Tsakalis PHONKIFY

A pedal designed to recapture the Funk & Soul spirit of the 60s/70s

The Tsakalis Phonkify was designed as a groove machine: the goal is to bring back the flavor of vintage Funk and Soul sounds, where right-hand playing and dynamics dictate the music. Here, the envelope filter becomes a true instrument in its own right, capable of shifting from a smooth, musical quack to a sharper attack, all while staying closely linked to your playing intention. The addition of an octaver (up, down, or blended) completes the picture to thicken a riff, highlight a unison line, or create more synthetic textures.

In the Tsakalis spirit, the Phonkify focuses on a direct and "pedalboard friendly" approach: robust, clear, and performance-oriented, with the ability to reconfigure the effect order to adapt the pedal to your chain and style.

Who is the Phonkify for? From tight rhythms to leads that "speak"

The Phonkify is an excellent choice if you're looking for an expressive funk effects pedal without a complex system. It suits both intermediate guitarists and seasoned musicians who want a responsive effect capable of following palm-mute nuances, ghost notes, and attack variations.

Style-wise, it obviously shines in funk and soul, but it also finds its place in blues (fixed wah and subtle filter), rock (octave + filter for wider hooks), and even electro and fusion for percussive textures and "talkbox-like" passages without gimmicks. In the studio, it imparts an immediately identifiable character; on stage, the expression input and dedicated octave footswitch facilitate transitions without losing the groove.

Controls, modes, and routing: a true expression pedal... without complications

The Phonkify combines two complementary sections: Filter/Wah and Octaver. You have two filter modes, "Smooth " and "Nasty ", to adjust the wah/envelope personality. The Sensitivity setting is central: it determines how the filter responds to your attack, and by lowering sensitivity, the Phonkify can behave like a more "fixed" wah, very practical for locking a frequency peak in the mix.

The octaver offers octave down, octave up, or a blend of both, and features a dedicated footswitch : you can activate/deactivate the octave independently, ideal for switching from a snappy rhythm to a thickened theme in a split second. Finally, a Pre/Post toggle lets you choose the effect order (Octave before or after Filter), which changes the response, clarity, and how the filter "grabs" the signal.

For foot control, the expression input lets you control the frequency range of the filter/wah: perfect for regaining traditional wah gestures while retaining the envelope signature when you want.

The sound

The Phonkify delivers a very lively signature: a tactile effect that reacts to both sharp attacks and softer nuances. In "Smooth" mode, the sweep is rounder and more "vocal," ideal for clean chicken picking, 9th/13th chords, and grooves that remain elegant. In "Nasty" mode, the response tightens and becomes more incisive, with a more "biting" edge that helps the rhythm stand out in a dense mix.

The big advantage is the combination with the octaver: in octave down, you gain an almost "bass-like" foundation to thicken a rhythm or double a line; in octave up, you get a sharper, sometimes very "synthetic" brightness depending on your filter setting. And in blend mode, the Phonkify opens the door to very personal textures, especially when you play with the effect order (Pre/Post) to sculpt attack, definition, and feel under your fingers.

Technical specifications

Effects	Wah, Envelope / Auto-wah, Bass Octaver	Type	sector
Format	Pedal	Use	electric guitar
EQ	Tone	Color	Orange

2 types of envelope filter / wah	Smooth (warm) and Nasty (tighter and sharper)	Expression pedal input	controls the frequency range of the filter/wah
Settings	Volume, Octave, Frequency, Sensitivity, Gain	Dimensions	70 mm (width) x 112 mm (length) x 50 mm (height)
Mode switch	Nasty / Smooth	Weight	0.8 kg
Effect order switch	Pre / Post (select Filter and Octave order)	Power supply	9V DC Boss-type adapter (center negative); 12V OK
2 Heavy Duty footswitches	main pedal activation + dedicated octave activation	Maximum consumption	56 mA at 9V DC