Agent 00Funk - long review with clips

[Jared Lash]

Ok, so my 00Funk arrived on Friday but I didn't have time to play with it much and so I didn't take it to the jam session on Saturday. I spent a few hours with it Sunday and another hour tonight. Here's a picture.



I've never really been one to do pedal reviews, but here goes:

Basic info:
For anyone who hasn't seen one of the Chunk pedals before, it's a pretty compact enclosure: 105mm x 120 mm x 65mm and made of folded steel. Thick enough to be sturdy, but not enough to make it heavy. Super funky purple & yellow color scheme and a yellow LED. True bypass with a relatively quiet footswitch. Not as quiet as Tech 21 stuff, but certainly not the loud click of a lot of other true bypass pedals. The battery compartment is in an odd place (front of the pedal in a little pull out compartment) but I never use batteries so not a concern of mine.

Controls:
4 knobs - Pitch, Smoothness, Sweep, Squelch and a switch for up and down filtering.

Review:
Here it is in a nutshell - this pedal can produce some incredible tones, but it can be very frustrating to use.

The controls are not intuitive. Well, that's not true, it makes sense what each of them do individually (roughly it seems pitch = tone or character, smoothness = attack, sweep = sensitivity, squelch = resonant peak) but they are very interconnected. Adjusting one parameter often requires that another be adjusted to compensate. And just twiddling knobs will often result in no filter sound at all. Also, in down mode, you have to be very careful where you set the sweep knob. Too far to the right and the 00Funk will clamp down on your signal, giving you silence until it finally lets go. You can hear this in the Spacegulp clip. Finally, different basses require different settings to get similar sounds. Again, it isn't as easy as just turning down the sensitivity for a hotter bass - each bass interacts with it a bit different - at least in my experience.

So the downside is that it can be difficult to tame and/or dial in. But the upside is that when dialed in you can get a number of really incredible tones. Whether you want to call it modern or hi-fi the 00Funk isn't as organic as say, the Mu-Tron, but it is plenty wet albeit with a synthy character to it. I managed to dial in the fat, horn like tone I wanted (see the clip "Fat Filter") as well as something close to the "Thin and Crispy" setting from the Octavius Squeezer. And though I made these clips with my hottest bass (modded Carvin B4) it actually sounds the best with my fretless Stambaugh.


The Verdict:
I don't know.

In the last hour I've made up my mind 10 times that I have to return it and then 10 times I decided I had to keep it. The crux for me is that what I want to use it for is so far from being a gigging project that live use isn't a concern right now. And maybe by then I'll know the pedal so well that I'll be able to dial in all the sounds I need (and with different basses) easily. But I'm afraid that won't be the case and it won't be a usable pedal in gig situations. I'm really torn at the moment. But just to emphasize the point - this thing is touchy, temperamental and can be tough to dial in and I'm still considering keeping it because the sweet spots really are that sweet.

In any event, here are the clips. Shame that since I did them, I've found a number of super cool tones that I wish I'd recorded. C'est la vie.

Soundclips
Basically I went through the suggested settings from the manual (tweaked for my bass) and then a pair of settings that I liked and one clip with an octaver.
Classic
Superfreak
Smooth Criminal
Robogunner
Spacegulp
Fat Filter
Crispy
With the OC-2

[FreaqyFrequency]

Thanks BigO. Those clips sounded nice and fat.

You are excellent at giving reviews, by the way.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by FreaqyFrequency

Thanks BigO. Those clips sounded nice and fat.

You are excellent at giving reviews, by the way.

Thanks, I appreciate that.

Just a couple quick notes that I forgot:

(1) The clips were basically one long set where I just chopped out the sections of me fiddling with knobs. I didn't really pay attention to what I was actually playing. If I keep it, I'll try and do a new round where I play the same riff. I also forgot to have my clean tone.

(2) I figured the 00Funk would be a very polite filter and thus not have huge volume spikes. Well, on most settings it isn't anywhere near say, a Q-Tron or the AF-9, but it certainly can crank them out in some configurations.

[bigchiefbc]

Nice review BigO, thanks! I thought the Space Gulp and Fat Filter clips were both great. If only this pedal had some sort of decay/sweep speed control, I'd be all aboard.

[Bjazzman]

thanks for that review! i dug the crispy setting. probably not enough influence for me to go out and get one or have it replace my other filters but fun nonetheless.

Totally not what i thought the pedal would sound like with the oc-2

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

Nice review BigO, thanks! I thought the Space Gulp and Fat Filter clips were both great. If only this pedal had some sort of decay/sweep speed control, I'd be all aboard.

Thanks.

Yeah, if this thing were easier to dial in, I wouldn't even look for another filter. For my current needs, it makes exactly the right sounds, but it takes a some work to get them. On the other side, the Meatball/Grinder/Meatwad/Groove Regulator has exactly the control I want, but it's basic character isn't what I'm looking for.

Originally Posted by Bjazzman

thanks for that review! i dug the crispy setting. probably not enough influence for me to go out and get one or have it replace my other filters but fun nonetheless.

Totally not what i thought the pedal would sound like with the oc-2

I'll have to record another clip with the octaver, both for a normal funky setting and with just the 1Oct for synthy sounds. The problem was I just took a random filter setting (it was close to "Smooth Criminal" I think) and kicked on the OC-2. Spending more time with it, there are some much better settings when combining it with an octaver. Keeping the pitch and squelch dialed back further gives much better results.

Another little update to my review. Here's one thing I've realized about the 00Funk that makes it a lot more usable. The Smoothness and Squelch knobs can be set pretty much anywhere, but the Pitch and Sweep Knobs really only work for a specific range depending on the bass.

Playing with my fretless, the pitch really has to be to the left of the halfway mark and depending on that setting the sweep can't go further than 1'oclock or so. The sweep control reminds me a lot of the Sensitivity on the Pigtronix EP-1. Basically, past a certain point the filter is already open. But the EP-1 had that LED to let you know. With the 00Funk you have to use your ears as you turn the knob, mark that point or just commit it to memory. But learning that makes this thing easier to tweak.

Oh, and I added the clips to the Wiki. I'm starting to lean heavier towards keeping it. If I do, I'll record more.

[markjazzbassist]

way cool man, thanks a lot!

it sounds a lot like a meatball to me. less knobs and more synthy tone (the quack is quackier, whereas the meatball is more wet and bubbly).

very interesting, i might have to check this one out

[fightthepower]

I agree, it is reminiscent of the Grinder as well. Closer to the meatball style filters than anything else I can think of right now, and based on your clips and review it seems to behave like the meatfilters as well- I was expecting something closer to the Prometheus. The Grinder is a great filter and I love the amount of control it has but I've never been 100% sold on it.

Originally Posted by TheBigO

On the other side, the Meatball/Grinder/Meatwad/Groove Regulator has exactly the control I want, but it's basic character isn't what I'm looking for.

I can dial in all the shapes and sizes I want with the Grinder, but the tone isn't exactly what I'm looking for. It's sounds great, but for what Im trying to accomplish it's not perfect- I'm kind of bummed the 00Funk sounds so similar, but at least I know to cross it off the list. Thanks for the review!

[knarleybass]

I have the 00Funk, I like it but I have to say that your review is quite accurate, it's not an instant gratification box.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by markjazzbassist

way cool man, thanks a lot!

it sounds a lot like a meatball to me. less knobs and more synthy tone (the quack is quackier, whereas the meatball is more wet and bubbly).

very interesting, i might have to check this one out

Originally Posted by fightthepower

I agree, it is reminiscent of the Grinder as well. Closer to the meatball style filters than anything else I can think of right now

Hmm, interesting that you and Mark both feel that way. I've tried the Lovetone but didn't get to spend a lot of time with it, and I thought it had a pretty different vibe. The Meatball always seemed to let more of my tone through while the 00Funk tends to swallow it whole - which I really liike. But again, 20 minutes with the Meatball is nowhere near enough time to really get a feel for it.

Originally Posted by fightthepower

I can dial in all the shapes and sizes I want with the Grinder, but the tone isn't exactly what I'm looking for. It's sounds great, but for what Im trying to accomplish it's not perfect- I'm kind of bummed the 00Funk sounds so similar, but at least I know to cross it off the list. Thanks for the review!

Again, interesting. There was nothing at all wrong with the Meatball, but the general "character" of it wasn't what I wanted. But again, while "synthy" it is definitely funky and it sounds like you want something with more of a "spacey" vibe. Have you ever tried the old DOD 440 or the ToneFactor pedal based on it (442 Red/Bottom Feeder). Not versatile, but an interesting tone. I like it more on guitar, but worth trying.

Originally Posted by knarleybass

I have the 00Funk, I like it but I have to say that your review is quite accurate, it's not an instant gratification box.

No, it isn't. And someone that wants plug and play will be disappointed. I have quite a bit of experience with filters and it took quite a bit of time for me to get a feel for it. But I like it too.

I've got till the end of the week to decide if I'm going to keep it but I think I'll probably make make up my mind tomorrow night when I have more time to play with it.

Still want a Brown Dog too.

[phatbass]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

In the last hour I've made up my mind 10 times that I have to return it and then 10 times I decided I had to keep it. The crux for me is that what I want to use it for is so far from being a gigging project that live use isn't a concern right now. And maybe by then I'll know the pedal so well that I'll be able to dial in all the sounds I need (and with different basses) easily. But I'm afraid that won't be the case and it won't be a usable pedal in gig situations. I'm really torn at the moment. But just to emphasize the point - this thing is touchy, temperamental and can be tough to dial in and I'm still considering keeping it because the sweet spots really are that sweet.

This is exactly the problem I have with the Qtron+; I love the sounds I can get but it's so fernickety and I haven't got the time or inclination to be chasing sounds onstage in front of an audience at a gig. I keep it mainly for recording and plain ol' fun in non-gig situations.

I ended up getting a line 6 FM4 which, although not a Qtron+, is programmable so I can at least recall settings consistently.

I'm still considering an Octavius Squeezer, if I can find one to try, and the envelope filter is up to the Agent 00Funk standard, purely to have a decent programmable Envelope FIlter (all the other stuff - synths and fuzz - would be purely a bonus. And, yes, it IS worth 600 bucks to me to get a good quality programmable Envelope Filter).

[Mudfuzz]

Originally Posted by knarleybass

I have the 00Funk, I like it but I have to say that your review is quite accurate, it's not an instant gratification box.

+1

Your review was right one the money TheBigO.

[Jared Lash]

Just an update on my review. I did end up keeping the 00Funk. So if there are any other clips people want, I'll be happy to record them.

Two interesting things worth noting. (1) I got to spend more time with a Meatball recently. I have a better understanding of why people think these two sound similar though I think they do have their own character - personally I like the 00Funk's more, but that's just personal preference.

Secondly, I've found that indeed, after a while it gets very easy to dial in what you want with this filter so my concerns about using it live have been alleviated.

Since I've decided to build a separate fretless pedal board I'll likely be buying another filter (something a bit more subtle) but the 00Funk will stay on my main board.

As a side note, I use it for my RHCP band and while not spot on, it does an admirable job of being able to recreate: a MuTron (for Sir Psycho Sexy), a Q-Tron (21st Century) and a DOD FX25 (Power of Equality). Nice.

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

Just an update on my review. I did end up keeping the 00Funk. So if there are any other clips people want, I'll be happy to record them.

Since you offered ...

I'd love to hear it in the Fat Filter (dubby, mostly closed, not quacky) setting, with the OC-2 on.

Thanks!

[Jared Lash]

I'll do a Fat Filter + OC-2 clip AND a dubby + OC-2 clip. If I don't get to it tonight I won't have a chance until Sunday, but I'll definitely do them.

[RCCollins]

excellent review. excellent sounds. but without programability, I'll re-buy a squeezer before I pick one of these up

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by RCCollins

excellent review. excellent sounds. but without programability, I'll re-buy a squeezer before I pick one of these up

Honestly one of the reasons I sold the Squeezer and will likely have a 00Funk/Brown Dog combo WAS that the OS was programmable.

The main reason was that in all honesty it was too complex for me in terms of creating my own patches, but another part of it was not being able to twiddle knobs.

I only used the Squeezer for a couple gigs, and then only has a fuzz and filter. The problem was that usually during soundcheck I also test my effects for the room and make changes - something I've gotten pretty good at. While still doable, it's a lot more difficult on the Squeezer than on individual pedals.

[RCCollins]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

Honestly one of the reasons I sold the Squeezer and will likely have a 00Funk/Brown Dog combo WAS that the OS was programmable.

The main reason was that in all honesty it was too complex for me in terms of creating my own patches, but another part of it was not being able to twiddle knobs.

I only used the Squeezer for a couple gigs, and then only has a fuzz and filter. The problem was that usually during soundcheck I also test my effects for the room and make changes - something I've gotten pretty good at. While still doable, it's a lot more difficult on the Squeezer than on individual pedals.

well to the squeezer's credit, you CAN designate a handful of parameters to be adjustable more-or-less "on the fly"

but of course I understand your not enjoying patch design without a LIVE software editor (which I don't see happening on the Mk I Squeezer - is it OK if I start calling it that?)

[markjazzbassist]

i'm going to pop in here and just say that i just got mine. I am blown away by this pedal. Simply amazing. I am mad I didn't buy it earlier.

its got some great quack (my favs) tones and some tones similar to the meatball in there. i love this pedal

paired with the brown dog (envelope cord) its madness. the quacky funky spacey synthy sounds are blowing my mind. keepers and on the board for sure.

[Tekken]

I've tried the 00Funk Mark II in a music shop.

I've practised with it for a few hours and, in the end, I've found it totally unusable with my basses (Yamaha BB NE2 & MusicMan Sterling HH): every final sound was too "swollen" and fat and the filter doesn't open/close well, with any setting and with any setting of the sens knob...