Envelope filters.

[basshead56]

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' post='679405' date='Dec 9 2009, 07:06 PM']For convenience of size I'm using a modded Electro Harmonix BassBalls Nano. The mod adds external controls for the frequency centers of the the envelope. Makes it a lot more usable for lowend, IMO. Otherwise hands down I just love my Electro Harmonix Mini Q-Tron, especially after I had a mod done, adding an external trimpot to balance the effect signal to the bypass signal. This pedal is just plain stanky. Soon as Bigwan stops fruiting about on his honeymoon I'll be asking him nicely to rehouse the Q-tron into a smaller box.[/quote]


Where did you get the Bassballs mod done?

I use a Dr Q nano- its great for certain things but can be a tad one-dimensional. The bass boost switch is annoying because it doesn´t actually work on bass
The Q Tron Plus I had was the best one I´ve heard and could do pretty much anything envelope-wise. gutted I sold it now.
But I am considering skipping the Bassballs route and moving onto the EHX Enigma Q Balls- tried one briefly before xmas and really liked it, though I´d need to have a much longer look at it as it´s kind of expensive.

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='basshead56' post='709802' date='Jan 12 2010, 11:01 AM']But I am considering skipping the Bassballs route and moving onto the EHX Enigma Q Balls- tried one briefly before xmas and really liked it, though I´d need to have a much longer look at it as it´s kind of expensive.[/quote]
Got an Enigma from a Basschatter a few weeks back, and I've still not found the time to really have a thorough sit down and fiddle with it. However, from my brief dalliance with it, I can say two things: 1) it's definitely going on my pedalboard; and 2) it's a sensitive and fiddly beast that's going to take some time to fully get to grips with.

I got some awesome sounds out of it. If you take a look over on Talkbass, there's a big thread full of soundclips people have made. Quite an eye-opener.

[basshead56]

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='709805' date='Jan 12 2010, 11:06 AM']Got an Enigma from a Basschatter a few weeks back, and I've still not found the time to really have a thorough sit down and fiddle with it. However, from my brief dalliance with it, I can say two things: 1) it's definitely going on my pedalboard; and 2) it's a sensitive and fiddly beast that's going to take some time to fully get to grips with.

I got some awesome sounds out of it. If you take a look over on Talkbass, there's a big thread full of soundclips people have made. Quite an eye-opener.[/quote]


Nice one,
Off to check that out now.
Cheers mate

[pandathe3]

How would you guys rate the DOD FX-25? Not the 25B

I've been looking for a decent envelope for a while. I own the Digitech synth wah which IMHO is very good. You can get good synths but not a decent envelope. Also the bass/vol loss means its not useable live.

I've heard that the DOD fx-25 has no volume drop and can handle lowend well. Does the Micro Q-tron have a noticable drop in volume/bass?

I wish the FX-25B had no lose in volume, because the blend knob alows you to retain the lowend alot more. And they'r cheap as chips

[dumelow]

[quote name='pandathe3' post='776810' date='Mar 16 2010, 11:36 PM']I've heard that the DOD fx-25 has no volume drop and can handle lowend well. Does the Micro Q-tron have a noticable drop in volume/bass?[/quote]


No drop in bass on the q-tron, at least on LP mode anyways. I can still hear my bass in a band situation, its just the enveloped sound that has trouble cutting through, but im not sure if its just the settings im using as Ive only used it briefly at band practice.

I think at one point I want to get an LS-2, and blend my clean signal with the q-tron on a really wet BP mode setting. It is an awesome pedal.

[thisnameistaken]

I can't remember if there's any drop in level when you switch an FX-25 on, but I've had a couple of them in the past.

I wasn't that keen to be honest. The envelope follower seems a bit "binary", I mean it seems to take a high level to open the filter and when it closes it closes quickly, so it's hard to play it in a subtle way or get a smooth response from it. Also towards the end of the down-sweep it always seems to pass through a very wolfy little frequency hump, so you get this loud "WHOMP!" on the way down if you sustain a note.

But some people love them. That's the thing with filters, you've just got to try them and see what works for you.

Edit: Incidentally the FX-25 is a band-pass filter, so yes while it's plenty bassy with the filter at the bottom, when it sweeps up it will (should, anyway) cut bass frequencies. To be honest though with many low-pass filters players prefer a high resonant peak near the cut-off, which will be much louder than the bass frequencies when the filter sweeps open and so the effect is probably much the same in the end.

So it was a waste of time me typing that... Heh.

Edited March 17, 2010 by thisnameistaken

[gafbass02]

I just love my digitech bsw and never had a volume issue either, but then inrun a compressor last in my fx chain to even out any issues caused by the fx

[cheddatom]

There's a fiendish envelope filter dealy on the XP-100 whammy wah.

[gafbass02]

Incidentally I've just started to move over to using the zoom b9.1ut instead of my full board (getting old) and the filters on that are great, infact the whole damn thing is great. (only irritatin really is that when I bank up down before changing the patch name dosnt change until you swap fx. Meaning you have know the bank number you are aiming for)

[pandathe3]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='776965' date='Mar 17 2010, 08:27 AM']I just love my digitech bsw and never had a volume issue either, but then inrun a compressor last in my fx chain to even out any issues caused by the fx[/quote]

What mode do you mainly use it on. The synths are really thick and i've had no issues using them, but i never needed synth, i only have issues with the envelope sound (Which is what i want). Might need to try the envelope w/ octave down during next practice. See if it'll cut through more.

[GazWills]

[quote name='Silent Fly' post='708525' date='Jan 11 2010, 08:54 AM']I really like the MXR M-188 (aka Bass Auto-Q).

The Maxon AF9 is also a good pedal but I found it sounds much better with guitar than bass.[/quote]

funnily enough i owned both of these - the M-188 left me very cold. I thought the 'shimmer' effect was a pointless addition, and the pedal - for all it's numerous knobs - was incredibly one dimensional.

With you on the AF-9 though, ace on the guitar, but sounded very uninspiring on the bass... normally a big fan of maxon pedals, but really didn't rate this at all.

Still, my Tonefactor 442 red arrived in the post today though (cheers Deej), so hopefull will have something positive to add later!

[pandathe3]

[quote name='GazWills' post='777303' date='Mar 17 2010, 12:54 PM']Still, my Tonefactor 442 red arrived in the post today though (cheers Deej), so hopefull will have something positive to add later![/quote]
Please do

I think i'm just gonna grab a micro Q-Tron of the 'bay, Cheap and reliable. Unless i find a decent condition FX-25.

Anyone know of any mods for the FX-25 or Q-Tron. Just so it can handle bass better?

[molan]

I tried a batch of the £100 and below pedals and settled on the MXR Auto Q.

I also have an EBS IQ but I find it really needs 'pushing' to get it really working properly and I need to stick a volume boost or distortion pedal in front of it to make it squelch how I'd like.

The MXR is relatively simple (I use the settings they give in their examples) and all I need to do is knock the output volume up a bit to compensate for some loss of lower bass 'oomph'.

Could probably do with a compressor (which I have but don't use much) to tame the overall range I'm getting when using it.

[gafbass02]

[quote name='pandathe3' post='777302' date='Mar 17 2010, 12:54 PM']What mode do you mainly use it on. The synths are really thick and i've had no issues using them, but i never needed synth, i only have issues with the envelope sound (Which is what i want). Might need to try the envelope w/ octave down during next practice. See if it'll cut through more.[/quote]


That's the mode I use it in, octave down if I recall it's 12, 10,10 O clock on the knobs, which also works well on the other setting too.

[GazWills]

[quote name='pandathe3' post='777352' date='Mar 17 2010, 01:31 PM']Please do [/quote]

OK, so after an hour or so with the 442 filter, have to say it's absolutely fantastic. I say an hour, it took about 20 seconds to realise it was the filter i'd been looking for, works great with my o/d, awesome with my fuzz. Dead simple, but that's how i like pedals, who needs flashing lights and knobs galore when it just sounds fat!