The Impossible Pedal was a pitch-shifting e-pedal from DigiTech, announced at NAMM 2013 as the company's first in a line of iStomp Signature Artist e-pedals1. It was made with guitarist Adrian Belew as a signature effect for what DigiTech's artist page calls his "impossible" sounds2. Because it was an e-pedal, it ran on DigiTech's iStomp hardware rather than as a standalone box, and it carried a suggested retail price of $19.991.
What it does
Two knobs on The Impossible Pedal set the two different pitch intervals, and they also select whether the pitches shift up or down over a two octave range1. In practice that means you dial in two shifted pitches, one per knob, and the pedal holds both ready while you play.
The footswitch is the performance control: stepping on it alternates the note you are playing between the standard, unaffected pitch and the two pitch-shifted voices1. Rather than a continuous sweep like a Whammy pedal's treadle, the Impossible Pedal jumps between three fixed pitches under your foot, which suits the abrupt, melodic pitch leaps Belew is known for.
"Even its iStomp icon is an impossible optical illusion that has to be seen to be disbelieved."
Background and release
DigiTech announced the pedal in January 2013, joining forces with Adrian Belew to debut it, and it was made available at the beginning of NAMM that year1. Premier Guitar's announcement ran on January 24, 20133. DigiTech's artist spotlight on Belew later described the pedal as his own signature iStomp effect for his "impossible" sounds2.
Videos
Guitar Player Magazine
Sources (3)
- NAMM 2013: DigiTech Announces The Impossible Pedal, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2013-01-26
- Artist Spotlight: Adrian Belew, DigiTech, 2025-03-24
- DigiTech Announces The Impossible Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2013-01-24
