Digitech FreqOut

I like this pedal a lot, but only because I knew what I was getting. I can understand the people who didn't like it, thinking it was something else. Maybe Digitech shouldn't have even called it a 'natural feedback creator' on the box; perhaps 'haunting, ambient theremin simulator' would have been a better description.

It's far from perfect though. Here's some slight negatives:

It is definitely not a replacement for ebow or sustainic to any useful extent, because the generated signal abruptly cuts off after 6 - 10 seconds. It doesn't even sound like those devices. Do NOT buy the Freqout thinking you're getting a cheap ebow alternative.

The short cut-off actually does annoy me, even though I was prepared for it. It must have been a hardware limitation rather than a design decision. Eight seconds is fine 90% of the time, but maddening when you really do need the signal to continue for a little longer. They could have at least made it fade out slowly. This is the pedal's largest failure, I think.

Another thing that bothers me is that the gain/onset needs to be set quite accurately. I was hoping I could just set and forget it at one favourite setting, but it needs tweaking quite a lot depending on what you're playing and what other effects are enabled. On stage, I'm not sure how I would go about changing the settings without having to test it in front of the audience before starting the song.

It also generates a slight buzz from the power supply in my daisy-chained set-up, so consider using an isolated power source. It requires 240mA.

The Freqout has to be at the front of my effects chain. Anywhere else in the chain sounds like a tacky synth.

Lastly, I wish I could toggle between momentary and latch mode with a double-click on the foot switch; I dislike bending down to use the toggle switches.

The Freqout is basically a two trick horse. 1) adding a traditional feedback sound to sustained chords and notes, and 2) a sort of atmospheric theremin sound.
Don't expect anything more than that. You might be able to coax a little more out of it by combining it with other effects, but those are the only two sounds you should expect out of the box.

On the plus side, it adds feedback to ringing chords (and tracks bends and tremolo) much better than I anticipated. The straightforward traditional feedback sounds good enough to fool an audience.

I'm using the theremin sound quite judiciously (no-one would really notice it's there unless I suddenly turned it off), and it sounds really nice, adding a subtle layer of delicate texture, bubbling and tweeting underneath the playing, especially in conjunction with a delay. At times it is very atmospheric and beautiful.
It's pretty useless for rock/pop covers, but will lend itself very well to some of my own material, especially pieces composed with this effect in mind. This unique pedal could make certain songs shine if used with care.

Edit 1: Since Digitech got closed down by Harmann, if you see one of these going cheap second-hand, I'd be inclined to nab it.

Background: I used to have a Jackson DK2S with the Sustainiac system and I was enjoying that very much. At some point I had to sell the guitar as it wasn't versatile enough but I always craved for a system that would replicate the Sustainiac's functionality. I have never used an ebow by the way.
Naturally, i was quite surprised and curious when i saw the FreqOut, so after reading the glowing reviews I went ahead and got it.

The build quality is really nice and it looks nothing like the older digitech pedals I had come across - thumbs up digitech!

Regarding the sound, which is what is important, I would say it is a very decent choice for a few things. There are a few shortcomings, like the inability to feedback on anything other than single notes (this is where you could go crazy with the sustainiac) and on some occasions, depending on the base sound, the feedback sound is not totally convincing. But overall, it is a step in the right direction for pedal-generated feedback and a very creative tool in the right hands and conditions.

Verdict: what it can do, it does it very convincingly but it cannot do everything. Approved

Yes, it does it!
Controlled, selected and as you wish it feedback!
Is it the real thing? Not exactly! But truly, with some bit of tweaking you'll be amazed by this pedal!
Because, it is a one of a kind special effect that has its place among the wild and unusual worth talking about. And mainly playing with!
I'd say, I knew what I was going for, even before buying it and trying it!
And it is up to my expectation and already, after a short time use, a notch above.
So, are we talking feed-backing as the ones you can achieve 'naturally'? No, but choosing frequencies is an awesome addition to it and being able to include this with the other effects seems to be alike you get a new set of similar pedals , each of them giving in conjunction a special feel that they wouln't, even if played on together without the FreqOut.
The pedal is build to last. The knobs are not in metal, so, it is not indestructible. But I never destroyed a pedal, so I'd say: 'don't worry about this!'
The size of the pedal is quite compact and I expected it bigger. So, for big footed people, to find that switch and stomp on it without touching the control knobs may be a bit tricky But as with everything, practice makes perfect. And since the knobs are small, you have a lot of changes happening by moving them ever slightly. Small knobs may be a bit difficult for bigger fingers but definitely not as bad as some mini effects with those micro controls.
I am also delighted to be able to use the effect in 100% wet , you can play with it in a way that reminds me of playing with an e-bow.
Quite nice indeed, as the there is no need for that cumbersome item that I have not enjoyed using in the past. Especially that you can pick strings, not like an e-bow, which is difficult to use at playing many strings with.
It would be a very fine touch to add to your extra guitar tracks in recordings.
To be able to see the development of the feed-back with the LED feedback indicator is truly a much appreciated addition that will help and support the way you select the range (gain, onset) which, when playing, gives you a visual lead clue on the way it responds. As if, a visual metronome.
Without it, I'd say, it would have been a great miss.
Overall!
Will you feel good with this addition to your gear?
YES! I recommend it! And wish you a lot of fun, for an affordable very special pedal.
I have used it with some other instruments and could imagine adding it to my synths too.
Little detail! No battery use possible with it! But, it is nowadays more common with new tech.
Cheers!

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this pedal, I just isn't so much of a natural feedback creator, than it is a theremin-like device. You can get some very nice sounds out of it though.

It can definitely be useful and you get a nice, rich sound and it's great for some occasions. The thing that really bothers me the most is the fact that the feedback cuts out at around 8-10 seconds. I mean, 10 seconds is enough in most cases, but if you want just a bit more, it can get pretty annoying.

It also isn't the most energy saving- it needs 275 mA.

The construction of the pedal is very good and won't break easily even when abused.

Well, here's the final verdict:
If you want a natural feedback creator and more rich songs, you're gonna get that-just don't expect to much as it isn't the very best. It's a ton of fun to experiment with it and it also has a very rigged construction.

And hey - if you don't like it, you can always return it...so go for it !

It's a very well made pedal that can be used in so many ways. I tested various settings and was enough to make me happy:

1 - The dry signal turns off the guitar sound and keeps the feedback on, it sounds like a theremin, which gave me plenty of ideas. although i recommend a loud guitar signal before going to the pedal to get more sustain or else the feedback would die off.

2 - I played rhythm guitar with the 2nd type setting, dry signal off, and gain at 8 o'clock, and sounded like there is a voice that is singing along with the guitar. it's very inspirational.

Pros:
- The feedback is as close as you can get, it feels more like a Fernandes sustainer than an Ebow
- true bypass
- option to change harmonics

Cons:
- Be careful on cranking the gain knob when playing on the high notes, it can deliver a loud high pitched shriek even at low volumes.

it's a good pedal that i'll definitely keep in my collection. I recommend anybody to try this pedal and give their own opinion about it.
And thanks to Digitech for making this wonderful pedal.

8.5/10

I totally agree with the other reviews - it is not a perfect replacement for an E-bow or Sustainer pickup (I have both) but if you accept it that it won't be the same it is not bad!
The abrupt cut-off is annoying me, as well, a fade-out (maybe with an option to control it from zero to whatever you like) could be better but I don't know if it is feasible.
One thing I found: you can extend the length of the notes if you gently pick very close to the bridge! It won't restart the sustain, only extend it. It usually works, I had good experience with it live.
The "theremin sound", also mentioned earlier, can be really fun - use it with large ambient delays and stuff, magic!
It also looks amazing on the board!

I always wanted a sustainiac system on my guitar, but I'm kinda worried about drilling additional holes before I have a spare one.

I know that this kind of technology for pedals is still under development and improvements are yet to come, but I decided to go for this one since the price is OK.

The sound is very good for an artificial sustain, all types of sustain sound great on this one. The pedal offers many possibilities, thumbs up for Digitech for all the controls that this pedal has. The led indicators are also very helpful and well designed.

The only cons is the lenght of the sustain (again, a legit issue since it is not a real sustain pickup). If you use it in solos it works very well, but if you're more into very long sustain parts, something similar like bands Type O Negative and Anathema use for example, don't expect an infinite sustain. I just did a test and the sustain usually drops after 7 sec (and it drops suddenly, it doesn't fade). Sometimes I managed to hold it for 11 sec and that was the maximum.

Like I said before, I expect that this will probably be improved in the future versions.