The Tsakalis AudioWorks Phonkify is an envelope filter and wah pedal with an octave effect built in, made by Greek manufacturer Tsakalis AudioWorks. It was first shown at Winter NAMM in January 2018 and released that March12. Where a conventional envelope filter sweeps its frequency in response to your picking dynamics, the Phonkify layers an octave up and/or octave down effect on top of that filter, with a dedicated footswitch for the octave section3.
Premier Guitar's reviewer described it as "a great way to explore vintage Mu-Tron-type sounds with extra flexibility that few conventional envelope filte[r pedals]" offer, praising its "classic, expressive filter sounds with extra flexibility," noting that it "plays well with other effects," and listing no cons4.
An envelope filter with octaves
The Phonkify's core is a two-mode envelope filter, labeled Smooth and Nasty, that reacts to how hard you play. The maker describes it as "two modes of juicy envelope filter (Smooth & Nasty) which turns into wah at the minimum 'sensitivity' setting, combined" with an octave up and/or down effect1. Delicious Audio's Christopher Scapelliti noted that where other envelope filters stop at the filter itself, "Phonkify takes it to a new extreme by adding an octave up and/or down feature"3.
The octave section has its own dedicated footswitch, so you can bring the octave in and out independently of the filter14. A Post/Pre switch selects the effect order, placing the octave before or after the filter3.
The pedal was announced alongside the Galactic multi-modulation pedal at NAMM 2018, with both available at the end of March that year2. Guitar World reported the Phonkify as available now at its March 2018 launch5.
The controls
The original Phonkify keeps its control set compact. Delicious Audio lists controls for Volume, Octave selection, Frequency, Sensitivity and Input Gain, plus switches for the effect order and the Nasty/Smooth response3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Master output level34 |
| Octave selection | Blends the octave effect, from suboctave to upper-octave squawk4 |
| Frequency | Sets the filter's frequency range3 |
| Sensitivity | Sets how reactive the envelope is; at minimum the effect becomes a wah14 |
| Input Gain | Tunes sensitivity and responsiveness to different guitars, pickups and upstream effects4 |
| Response switch | Chooses between Nasty and Smooth3 |
| Post/Pre switch | Selects the effect order3 |
The input gain knob is the practical key to getting the envelope to track well on your rig. As Premier Guitar's reviewer explained, "The Phonkify has an input gain in addition to the master volume, which means you can tailor the effect's sensitivity and" responsiveness to whatever guitar and pedals feed it4. On That Pedal Show, Dan Steinhardt and Mick Taylor walked through the pedal's functions, including the input gain setting6.
The octave knob itself works as a blend between the two octave directions. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that "with the octave knob turned fully counterclockwise, the Phonkify's filter effect is melded to a suboctave, producing a d[ense upper octave squawk as twisted to the right]"4.
Smooth and Nasty
The two filter modes give the pedal two distinct personalities:
- Smooth: "The smooth setting gets tones more akin to the traditional filter effects of yore, offering a bubbly attack that is lyri[cal and funky]"4
- Nasty: "The nasty setting makes the attack edgier and provides an almost synth-like envelope"4
Turning the sensitivity knob all the way down changes the character entirely: the effect becomes less bubbly and, in Premier Guitar's words, "effectively turns it an auto-w[ah]"4.
Expression pedal use
The Phonkify features an expression jack that controls the frequency range of the envelope and wah effects13. With an expression pedal connected, you can sweep the filter manually rather than letting your picking dynamics drive it, which turns the pedal into a conventional wah-style filter.
The Phonkify X
In January 2025 Tsakalis AudioWorks released the Phonkify X, an evolved, vertical version of the original, announced and demonstrated at NAMM7. Premier Guitar's review calls it "an evolution of the ori[ginal]"8. The X separates the design into independent Filter and Octave effects, each with its own footswitch, and adds greater granularity and an additional control7.
Guitar Pedal X lists the X's full control set9:
| Section | Controls |
|---|---|
| OCTAVE | Octave Level, Order: Post, Octave Footswitch |
| FILTER | Q Bandwidth, Frequency, Type: LP / BP / LP-HP, Filter Footswitch |
| General | Master Volume, FX Mix, Input Gain |
Filter modes on the X are Low Pass, Band Pass, and Combo-Blend (LP-HP)7, and the expression pedal input offers optional control of the filter frequency range for traditional sweeping wah-style use78. Guitar.com quoted the maker's pitch for the new pedal: "The Phonkify X isn't just a pedal. It's a total vibe machine, a groove generator and a tone tailor for the funky-hearte[d]"10.
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the X "has got great range, which is enhanced by effective mix, gain, frequency, and Q controls," though the high octave "can be a bit cloying and full of digital artifacts in some applications, but when the low octave content is u[sed]" it is tempered8. Guitar Pedal X later named it among 2025's notable new pedals, calling it "a great funky-fier pedal, which combines a Wah-like Filter with an Octave," "really great looking and pretty distinct, perfectly honed for the task overall"9.
Videos
Premier Guitar
TsakalisAudioworks
R.J. Ronquillo
Questions
What is the difference between Smooth and Nasty mode on the Phonkify?
Smooth gets tones closer to traditional vintage filter effects, with a bubbly, lyrical, funky attack. Nasty makes the attack edgier and produces an almost synth-like envelope. Both modes turn into a wah when the sensitivity knob is set to its minimum.
Can the Phonkify work as a wah?
Yes. Both the Smooth and Nasty envelope filter modes turn into a wah at the minimum sensitivity setting, and the expression jack lets you control the frequency range of the envelope and wah effects with an expression pedal.
Does the Phonkify have an expression pedal input?
Yes. The Phonkify has an expression jack that controls the frequency range of the envelope and wah effects. The Phonkify X also offers optional control of the filter frequency range via an expression pedal, for traditional sweeping wah-style control.
What does the octave knob do?
Turned fully counterclockwise, the octave knob melds the filter effect to a suboctave. Twisted to the right it produces a dense upper-octave squawk. The octave effect has its own dedicated footswitch, and a Post/Pre switch selects whether it sits before or after the filter.
What is the difference between the Phonkify and the Phonkify X?
The Phonkify X, released in 2025, is an evolved, vertical version of the original. It separates the filter and octave into independent effects with their own footswitches, adds three selectable filter types (Low Pass, Band Pass, and Combo-Blend), more granularity, and an extra control.
Sources (10)
- Tsakalis AudioWorks Releases the Phonkify & Galactic, Premier Guitar, 2018-03-12
- NAMM 2018: Tsakalis's Phonkify and Galactic Modulation pedals revealed, MusicRadar, 2018-01-22
- Tsakalis Introduces The Galactic Multimodulation And Phonkify Filter Wah Pedals, Delicious Audio, 2018-03-15
- Tsakalis AudioWorks Phonkify Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-09-15
- Tsakalis AudioWorks Introduces New Phonkify, Galactic Pedals, Guitar World, 2018-03-12
- Tsakalis Phonkify, Chase Tone ’68 Red Velvet, Lounsberry Nigel, Keeley Delay Workstation, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2018-07-10
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-01-21
- Tsakalis Audio Works Phonkify X Envelope Filter Review, Premier Guitar, 2025-07-01
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-12-09
- “Not just a pedal, Guitar.com, 2025-01-22
