What is WAT?!
Wonderful Audio Technology (aka WAT?!) is an Effects Pedal Company created by the Mad Tone Scientist Ralf Gottschalk as an outlet for his creative endeavors. In addition to a regular line of pedals there will also be smaller runs of WAT?!ever inspired by some really crazy idea or maybe a limited set of hard to find components.
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WAT?! would not be possible without the help and support of his family and the resources provided by DIY community.
Our Inspiration
As a musician Ralf was, and still is, always looking for the perfect sound for the band or the music he is currently playing. He's always had an interest in electronics and dabbled here and there with the occasional kit... but nothing serious. It wasn't until he was actively gigging in particular hard rock band that he really got that solder iron cooking. Playing in a loud rock band with two guitars, as we all know (not even talking about egos here, which we also all know) it can be difficult to layer sounds and textures without getting muddy. To fix this, for whatever crazy reason, he decided to learn about circuits and design his own pedals. With the help of the vast wealth of resources and knowledge from the DIY community, he began to understand what the different blocks of circuits did and how they effected the sound that was produced. Using this understanding, and a whole lot of trial and error, he began to create some useful tools of tone. It became a bit of an obsession.
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So why WAT?!? Why turn this into a business? It's a good question. It really came about from friends asking him, or just talking to him about specific sounds from albums and songs that inspired them. Or even just tones that they heard in their heads. Taking those ideas and then trying to translate them into real circuits and then seeing those circuits being played by those musicians at the local gig... priceless. The thought that someone in the world is using one of your creations create or enhance their music is what drives us at WAT?! to do what we are doing.
We hope that these little instruments of audio technology brings you joy, and adds some wonder to your music