Pigtronix Attack Sustain

I wouldn't call this an easy pedal to tweak cause of various knobs but it's a pedal, and pedals are a snap compared to racks. It's just takes some doing to dial in a usable sound.

It's okay for slow gear swells. Harmonics adds some distortion which is not bad. Heard better, heard worse.

Infinite sustain I have difficulty. You have to turn the 'attack' and 'decay' knobs off to get this. When I do I get a lot of feedback around 6 or 7 seconds into the sustain, that I can only get rid of by hitting the attack button. This of course stops the sustain. So far not a sustain pedal for me.

Everything else like 'stutter' 'sawtooth' 'tremolo' etc I found unusable. Sounded horrible.

No problems, no opinion

don't know

Had it for a year I think.

This is a slow gear and compression pedal. Can't find any other use for it that sounds good.

I've kept it cause it's slim pickens out there for slow gear I think. Once I find a unit that does swells nicely this will be going bye-bye.

It is not easy to get a good sound out of it but the presets in the manual are helpfull.The sudden ending of notes which was described by others is indeed hapening but has to do with the triger function of the pedal which is nessesery to get all the different sounds it can make.In case you want an infinite sustain sound after volume swell do this:use the attack portion of the pedal to do the volume swell then turn it off and the compressor takes on from there.The note will not stop and then you do the same for the next note or chord you want to play.

The sound quality is great.If you take yor time you will find vrey usable sounds.The cliping problem is not realy a problem but a way to get different sounds and for the volume swells it can be solved as I described in the previous catagory.

This pedal is something new.The more I learn how to use it the more i like it.

I play a nice guitar ($3500) into a handwired, all-tube boutique amplifier which is quite sensitive and responds to the most delicate changes in everything from pick attack and guitar volume control to subtle changes in the effects chain, etc. (There may be a difference for players who go from their guitar to this pedal to a modeling amp, I don't know.) I was initially drawn to this pedal because I've been told that it has no digital components; it produces its sounds through a 100% analog signal path. But I was also skeptical because I generally prefer to keep my signal as uncompressed as I can, and a relatively strong compressor is at this pedal's heart. What tipped me in the direction of giving it a try was that it was designed with the help of Howard "Mick" Davis, a well-recognized figure in the short history of stompbox innovation.

After experimenting with this unit for several weeks and playing around with a seemingly endless variety of knob combinations and switch configurations, I can tell you very clearly: it is NOT easy to get a good sound out of it. In fact, it is by far the most unruly stompbox I've ever messed with, and I've tinkered with quite a few. I was shocked when I read the reviews of "Chris Farrell" and "Kent" below, and I can only imagine that the sounds they sought from this pedal were something they could have obtained with a good compressor and a volume pedal. The manual does seem helpful at first, but when you read it closely you'll see it offers little information that you can't figure out on your own. Many of its example settings are fluff. Compare for instance the near identity between "Transparent Compression" and "Telefried Country Snap." The explanations of the functions of the various knobs are also cloudy at times. When it describes the "Sensitivity" knob by saying, "This knob determines how much input signal is needed to reset the Attack and/or Decay cycle," it's not giving you the full story. But more on that later.

Suffice it to say for now that as "Dream Sequence" says below, the sweet spot on this pedal is alarmingly narrow. Once in a blue moon there is a good sound or two to be had out of it but they are by far the exception to the rule. After all, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

I have given this rating a "2" because it's just barely above a digital device. As "Kent" rightly noted: "It ain't no multi-effector rack unit." And for that it is to be praised.

But so much for the good side. You turn this pedal on with its middle "Engage" switch. This activates its compression and sustain effects, which are controlled by three knobs ("Blend," "Volume," and "Harmonix") and a two-way "High Boost" toggle switch (up adds a significant increase in the treble's gain, down does nothing). The "Blend" knob changes the ratio of dry to wet signal output. Although standard on many pedals of various kinds these days, here it is serving an unusual function because the wet signal it puts out is just the compressed signal. The level of compression is fixed, at a seemingly high ratio I might add, and the most you can do is blend it back in with the dry signal. The "Blend" knob will prove useful in dealing with the "Attack" and "Decay" sides of the pedal, but more control over the compressor would have made a lot of difference here I think. The "Volume" knob can add a considerable boost to your signal and it can get out of hand easily if you already play at loud volumes. Unity gain seems to be around the 9:00 to 10:00 area. The "Harmonix" knob is actually a second blend knob which adds to the wet signal the most boring, generic, fixed harmonic distortion I've ever heard. It's a repugnant noise and I almost always keep this knob at 7:00, adding no distortion at all. If your guitar, effects, and amplifier already give you a sufficient amount of high-end gain, then the "High Boost" switch will prove equally useless to you. My setup gives me all the treble I could ask for and more, and so every time I have felt adventurous and turned the "High Boost" switch on, I have paid a steep price for it in ungodly, high-pitched, squealing feedback noises.

Now to the "Attack" and "Decay" switches and their controls. When you press the "Attack" switch, you now have control over how much of your 'attack' (i.e. any deliberate string vibrations you cause) can be heard. The most frequently desired effect here is the volume swell. You can play a note and not hear yourself play it, but then hear it swell into full volume at a rate determined by the "Attack" knob. Lower settings make it swell in sooner; higher settings make it swell in much later. At 5:00, it takes a good five seconds for your notes to reach full volume. Please note, however, that in order for a volume swell to be performed, you have to have the main "Blend" knob on the other side of the pedal full-throttle at 5:00. This means that you are only getting that tightly compressed signal, and you have to watch the master "Volume" knob carefully because if it's not in just the right place, you'll either be too quiet or you'll sustain forever. I understand how the possibility of infinite sustain would excite other guitarists, especially those who have to play at lower volumes, but if you can already play at moderate to high volumes and you have good equipment, you've probably noticed that it's not that difficult to get a really long sustain that turns into an infinite feedback with just your guitar and amp.

I had hoped that the volume swells would allow me to recreate some of my favorite short pedal steel sounds, like in Pink Floyd's "Breathe." Alas, the pedal dashed my hopes of being able to use it for that purpose because of its unnatural clipping of the notes that do not reach infinite-sustain status. "Dream Sequence" criticized it for this problem, and although I was initially hopeful that I could somehow overcome the limits that reviewer faced because of the clipping, I now see that it is impossible to do so. Simply put, even with the sensitivity at 5:00, this pedal will kill your sound unnaturally well before your strings have stopped resonating at a sufficiently audible level. You're left feeling like you've been caught with your pants down. (This part continues below)

(Continued from above because I exceeded the character limit)

It would be nice if the notes that are clipped would actually decay instead of suddenly going silent. I think the pedal's use of the word "Decay" to describe part of its effects is thus very misleading. THE PEDAL OFFERS NO DECAY OF NOTES. They simply disappear. Suddenly. Almost unpredictably soon, even with the "Sensitivity" knob maxed out. And keep in mind that I'm still describing the pedal's activity with only the "Engage" and "Attack" switches turned on and with the "Blend" knob at 5:00 so you can do volume swells.

It is another discredit to the manual that it describes the "Sensitivity" knob by saying, "This knob determines how much input signal is needed to reset the Attack and/or Decay cycle," it does not specify that the knob's highest sensitivity settings thus defined are at the full counterclockwise position, about 7:00. When you've put the knob in that position, you'll see that the pedal is completely useless with either the "Attack" or "Decay" switches on. In other words, in that position it takes an infinite amount of input to reset the "Attack and/or Decay cycle." Useful settings with the "Sensitivity" knob are only from 12:00 to 5:00.

When the "Decay" switch is activated, the pedal brings its premature note clipping to the fore. Using the "Decay" knob, you can choose how quickly a note is clipped, with a range from almost immediately (with the decay knob at 7:00) to basically never (with the decay knob at 5:00). Actually the "Decay" knob's control from 12:00 to 5:00 offers no noticeable effect. At settings between the 7:30 to 10:00 range, the pedal has been described by others and the manual as offering some kind of tremolo effect, but it is no substitute for a real tremolo. You can play a note with the "Decay" knob in that range, with the "Sensitivity" knob at 5:00, and it will sputter for a few seconds but then totally disappear. Any real tremolo pedal will give you a much more pleasant sound.

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Reliability: I rate this at 7 because, although the unit is lighter than it looks, it is well constructed, and I don't foresee it breaking down.

I can say with certainty that I will never buy another effect from Pigtronix, and I encourage anyone who's interested in this pedal to try it before buying it. I was drawn to its capabilities after watching the demo video for it on Pro Guitar Shop's web site, but I can see now that Andy was very careful in how he played with it. If you watch it, you can see that towards the end he has some trouble getting desirable effects out of it, particularly when the "Sensitivity" knob is not maxed out. You'll see the pedal's knobs magically morph into new positions without him moving them, I would presume because he's had to cut some of the less desirable effects of the pedal out of the clip.

With all of that said about it, almost all of which is negative, even I have to admit that there are rare occasions and settings in which you can get desirable sounds. And in addition to that, there is one trick which this pedal can quite convincingly and consistently perform: the sound of reversed guitar. If you're a fellow Hendrix fan, then you probably have an appreciation for the backwards guitar solo in "Castles Made of Sand." With relatively easy manipulations of the "Attack" controls you can imitate that solo and many other backwards guitar sounds you can create on your own with this pedal. It may sound bizarre, but it is the one reason why I won't be sending it back. I'm a Hendrix freak. If I had to rate the pedal solely on the basis of its ability to give you backwards guitar sounds I would give it a 9.

Like the other Pigtronix pedals, the ASDR has several different functions and sounds to discover, so it takes a little time to learn the ins and outs. However, the manual is very well written and easy to follow. I was gigging with this pedal comfortably within 24 hours of getting it.

I play a Heritage 535 and a Godin LGS through a Fender Deville.
The compression feature alone is worth the price of this pedal. I am able to get a snappy, Telefried chicken pickin' sound ala Jim Campilongo, a sweet, long sustain like Trey Anastasio, or a wailin' bluesy howl like SRV.

The pedal has it???s own overdrive/distortion with via the harmonics feature, but compression sounds especially good when you use it to drive my Ibanez Tubescreamer, Pigtronix Disnortion, or even just the amp???s overdrive.

The options available with the Attack/Decay features are endless. I???ve had the pedal for several months and still find new sounds. I use it to create ambient, textural layers for soundtracks and dance performances. It???s great when combined with some delay (my rig has a Pigtronix Echolution, Ibanez A-9 Analog Delay, or SIB Mr. Echo).

Built like a truck.
Gig without a backup all the time.

These guys are the best in the biz. Always respond to my calls/emails.

I play a lot of jazz, funk, world, country, and rock music and I use this pedal with every style.

Been playing for 20 years now and this immediately became a permanent pedal in my rig.

It's irreplaceable and if it were ever to be stolen or lost, I would replace it instantly.

If you put 'Ease of Use' into context, this unit is pretty easy to use. Sure, it has 4 times the number of switches and 3 times the number of potentiometers of the highly coveted (and less flexible) Boss SG-1 Slow Gear; but you don't actually NEED to read the manual to figure everything out. If you want to have the simplicity of the Slow Gear (which is only part of what this box can do) you can look up the preset in the manual and then it will always be one stomp away. Every switch and pot has a label on it and you know exactly what they do before you even turn the knob.

However, READ THE MANUAL as the Owner's Manual is clearly written and has 12 example settings, in full color, of every effect you could think up on your own; PLUS settings for some things you wouldn't think of yourself and are IMPOSSIBLE to get on any other current unit. The stuttering effect (fairly quick Attack and Decay settings and turning the Sensitivity down) is useful and bizarre. Kinda sounds like the old Vox Repeat Percussion if you blend in some of the original signal again. The idea of adding the Blend knob was a master stroke.
Also, the manual walks through the pedal in a nice guided tour that explains the features quite nicely.

You may have to do some work to fully exploit the potential of this pedal; but it ain't no multi-effector rack unit.

The sound quality of this unit is excellent. There are quite a few great sounding features in this box. I love the tone-shaping extra of the High-Boost switch as it adds a bit of jangle and sparkle to the compressed clean tones. The Harmonics knob adds harmonics as you turn it up. The effect can be subtle or very pronounced.
An added bonus, that totally makes sense given the nature of the design of the box, is that it acts as a mighty fine compressor if one engages only the 'Engage' switch. This is the 'sustain' part of the pedal. Throw on some High Boost, blend some of the uncompressed sound back into the signal chain with the 'Blend' knob, and you have the same type of parallel compression that is in the often-lauded-upon Barber Tone Press; but more sparkly-jangly. Adjust the "Harmonics" (how I wish that they had stuck with "Harmonix" as the labling!) for as much harmonic fullness & girth as you desire at any time... and we still haven't even discussed this pedal's raison d'??tre... the envelope shaping!

The fact that this pedal is polyphonic and responds without a single glitch whatsoever just takes the cake. Complex chord swells are a cinch. My unit works exactly as advertised and does not 'clip' off the signal. Not to start a beef with the prior post, but mine does shape the envelope according to the settings on the dial. Smooth fading in and out.

I can't comment on long-term reliability since I've only had it for about 45 days.

David Koltai (Pigtronix head honcho) is easily reachable by phone or email. He reminds me of what top-notch customer service is all about. I'm a real stickler for this kind of thing as my entire career has been dedicated to customer service and meeting (and anticipating) clients' needs. David hits all of these points.

I can never give anything a '10'. This is because I can usually think of a couple of things that would PERSONALLY have been of benefit to me and would have not added anything, or much at all, to the end-user price.
That said, this has been the single most inspiring pedal purchase, that I've made, in the past few years. It has exceeded my expectations and has made playing more fun and enjoyable. It has been quite some time since I've felt that way about a guitar product. What more could one want than to be inspired?

Plus, the built-in compressor with the added 'Harmonics' knob is GREAT for punching up solos and getting some killer sustain.

Howard 'Mick' Davis did some work on the design of this pedal; and if you look at the Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay, which he designed, you can see some similarities in features. However, this new and improved Attack Sustain has much better noise specifications and is polyphonic; which the EH box never was & the Pigtronix pedal has more flexibility. It has been a loooooong time since I've played the EH Attack Decay, but if memory serves, my impression is that the new Pigtronix Attack Sustain is easier to dial in. Also, the Pigtronix's construction is much more robust.

The Attack Sustain also has a 'Trigger' input so that you can have anything else control the triggering of the unit while you play through it with something else. A cool thing to do if you play some compressed guitar through it and have something like a snare or high hat trigger the unit.

A few background notes to put this review in context:
??? I've got a Boss RPS-10 digital delay that actually does play, what you put into it, backwards in near real-time. There is a bit of playing time adjustment necessary as it samples your input signal and then flips it around in discrete chunks of audio. It actually is playing back your sound backwards, but you really have to pay attention to what you are doing and sustaining long notes is out of the question with there being a cyclical 'hiccup' in the sound. This is due to the RPS-10 resampling your sound every 800ms or less. The sound is cool as hell, but is far more limiting than the Pigtronix Attack Sustain.
I've played the Boss Slow Gear for some time and the Attack Decay from yesteryear.

??? I've been using this pedal with an Eric Clapton Signature Strat (with a built-in active Pre-amp), Telecaster Plus Deluxe (Lace Sensor humbucker & single coils), 1966 Fender Mustang, Will Ray Signature Jazz-a-Caster (Seymour Duncan custom overwound Jazzmaster Pickups plus humbucker switching), an Ibanez Black Eagle Bass (old school cool J-bass style), as well as synths and various line level signals. It responds well to all of these completely different impedances and signal levels as long as you adjust the Sensitivity knob. Being polyphonic, it responds really well to alternate tunings.
I've used it through a 1965 Gibson RVT 79 Stereo Amp, a Crate VTX200S, a 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket, and a 1972 Orange 120W 2x12 Combo amp. I've also got some outboard pre-amps that I've been just too lazy to hook up to my rig at the moment. However, I feel that I've got a pretty good representative sample of what this pedal does and how it sounds. It currently sits as the first thing in my signal chain and is followed by a couple of compressors.
I've got about 100 effects here on hand and they are one of my biggest vices... I buy lots of 'em!

I can see that my review is in complete contradiction to the previous review. I can't comment upon his personal experience with this pedal except to postulate that he may have received a defective unit or it just didn't fit into his signal chain. It is an envelope pedal and it is based upon responding to dynamics and altering them. I don't know of any way to do everything that this pedal does with just a volume pedal and a compressor.

I don't work for Pigtronix although I do work in the audio industry. Nothing to do with Pigtronix although it does

This takes a lot of fiddling to get useable results and the "sweet spot" is very small. The envelope follower circuit seems like a bad match for passive guitar pickups, as you have to turn the sensitivity knob up all the way to get an acceptable result. Perhaps active pickups or putting a clean boost in front of it would improve matters.

Tested with a Les Paul Standard and Fender Deluxe.

I was hoping for something that would provide a synth-like control over the guitar's volume, i.e. dial in a slow volume swell for a pad sound, shorten the decay for a percussive sound, etc. The pigtronix hype calls this pedal "a polyphonic amplitude-envelope synthesizer", that "mimic[s] bowed string, horn and synthesizer textures without altering the essential "tone" of your instrument." But the pedal simply won't do a smooth, gradual attack sound, because it doesn't fade in the attack. Instead, it delays the attack (keeps it silent), then brings it in rapidly. This is useless for pad or string type sounds. The release- same deal, it just clips off the guitar decay into silence at a certain point. You can dial in <when> it clips, but not how slowly it clips. Again, useless.

Also of note- the compression circuit is apt to "run away" and amplify pickup hum to unbearable levels. Like the envelope follower, you have to crank the sustain knob up almost full to get a long sustain, so it's easy to get horrible sounds as the sustain continues. I was using a medium-output humbucking pickup, by the way.

No opinion here, as I didn't have it very long. But overall the pedal seemed underbuilt for its price point. A 279.00 pedal should be rock solid.

I play a lot of experimental music and I was deeply excited about this pedal. Unfortunately it let me down. It simply didn't do what the hype lead me to believe it would do. Try before you buy, or better yet, get a volume pedal and a compressor.