The Emma Electronic DiscumBOBulator V2 (also sold as the DB-2) is an analog envelope filter and auto-wah pedal handmade in Denmark by Emma Electronic. It reads the volume of your picking and opens a filter in response, producing everything from full-on funk tones and old-school cocked wah sounds to spacey, synth-like filter sweeps12. The original DiscumBOBulator was often heralded as the world's best autowah/envelope filter, and the V2 carries those sounds forward with added features31.
The V2 is now discontinued and sold out at the maker's distributor, replaced by the DiscumBOBulator DB-3 V34. It remains worth knowing as the version that set the template the V3 follows.
The DiscumBOBulator DB-2 V2 is discontinued and sold out. Emma Electronic's current version is the DiscumBOBulator V3 (DB-3), which lists at $249 MAP/RRP as of May 20245.
What the DiscumBOBulator does
An envelope filter, or auto-wah, sweeps a resonant filter based on how hard you play rather than a knob under your foot. The DiscumBOBulator's proprietary all-analog circuit is designed to handle everything from super-fast single-note lines to denser signals such as complex chords without getting mushy, while letting the full spectrum of your instrument through1. Delicious Audio describes the range as running from funk tones to cocked wah sounds to synth-like tones9.
The design goal for the V2, per Delicious Audio, was an envelope filter that could track both fast single notes and complex chords, and the V2 improved the filter-triggering over the original and tripled the input headroom so it can handle the red hot signals of active bass pickups and line level inputs with EQ46. That makes it a practical choice for bassists and keyboard players as well as guitarists: it has been described as suited for anything from guitar to bass to keys1.
The controls and footswitches
The V2 keeps the simple interface of the original, with three knobs carried over plus a new boost channel610:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Sensitivity | Sets how hard you need to pick to trigger the filter sweep6 |
| Width | Sets how wide the filter sweep travels6 |
| Attack | Sets how quickly the filter responds to your pick attack6 |
| Up/Down button | A push-in button in the center of the pedal controlling the filter's travel direction, replacing the original's switch8 |
| Boost | Sets the level of the independent +10dB boost channel, new to the V26 |
Two footswitches sit on the front: one turns the effect on, the other engages the 10dB independent boost function8. The boost can be used on its own or stacked with the filter, so it works as a plain volume bump for solos6.
Power and connections
The V2 runs on a 9 VDC battery or external power7. Its successor, the V3, draws under 10mA at 9V DC center negative, which suggests the V2 is similarly easy on a pedalboard power supply, though the maker's V2 page does not state a current draw5. Both versions use true-bypass switching, so the pedal disappears from your signal chain when off48.
From the original DiscumBOBulator to the V2 and V3
What reviewers said
Press coverage of the DiscumBOBulator line has been consistently positive across all three versions:
- Pedal of the Day called the V2 an updated version of "one of the best auto wah / envelope filter pedals around"6.
- Gearnews wrote that the new version "looks set to be a hit"8.
- Of the DB-1, Pedal of the Day said: "You could try to find a comparable envelope filter for the price, but you'd be wasting your time, this is the real deal"10.
- MusicRadar's review team found that "Despite the large size and higher price, the DiscumBOBulator is a simple offering," and noted the second footswitch offers a boost of up to 10dB, controlled via the marked pot11.
- Of the V3, Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson wrote that "this is one of the best sounding Auto-Wah's out there," with support from bass as well as guitar players5.
"You could try to find a comparable envelope filter for the price, but you'd be wasting your time, this is the real deal"
Videos
Mike Hermans
The Pedal Zone
Pedals and Effects
Questions
Does the DiscumBOBulator work on bass?
Yes. The V2 extended the frequency range and tripled the input headroom so it can handle the hot signals of active bass pickups and line level inputs. Reviewers and the maker describe it as suited to guitar, bass, keys and other instruments, not just guitar.
What is the difference between the DiscumBOBulator V2 and V3?
The V3 keeps the same basic analog envelope filter and boost concept but adds a Side Chain Input, a separate 0 to 10dB clean boost, and further improved headroom and filter tracking. Delicious Audio called the V2 almost identical to the V3 in sound. The V2 is discontinued and sold out.
What does the side chain input on the DiscumBOBulator V3 do?
It lets you control or trigger the envelope from another source instead of the signal at the main input, for example driving the filter from a separate instrument or signal. The maker also says the improved side chain gives better and more precise tracking on high notes.
Is the Emma DiscumBOBulator true bypass?
Yes. The maker's product page lists True-Bypass switching for the V2, and press coverage of the V2 and V3 confirms it. When the effect is off, your signal passes through without buffering.
Where is the DiscumBOBulator made?
The V2 is handmade in Denmark, by Danish manufacturer Emma Electronic. The V3 that replaced it is also handmade in Denmark, and it is distributed in the United States by Godlyke Distributing.
Sources (11)
- Emma Electronic Discumbobulator V2 Envelope Filter, Delicious Audio, 2017-10-10
- Emma Electronic DISCUMBOBULATOR v3 (DB-3), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
- DiscumBOBulator, emma electronic, 2017-03-31
- Emma Electronic DISCUMBOBULATOR DB-2-discontinued (see new v3), Godlyke, Inc.
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-05-02
- Emma Electronic DiscumBOBulator V2 Auto Wah Filter, Pedal of the Day, 2017-07-21
- Emma Electronics Releases the DiscumBOBulator MkII, Premier Guitar, 2017-06-22
- EMMA Discumbobulator DB-2 effect pedal: A reboot for some cool filtered funk, gearnews.com, 2017-06-27
- Now Shipping: Emma Electronic DiscumBOBulator V3, Delicious Audio, 2024-04-22
- Emma Electronic DB-1 DiscomBOBulator Envelope Filter, Pedal of the Day, 2014-06-11
- Emma DiscumBOBulator review, MusicRadar, 2018-01-04
