The JoshWah is an envelope filter, often called an auto-wah, made by Broughton Audio. What sets it apart from a standard auto-wah is a gain stage on the input, which the maker says is there for increased harmonics and envelope detection1. That means the pedal can push your signal into overdrive or saturation before the filter ever touches it, so the same circuit covers everything from clean funk quack to distorted synth-style tones. It sits in the wider family of filter pedals, and players who want a fixed tone-shaping filter rather than an envelope-driven one might also look at the Broughton Audio State Variable Filter or the Broughton Audio Low + High Pass Filter.
What it does to your sound
An envelope filter sweeps a filter up and down in response to how hard you play, which is what produces the familiar wah sound without you needing to rock a pedal. The JoshWah's input gain stage adds harmonics before the filter, and Broughton Audio describes the range as running from light overdrive to full saturation. In a review for Bass Musician Magazine, Jake Wolf described the pedal as "Capable of producing familiar clean envelope filter sounds with a fast release time, as well as full on fuzzed out synthy tones dripping with distortion"2. He also noted that "The Sense knob gives a wide range of sensitivity for practically any bass"2, which matters for bass players whose instrument's low output can make some auto-wahs respond weakly.
The controls
The JoshWah has six knobs, and each shapes a different part of the sweep:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Boosts your signal before feeding the filter; ranges from light overdrive to full saturation, and at minimum leaves the input signal clean at unity gain1 |
| Sense | Used for setting up the optimal envelope sweep; with no gain, start at noon and adjust until the maximum sweep is obtained1 |
| Peak | Increases the amount of resonance at the cutoff frequency, making the wah effect more pronounced1 |
| Freq | Determines the frequency range of the sweep1 |
| Release | Sets the time it takes for the filter to reset to the lowest frequency after an up-sweep1 |
| Volume | Sets the output level of the pedal1 |
A practical starting point from the maker: with the Gain at minimum, set Sense to noon and adjust from there until you get the maximum sweep from your playing dynamics1.
Power, bypass and practical details
The JoshWah runs on 9 to 24 volts DC through a standard Boss style connector with center negative polarity, drawing approximately 20 mA1. It has no battery option: the pedal requires a DC power supply, which is not included1. The switch is true bypass, so the filter circuit is out of the signal path when the pedal is off1. The enclosure measures 4.77" long by 2.6" wide1.
The JoshWah takes no battery and needs its own DC supply. At approximately 20 mA it is light on current, but it still needs a powered output rather than running passive.
Warranty and returns
Broughton Audio covers its products for one year to the original owner, and asks that warranty repairs be arranged by email to sales@broughtonaudio.com1. For returns, the maker's policy is to email sales@broughtonaudio.com within 7 days of receiving the product; the buyer is responsible for return shipping, and a refund is issued minus the shipping cost once the product is received in new condition1.
Questions
Does the Broughton Audio JoshWah take a battery?
No. Broughton Audio states that the JoshWah requires a DC power supply, which is not included with the pedal. It accepts 9 to 24 volts DC through a standard Boss style connector with center negative polarity, and draws approximately 20 mA, so it will run from a standard pedalboard power supply.
Is the JoshWah true bypass?
Yes. According to Broughton Audio's product page, the JoshWah has a true bypass switch, so when the pedal is off your signal passes through without the filter circuit in the path.
What does the Sense knob do on the JoshWah?
The Sense control is used for setting up the optimal envelope sweep. Broughton Audio's advice is to start with the Sense control at noon when there is no gain, then adjust it until the maximum sweep is obtained. Bass Musician Magazine's reviewer found the Sense knob gives a wide range of sensitivity for practically any bass.
What does the Release knob control?
The Release control sets the time it takes for the filter to reset to the lowest frequency after an up-sweep. In practice it shapes how quickly the wah effect closes back down after a note decays, which changes the feel of the envelope.
What is the warranty on the Broughton Audio JoshWah?
Broughton Audio covers its products for one year to the original owner. For warranty repairs, the maker asks that you send an email to sales@broughtonaudio.com.
What is the return policy for the JoshWah?
To initiate a return, email sales@broughtonaudio.com within 7 days of receiving the product. You are responsible for return shipping, and a refund is issued minus the shipping cost once the product is received in new condition.
Sources (2)
- JoshWah | Broughton Audio, Broughton Audio
- Review - Broughton Audio: Josh Wah, Low+High Pass Filter, and Apex Compressor - Bass Musician Magazine, The Face of Bass, Bass Musician Magazine, 2018-12-24
