Electroharmonix Microsynth as Autowah?

[pringlw]

Curious about the Microsynth but nobody nearby has it. So if I want to order it, I have to get it over the internet.

How does it work as an autowah/envelope filter? I'm guessing that it does a fine job but just checking? Others that have it, opinions much appreciated.

[Jared Lash]

It doesn't.

No LFO so no autowah capabilities and it does filter sweeps, but they are very synthy. Trying to use it as a traditional envelope filter will end in disappointment.

That said, I love the BMS for what it does.

[kevteop]

+1

The BMS is a great pedal but it's not a traditional envelope filter. Actually it doesn't seem to use envelope following at all, just a trigger threshold and a preset sweep range.

That's great for synth noises, but an envelope filter it is not.

[dannybuoy]

Every time autowah is brought up you get people insisting it only means an LFO controlled filter... Yet I've seen so many pedals and multi fx use the term to describe an envelope filter that's simply voiced like a wah. You might argue that they're all using the incorrect terminology, but since the term is now so commonplace and used interchangeably with 'envelope filter', I think we have to accept that 'autowah' just means a filter that isn't controlled manually!

But back to the OP, I think the BMS triggers the filter sweep in one direction at the rate set by the slider when it reaches the threshold. So you might be able to get similar sounds but without the same level of control that you get from a proper envelope filter.

[Jared Lash]

It's funny, I started to qualify what I said but deleted it to keep the post short. But basically there isn't a set nomenclature, but one seems to have cropped up on TalkBass such that autowah is used for LFO controlled filters and filter or envelope filter is used for ones using an envelope follower.

Otherwise we end up saying "envelope controlled autowah" and "LFO controlled autowah" which gets tedious.

In any event, I just spent a couple minutes trying to use the BMS as a straight filter. I set the suboctave, octave, square wave, and attack delay to zero and maxed the guitar slider.

If the stop and start frequencies put at opposite levels (1 & 10 or 10 & 1) with the resonance cranked and the rate in the middle, you can get a little bit of a wet filter sound, but it is somewhat subtle.

I still wouldn't recommend it, but it's a bit better than I recalled and very limited for this function.

[pringlw]

Thanks. Any recommendations for an autowah or envelope filter then?

[rottenramone]

the BMS filter section is a ADSR tri-pole filter, not envelope-based

[newbold]

the BMS filter isn't touch sensitive?

I've used it as an envelope filter with great results...got a nice bubble sound, though I wasn't riding it.

I've used it as an octave pedal with great results

I've used it for volume swells (which is more of an envelope filter than the freq. sweep fwiw) and have had some great sounds come out of my amp.

It won't sound quite like a q-tron, but it CAN do a similar job.

The BMS does not have ADSR. it has 'attack delay' but you can't control how long a note sustains or releases. You can sort of fake it with the square wave voicing and a filter sweep, but to call it an ADSR isn't really right either.

pringlw, if you're looking for just an envelope, then get a dedicated filter...qtron, bottom feeder, whatever you can play.

If you want a synthy pedal then get a BMS.

You can get some great filter sweeps and get some envelope filter sounds, though it doesn't quack like a qtron. You can get some great octave tones, though it's not an awesome octave pedal if you don't use the filter section as an EQ of sorts - which is what I like to use the pedal for most.

It sounds a lot like a distortion pedal if it's not set properly.

Great for what it does, but not totally crazy on everything. I kept it because it does so much, knowing I'd be getting more pedals in the future to supplement it.

In an ideal world, there would be octave before this pedal and LFOs, rev/chorus, and EQ after.

That's what GAS is for i guess