CARL MARTIN Ottawa Vintage Optical Envelope User Manual

: June 3, 2024
: CARL MARTIN

Table of Contents

Inductions
Specifications
Power Requirements
Warranty
Support
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CARL MARTIN Ottawa Vintage Optical Envelope User Manual

Inductions

For those of you from Canada, or who know anything about Canada outside of beavers, and maple syrup…. the capitol of the country is called Ottawa, and is full of politicians who do nothing but wah-wah-wah all day long (see where we are going with this?) It’s difficult to say whether there is another connection between this pedal and the Canadian capitol, but we have redesigned the Optical Envelope Filter, and have given it a new, tongue-in cheek name…. The Carl Martin Ottawa!

The Carl Martin Ottawa is an envelope filter that mimics the sound of your wah pedal without you having to step on a wah pedal and adjust those frequencies manually. Really a great pedal for solo-ing and for rhythm work, whether you are into ‘those’ psychedelic 60’s, or the disco era of the later 70’s, or any other music that requires this unique sound. There are 3 presets which are High, Band and Low Pass filters, adjustments for bandwidth and attack as well as level and tone. Let’s look at these controls….

ATTACK

The Attack knob adjusts the sensitivity of the Ottawa to your style of playing. As the effect is touch sensitive you will find that the Ottawa will respond to your attack on the strings…. from a softer darker wah when you play softly to a more dynamic and dramatic wah (with a higher pitch) when you become more aggressive. The Attack knob allows you to adjust how sensitive the effect will be for your personal style of playing. The control goes from no effect at counter clockwise to full sensitivity at full clockwise settings.

**TONE

**

The Tone knob on the Ottawa, is a high cut filter. With the knob set at full clockwise, you enjoy the full bandwidth of frequencies, so as you turn the knob counterclockwise, you start to filter out the high frequencies. On this effect, the Tone control works interactively with the Attack control, so as you adjust the Attack, you may find that you have to ‘tweak’ the Tone control to achieve your optimum tone.

LEVEL:

The Level knob adjusts the overall level of the Ottawa. By adjusting this knob you can match or exceed the bypass signal.

The Q

The Q knob adjusts the bandwidth for the Ottawa. At full counter clockwise you have a very wide bandwidth which provides you with a soft, round and warm wah effect. At full clockwise, the opposite is true….the bandwidth is very narrow and provides you with a sharp, ear-ripping effect. The setting of the Q knob is very interactive with both the Attack and Tone knobs, and you may find that you have to adjust the Level as well, depending on your other settings.

Button Icon The Select switch offers three different presets….HP (high Pass), BP (Band Pass) and LP (Low Pass). These presets give you everything from the deepest growling 60’s wah effect to the sharpest 70’s disco sounds…and everything in between. With the Low Pass setting, the Ottawa is also suitable to be used with bass guitar.

Specifications

Input: 1M Ohm
Output: 330 Ohm
S/N Ratio: 56 dB
Tone: High Cut
Dimensions: 60 (W) x 115 (D) x 50 (H) mm 2.36” (W) x 4,52” (D) x 1.97” (H)
Weight: 340g / 0,75lbs

Power Requirements

Battery: The Ottawa does not run on battery.
Power consumption: max. 14mA.
Power supply: 9 V DC (regulated), 30 mA minimum, 2.1 mm female plug, center negative (-)
ATTENTION: Please Use DC Power Supply Only! Failure to do so may damage the unit and void the warranty.

Warranty

Carl Martin Research warrants the manufacturing, material and proper operation for a period of one year from date of purchase. Carl Martin will replace defective parts, make necessary repairs or replace the unit at the discression of our technicians. The warranty applies only to the original purchaser of this product, and excludes any damage or faulty operation resulting from misuse, neglect or unauthorized service.