Chunk Agent 00Funk. Did I get bad one?

[3tsb]

So I got a Brown Dog about a month ago and yesterday received a 00Funk from MF. Connect it all together (input to outputs, envelope to envelope). Turn them both on. Sounds awesome! Turn off the Brown Dog. Weird. Doesn't sound like there's any effect. Turn the Brown Dog back on. Now it sounds like just a Brown Dog.

Unplug it all and do Bass> 00funk> amp. I hear some noise and I can hear subtle sweep, but nothing like the videos I've seen. Put it all back together with the Brown Dog. Boom! Sounds killer again. Turn off Brown Dog. No filter effect again.

I though maybe my basses output is too low, but that has never been an issue. I guess I'll just exchange it and try a different one and see.

[drewfx]

With Bass> 00funk> amp (and nothing plugged into the envelope input), how do you have the controls set?

Start with everything around 12:00 and the switch in the "up" direction. Play a note and turn the Pitch knob. You should hear the filter sound then. If not, you've got a problem (check the obvious - good battery?). If you hear it, set Pitch to where you want the sweep to start and adjust Sweep to respond to your playing. These two controls are very sensitive. Adjust the other controls to suit.

If you're using the envelope input and aren't sending a good signal there, it will sound like a fixed filter.

[Jared Lash]

I can't say for sure if there's an issue with your unit, but there are a couple things to note.

When there's a cable connecting the Brown Dog and 00Funk you can't use the 00Funk without the Brown Dog on. It's the reverse problem from most filters that have an effect loop where the pedals in the loop aren't available to be used if the filter isn't on. A bit frustrating but I just used to unplug the envelope cable when I wasn't using the two of them together.

Try just using the 00Funk by itself. Here are some hints I've posted before about getting a good sound from it.

Originally Posted by me, long ago

The Sweep knob is the key with this pedal. Put it all the way to the left to begin.

Start with the Pitch all the way to the left, the smoothness a bit past noon and the Squelch a bit to the left, around 10 o'clock.

Play through the pedal and gradually increase the Sweep until the pedal opens up the way you want. Too far and the filter is all the way open and won't respond at all.

Once the sweep is where you want based on your bass' input and your dynamics you should have a smooth, not too wet filter sound. This is closest to the Groove Regulator tone that you can get with the Chunk.

At this point you can turn up the tone if you want but you must dial back the Sweep a bit to compensate. Turning up the Smoothness gives a bigger, harder to open envelope and dialing it back gives a more "bubbly", easier to open filter.

Turning up the Squelch gives more synthy gurgles.

But again, the key is setting the Sweep and Tone (which requires Sweep adjustments when you change it) to where the filter opens up when you want.

At that point the Smoothness and Squelch just change the character and sounds you get out of the 00Funk.

I've used some pretty low output basses with the 00Funk and been able to make it work so you should be fine. Once you find a setting that works for you I'd chain the Brown Dog in front of the 00Funk (without the envelope connection) and tweak it so that it's output/gain is about the same as your clean bass. That way you'll get consistent triggering from the 00Funk whether you are using the fuzz or not.

Then you can plug the envelope cable in if you want to get the extra dynamics from using it.

Hope that helps.

[3tsb]

Thanks Jared. Okay. I tried everything you said. I thought I was getting somewhere. I put it back in my chain (no connection to the Brown Dog) and the effect seems almost transparent. Like it's barely there. No where near what I hear Ed Friedland getting in the video. I'm going to do a swap and see what happens. It sounds great when connected to the Brown Dog. I get drastic changes with all the controls, but as a stand alone it's almost nonexistent and I would mostly use this in that way.

Originally Posted by Jared Lash

I can't say for sure if there's an issue with your unit, but there are a couple things to note.

When there's a cable connecting the Brown Dog and 00Funk you can't use the 00Funk without the Brown Dog on. It's the reverse problem from most filters that have an effect loop where the pedals in the loop aren't available to be used if the filter isn't on. A bit frustrating but I just used to unplug the envelope cable when I wasn't using the two of them together.

Try just using the 00Funk by itself. Here are some hints I've posted before about getting a good sound from it.



I've used some pretty low output basses with the 00Funk and been able to make it work so you should be fine. Once you find a setting that works for you I'd chain the Brown Dog in front of the 00Funk (without the envelope connection) and tweak it so that it's output/gain is about the same as your clean bass. That way you'll get consistent triggering from the 00Funk whether you are using the fuzz or not.

Then you can plug the envelope cable in if you want to get the extra dynamics from using it.

Hope that helps.

[dharmashawn]

Drastically different, but also it is still a filter:
it took me over 2 hours to get my MeatWad to make a quack. It was and is a very delicate balance.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by 3tsb

Thanks Jared. Okay. I tried everything you said. I thought I was getting somewhere. I put it back in my chain (no connection to the Brown Dog) and the effect seems almost transparent. Like it's barely there. No where near what I hear Ed Friedland getting in the video. I'm going to do a swap and see what happens. It sounds great when connected to the Brown Dog. I get drastic changes with all the controls, but as a stand alone it's almost nonexistent and I would mostly use this in that way.

Just to be clear, when not using the Brown Dog you have a cable from the 00Funk's output jack to the amp, a cable from the 00Funk's input jack to your bass and no cable at all in the envelope jack right? I only ask because whet you're describing is what occurs when there's a cable in the envelope jack but no signal being sent.

[3tsb]

Correct. Nothing in the "envelope" jack. However, the manual says if your using other pedals before the Agent, try using the "envelope" output for an even "squelchier" sound. I got nothing. No sound at all.

Originally Posted by Jared Lash

Just to be clear, when not using the Brown Dog you have a cable from the 00Funk's output jack to the amp, a cable from the 00Funk's input jack to your bass and no cable at all in the envelope jack right? I only ask because whet you're describing is what occurs when there's a cable in the envelope jack but no signal being sent.

[spufman]

Jared's advice accurately describes my experience with the 00Funk.

It's easy to sound great with the BD, very touchy but still versatile without the BD provided either a) Nothing is in the 00 Envelope jack or b) BD in Envelope jack with fuzz volume all the way down and dry volume at unity or above.

On mine, I find that the controls have a more useful range with either a battery or a Danelectrode adapter dialed slightly down from 9V (my 1-Spot shrunk the usable range of the pitch control).

I think of the BD-00Funk as an inseparable pair that do their own thing, while I use a Groove Regulator as my stand-alone filter.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by 3tsb

Correct. Nothing in the "envelope" jack. However, the manual says if your using other pedals before the Agent, try using the "envelope" output for an even "squelchier" sound. I got nothing. No sound at all.

Hmm, I'm stumped.

I'd email Richard Cartwright at Chunk Systems. He's always responded promptly and answered my questions in the past.