Pigtronix EP2 Envelope Phaser

The Pigtronix EP2 Envelope Phaser is an envelope phaser pedal from Pigtronix: a phaser whose sweep is driven by your picking dynamics, so the effect opens and closes in response to how hard you play. It also carries a built-in LFO (low-frequency oscillator) for constant, speed-controlled phasing, and the two can be blended together in one mode. Premier Guitar's reviewer summed up its range: "The EP2 is a funk machine, but it goes far deeper than a typical envelope filter."¹

Pigtronix announced the redesigned EP2 in June 2010, available then for $249². Sound design is credited to David Koltai and circuit design to Howard Davis³.

An envelope-driven phaser with an LFO

The EP2 combines two modulation sources. The envelope follower (EF) side reads the level of your playing and sweeps the phase shift in response, up or down depending on the EF Sweep switch¹⁴. The LFO side sweeps on its own, with Speed, Depth and Center controls³. A Blend switch combines the two: it gives you the initial attack of the envelope, which then gives way to the LFO sound, and turns the Depth knob into a blend control⁴.

An LFO Smooth switch reduces the resonance when the LFO is in use¹, which tames the feedback peak that makes a resonant phaser vocal and squelchy.

The controls and switches

Across the top of the pedal are knobs for Sensitivity, Depth, Center and Speed, plus Resonance¹. Underneath the knobs sit five mini switches³.

The Staccato switch is the EP2's signature addition. Premier Guitar describes it as "a new circuit that is designed to track the envelope better for faster picking and tighter rhythm playing"¹. No Treble's Kevin Johnson explained how it behaves in practice:

He called the Staccato "really the killer feature in my book" and said it stayed on most of the time⁴.

Power and connections: 18V and three extra inputs

The EP2 runs on a Pigtronix 18VDC adapter, which is included³². Pigtronix pedals are powered by dedicated DC power supplies with higher voltages for better headroom¹, so the EP2 is not a standard-voltage pedal and no battery option is given.

Beyond true bypass and standard input and output, the pedal adds three extra inputs¹:

• EF Trigger: an external filter trigger input. Plugging an audio signal into it overrides your instrument's signal as what controls the envelope opening and closing; No Treble's reviewer found a kick drum works best⁴. On the earlier EP-1, this side-chain input let an instrument's sound be phase modulated by an external source such as a drum machine or laptop beat⁵.
• Sweep Pedal: an expression pedal here controls the sweep of the envelope, effectively giving you a foot-controlled phase-wah; using it kills the Sweep control on the pedal⁴.
• Speed Pedal: an expression pedal controls the speed of the LFO, giving stage-friendly access to speed changes; using it kills the pedal's Speed control⁴³.

History: from the EP1 to the EP2

Premier Guitar notes that "The EP2 is the result of six years of customer feedback from the original EP1"¹. The pedal's sound design is credited to David Koltai³, and the maker describes its range as "everything from Mu-Tron-y funk sounds to thick, fat auto wah to HUGE auditory brain-melting out-of-this-world phasing"³.

What reviewers said

Reviews were positive about the sound and the layout, with one build criticism⁴¹.

• No Treble's Kevin Johnson found "the EP2 is full of funky, fascinating, and gorgeous sounds that spark creativity," and concluded it is "a sonically and aesthetically pleasing pedal"⁴.
• He also praised the usability: "you can get so many great sounds without all the confusion," with controls neatly laid out and labeled, and called the owner's manual "extremely helpful without being verbose and includes a guided walkthrough"⁴.
• Pedal of the Day's Mike B. described its range as "everything from Mu-Tron-y funk sounds to thick, fat auto wah to HUGE auditory brain-melting out-of-this-world phasing"³.
• Premier Guitar's reviewer found the build solid ("It's built like a tank and looks like it will last a lifetime") but criticized the mini switches, which "were a little painful to switch on and off due to their tight throw and short nature"¹.

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