The Rocktron Heart Attack is a dynamic filter pedal, a relative of the filter pedals family that responds to your playing rather than to a pedal you rock or a knob you turn. Rocktron describes it as producing "a harmonic phase shifting effect that sweeps the frequency spectrum from high to low", and the sweep is triggered by pick attack: the harder you pick the string, the louder the effect1. That makes it an envelope-driven effect, closer in spirit to an auto-wah than to a wah-wah pedal you control by foot.
What it does
The dynamic filter effect is triggered by pick attack, so the sound follows your right hand. Pick softly and the effect stays quiet; dig in and the sweep opens up. Rocktron positions the pedal for players after something unusual: "Looking for something truly unique for bass? Want to try something different for guitar?"1
Because it responds to dynamics, it pairs naturally with the kind of playing that suits compressor pedals in reverse: instead of evening out your attack, the Heart Attack turns it into the expression control1.
Controls
The pedal keeps things simple. Its one named control is Sensitivity, which "allows for frequency adjustment of the effect"1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Sensitivity | Allows for frequency adjustment of the effect1 |
Rocktron's guidance on setting it comes down to two positions on the dial1:
- Lower settings: a lush, smooth feel1
- Higher settings: a more expressive effect suited to lead breaks1
Built-in distortion
Rocktron has also included a distortion circuit "to give you a little more 'grit' when playing"1. That puts a second voice inside the same box, so you can push the filter into distortion pedal territory without a separate unit, or leave it clean and let the filter speak on its own.
Where it goes in the signal chain
Rocktron says the Heart Attack "can be placed in the signal chain before or after a distortion, but usually sounds better when placed after"1. In practice that means trying it both ways with your own drive pedals, but starting with the Heart Attack after the distortion.
Power and enclosure
The Heart Attack is housed in Rocktron's heavy duty chassis, and it has an easy access battery compartment that, in Rocktron's words, "will make changing batteries during a gig a breeze"1.
Rocktron's page gives no voltage, current draw or adapter specification for the Heart Attack, so the battery compartment is the only power detail the maker states.
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Sources (1)
- Products, www.rocktron.com, 2024-08-28