DigiTech Nautila

DigiTech gives us both chorus and flanging in a single compact pedal with more tweakable knobs than you can point your periscope at!

So is it chorus or is it flanging? Guitarists interested in the intricacies of these type of things still muse on whether Andy Summers was using a CE-1 or an Electric Mistress on certain Police tracks. The fact is that chorus and flanging are very closely related effects, both based on modulating short delay times, chorus pedals typically being built on delays of five to 25 milliseconds, while flangers have an even shorter time.

While the original BBD-based pedals were one or the other, modern digital technology can allow both effects to exist in the same pedal, allowing you to choose from either – and why not? Few of us would want to have both chorus and flanging active at the same time, so a pedal that includes both can expand the sonic palette while saving on pedalboard space and power supply outputs. DigiTech’s Nautila is just such a pedal, which not only provides chorus and flange sounds, but also offers a degree of parameter adjustment that goes way beyond standard chorus and flanging pedals.

Sounds

A very solidly put-together pedal, the Nautila offers mono or stereo operation. You select either chorus or flange from a front panel toggle switch, and there are standard Speed and Depth knobs for adjustment, as well as a Mix knob that adds the effect to the dry sound for a myriad of effects blends, including a cool vibrato sound when you turn it to fully wet in chorus mode.

There’s a continuously variable waveform Drift knob that morphs between triangle, logarithmic and sine to alter the sharpness of the effect, while another knob, Voices, selects the number of voices used, from a single voice up to four voices for the flanger or eight for the chorus. Single voices offer more of a classic vintage sound, while the sonics get more complex as you advance the knob.

The Emphasis knob offers high-frequency tone control to set the chorus effect in the context of your general tone, while in flanger mode it controls regeneration. This is an important parameter because it determines the amount of effect signal that is fed back into itself, and it’s the key to getting some of those familiar ‘jet’ flanging sounds that are especially effective with distortion.

Modulation speed can also be altered by a nifty bit of footswitch manipulation: if you press and hold it, the speed will change from fast to slow (or vice versa depending on the position of the Speed knob).

Verdict

With the potential to dial up a particularly wide range of chorus, flanging, rotary speaker-esque sounds and more, DigiTech’s Nautila pedal offers a modulation masterclass at a great price.

PROS Two effects in one pedal; foot-operated speed change; versatile range of parameter adjustment; true stereo operation CONS Some might find the graphics a bit challenging when recalling settings