The MWFX 8 Bit - 3 is a square wave synth effect that responds to guitar much like a standard fuzz pedal, but with a synthesised tone that falls in pitch as the signal trails out1. Instead of clipping your signal the way a fuzz does, it converts the guitar signal to a square wave using an analog, transistor based circuit1. The result is a buzzy, synth-like voice that tracks your playing and drops in pitch as each note decays.
The 8 Bit - 3 is one of a series of individually numbered re-releases of the original 8 Bit, an MWFX pedal from 2007/81. Each of these re-releases is individually handpainted and finished in oak wood1. MWFX has called the 8 Bit "our square egg"2.
The 8 Bit - 3 is one of several numbered 8 Bit re-releases456. These are individually handpainted units, so each is a distinct piece finished in oak wood.
How it works and what it does to your sound
MWFX describes the pedal as responding to guitar in a similar way to a standard fuzz effect, but with a synthesised tone that falls in pitch as the signal trails out1. The conversion happens in an analog, transistor based circuit, so although the name suggests digital bit-crushing, the square wave is generated by hardware rather than software1.
The maker says the 8 Bit is primarily designed to react to the velocity, pitch and length of your picking2. In practice that means your attack and note choices shape the synth output, much as they shape a fuzz's response, and the pitch of the synthesised tone slides downward as the note dies away.
The controls
The control layout is deliberately minimal, with one knob on the outside and the rest set inside the enclosure527.
| Control | Location | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Exterior | Sets the output level of the effect1 |
| Sensitivity | Interior | Sets the trigger threshold, how hard you pick before the effect triggers1 |
The interior Sensitivity trimmer is the one to experiment with if the pedal triggers too easily or not at all for your playing style or output level. MWFX also mentions a setting inside to control response on the 8 Bit line2, and some versions carry two regular trimmers for sample length and sample volume273, so the internal controls vary between numbered units.
Versions of the 8 Bit
The 8 Bit - 3 belongs to a family of numbered re-releases of the 2007/8 original, each individually handpainted and finished in oak wood1. The numbered versions MWFX has listed include the 8 Bit - 1, 8 Bit - 5, 8 Bit - 15, 8 Bit - 16 and 8 Bit - 18, along with the 8 Bit - Pride897. All share the same core description: a square wave conversion of the guitar signal with a fuzz-like response, true bypass switching, and suitability for guitar and bass9105.
The re-release series brings back the 2007/8 8 Bit pedal as individually handpainted units finished in oak wood, listed at £175.005811.
Questions
Is the MWFX 8 Bit - 3 true bypass?
Yes. MWFX lists true bypass among the pedal's features, so with the effect switched off your signal passes through without active circuitry in the path. The same true bypass switching is listed across the 8 Bit re-release versions.
Does the MWFX 8 Bit work with bass?
Yes. MWFX states that the 8 Bit - 3 suits guitar and bass. Because the pedal tracks the velocity, pitch and length of your picking and converts it to a square wave, bass players get the same synthesised response, with the trigger threshold adjustable inside the enclosure.
What does the Sensitivity setting do on the 8 Bit?
The Sensitivity control is an interior trimmer that sets the trigger threshold, in other words how hard you have to pick before the pedal reacts. It is set inside the enclosure rather than on the outside, alongside the exterior Volume control.
Is the MWFX 8 Bit analog or digital?
It is analog. MWFX describes the 8 Bit - 3 as converting the guitar signal to a square wave using an analogue, transistor based circuit. Despite the '8 Bit' name, the conversion is done with transistors rather than digital processing.
Sources (11)
- 8 Bit - 3 | MWFX, MWFX
- 8 Bit 2010, MWFX
- 8 Bit - 6 | MWFX, MWFX (mwfx.co.uk)
- 8 Bit - 12 | MWFX, MWFX
- 8 Bit - 7 | MWFX, MWFX (mwfx.co.uk)
- 8 Bit - 16 | MWFX, MWFX (mwfx.co.uk)
- 8 Bit - 18 | MWFX, MWFX
- 8 Bit - 4 | MWFX, MWFX
- 8 Bit - 15 | MWFX, MWFX
- 8 Bit - 1 | MWFX, MWFX (mwfx.co.uk)
- 8 Bit - 5 | MWFX, MWFX
