson, in a beginner's guide to pedalboards, described the AW-2 as more of an envelope filter than a conventional auto wah, and noted that it is simple and easy to dial in. Envelope filters respond to how hard you pick, sweeping a filter to produce the quacking, vowel-like tones players associate with funk and filtered lead sounds.
What power does the BOSS AW-2 need?
The AW-2 runs on 9V DC with center negative polarity and draws 15mA, according to its specifications. That low current draw means it fits comfortably on a pedalboard power supply alongside other compact pedals, though a battery option is not covered by the published specifications.
Sources (2)
- AW-2 Auto Wah by BOSS, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- A Beginners Guide To Pedalboards Pt. 1: Choosing Your Pedals, EarthQuaker Devices, 2021-12-06
