The GUP Tech Ottawa-Wah Gold Rush Edition is an auto-wah, also known as an envelope filter, a pedal that sweeps a filter in response to how hard you play rather than to your foot. GUP Tech announced it as "Finally, an Auto-Wah in the GUP Tech catalogue," and describes the circuit as "Based on the old DOD440 Envelope Filter, the classic Green pedal of old school boards." The Gold Rush Edition is a special edition of the Ottawa-Wah, and the maker says "This one is inspired from the Reissue with the UP/Down emphasis toggle."1
The Gold Rush Edition is listed as sold out on GUP Tech's product page. The maker also offers the Ottawa-Wah Auto-Wah Douche Edition as another variant.1
The controls
The Ottawa-Wah keeps its control set small, with two knobs and a toggle doing the work:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Range | "the Range is the wideness of the oscillation," setting how far the filter sweeps1 |
| LVL | "The LVL is the threshold detector," setting how strongly your playing triggers the filter1 |
| UP/Down toggle | Up position: "a throaty-bassy tone, perfect for guitar." Bottom position: "a lot of the low-end is cut, letting the pedal shine in a mix"1 |
The UP/Down toggle is the feature that sets this edition apart, inherited from the Reissue circuit the Gold Rush Edition is based on. In practical terms, the up position suits guitar players who want a full, bass-heavy auto-wah response, while the bottom position trims the low end so the effect sits more clearly in a band mix.1
Power and practicalities
The pedal runs on 9Vdc only, with center-negative polarity, and draws 6mA. That is a light enough draw for any standard pedalboard supply.1
GUP Tech specifies 9Vdc only, center negative. The product page gives no battery option, so a 9V DC center-negative supply is the way to run it.1
For more on how envelope filters work and how they differ from foot-controlled wahs, see Filter Pedals and Wah-Wah Pedals.
Videos
Etienne Fournier
Questions
What circuit is the GUP Tech Ottawa-Wah based on?
GUP Tech describes the Ottawa-Wah as based on the old DOD440 Envelope Filter, which the maker calls the classic green pedal of old school boards. The Gold Rush Edition specifically is inspired from the Reissue version of the circuit, with the UP/Down emphasis toggle carried over from that variant.
Does the Ottawa-Wah run on a battery?
The maker's product page specifies 9Vdc only, center negative, for power, and gives a power consumption of 6mA. No battery option is mentioned on the page, so plan to run it from a 9V DC center-negative supply.
What polarity does the Ottawa-Wah power supply need?
The Ottawa-Wah needs a 9Vdc supply with center-negative polarity, according to GUP Tech's product page. That is the standard polarity used by most pedalboard power supplies, and the pedal draws 6mA.
Where is the Ottawa-Wah made?
GUP Tech states that all of its pedals are made by the company in Saguenay, Québec, Canada. The Gold Rush Edition is a special edition of the Ottawa-Wah and is listed as sold out.
What does the UP/Down toggle do on the Ottawa-Wah?
The UP/Down toggle sets the emphasis of the filter. In the up position, GUP Tech says you get a throaty-bassy tone, perfect for guitar. In the bottom position, a lot of the low-end is cut, letting the pedal shine in a mix.
Sources (1)
- Ottawa-Wah Gold Rush Edition, GUP Tech (guptech.ca)
