The Dwarfcraft Witch Shifter is a pitch-shifter pedal from Dwarfcraft Devices that also carries a built-in fuzz section and an echo mode whose blend, repeats and time you can control1. Delicious Audio described it as "an Octave Up/Down effect with built-in Fuzz and an under-the-hood Echo," and the maker called it its "smoothest and cleanest pitch pedal, presenting you high fidelity audio"2. It was unveiled at Summer NAMM 2018 at a retail price of $2491.
Dwarfcraft Devices announced in April 2020 that it was ceasing operations after 13 years, so the Witch Shifter is no longer in production.
What it does
At its core the Witch Shifter shifts pitch, smoothly covering one octave down to one octave up2. Around that shifting engine sit two more effects: a fuzz section and an echo mode with adjustable blend, repeats and time1. Dwarfcraft's own description of the pedal was colorful: Guitar.com reported the maker calling it "a 'chaotic pitch modulator,' 'confused machine' and, our favorite, a 'possessed tape machine'"1.
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio found the combination more flexible than the marketing suggests2:
"It's surprising how flexible and creative this pedal can get: with the fuzz turned off, it can generate subtle ambient textures"
The pedal was later picked for Delicious Audio's Best Stompboxes of 2018 list assembled by Dennis Kayzer3.
The controls and footswitches
The panel is built around two pitch-shifting knobs, Speed and Pitch, plus a Bend knob and a fuzz control12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Pitch-shifting speed knob1 |
| Pitch | Pitch-shifting knob1 |
| Bend | Creates a detuned sweep reminiscent of the Doppler effect2 |
| Fuzz | Fuzz level; becomes the echo Time control in the hidden menu2 |
| Echo | Echo blend, adjustable along with repeats and time1 |
The pedal has two footswitches. The DinDinDin footswitch "freezes and loops the audio buffer for glitched out repeats that can be blended in with your clean signal," according to Delicious Audio2.
Pressing both footswitches at once opens a hidden menu for the echo settings: the Fuzz, Speed and Pitch knobs are transformed into Time, Wet/Dry and Repeats controls2.
Expression pedal control
The Witch Shifter accepts an expression pedal. Guitar.com reported that "you can hook up an expression pedal to the stompbox to govern either the 'Speed' or 'Pitch' pots"1, and Delicious Audio's page describes an Expression Output that can control either the Speed or Pitch values2. For a player, that means foot control of the shifting speed or the pitch interval while both hands stay on the guitar, which is where much of the pedal's ambient and glitch material comes from.
Where it came from
The Witch Shifter came from Dwarfcraft Devices, a maker already known for fuzz pedals, and it arrived in 2018, when Dennis Kayzer picked it for his Best Stompboxes of 2018231. Dwarfcraft described it as a "chaotic pitch modulator," a "confused machine" and, in the words of one write-up, a "possessed tape machine"1.
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Questions
How much does the Dwarfcraft Witch Shifter cost?
The Witch Shifter was announced at a retail price of $249 in the United States. Premier Guitar reported that figure in the June 2018 press release, and Guitar.com repeated the same $249 price when the pedal was unveiled at Summer NAMM 2018. Dwarfcraft Devices closed in 2020, so the pedal now turns up secondhand rather than at dealers.
Can you use an expression pedal with the Witch Shifter?
Yes. Guitar.com reported that you can hook up an expression pedal to the pedal to govern either the Speed or Pitch pots, and Delicious Audio's product page describes an Expression Output that can control either the Speed or Pitch values. That gives you foot control of the shifting speed or the pitch interval while you play.
How far up and down does the Witch Shifter shift pitch?
Delicious Audio describes the Witch Shifter as smoothly shifting pitches from one octave down to one octave up, so the range covers an octave in each direction. The Speed and Pitch knobs set the shifting, and an expression pedal can take over either of those controls.
What does pressing both footswitches on the Witch Shifter do?
Pressing both footswitches at once opens a hidden menu for the echo section. The Fuzz, Speed and Pitch knobs are transformed into Time, Wet/Dry and Repeats controls, letting you edit the echo settings without extra panel hardware.
Who designed the Dwarfcraft Witch Shifter?
The pedal was designed by Ben, the owner and circuit designer of Dwarfcraft Devices, who also shot the demonstration video for the pedal. Dwarfcraft Devices was the Seattle-based maker behind pedals like the SheFuzz and Baby Thunder, and it announced it was closing in 2020.
Sources (3)
- Dwarfcraft launches Witch Shifter and Reese Lightning, Guitar.com, 2018-07-04
- Dwarfcraft Devices Witch Shifter Pitch Shifter/Echo/Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2018-11-13
- Best Stompboxes Of 2018 According To Dennis Kayzer, Delicious Audio (delicious-audio.com), 2018-12-31