Envelope filters for active basses?

[kesslari]

I've found myself going farther over to the dark side...
I want another filter.
I understand that not all filters are created equal when it comes to working well with active basses.
I really like that Mu-Tron-y sound, and fewer knobs is a good thing for me.

What filters play well with active basses?

[markjazzbassist]

i have an active musicman 5 w/piezo bridge and it plays well with

mutron iii (original)
qtron
meatball
zipper (old and new)

[derelicte]

I only have experience with a few filters, but among them my faves thus far were the EHX Q-tron+ and the Moog 101

[TheMutt]

I have a MM 5-er, and I have used it with the Boomstick Bottom Feeder, and BassIq. Both sound great, but I am currently wanting to move in the opposite direction from you and get a Barge Concepts The Grinder (clone of the Lovetone Meatball, but with more knobs and three options for expression pedal control... drool...). I'm going to be ordering it later this week I should suspect, and I'll write up a review on it when it comes in (probably in late December/early to mid January).

[kevteop]

The Q-Tron can get a bit overwhelmed by high-output basses - it can be difficult to calm it down - but I've never seen a filter that didn't get on with active basses in particular.

[icarussmicarus]

Yeah this is news to me. I've had Qtron, Subdecay Prometheus, DOD FX25, all worked fine with my active bass.

[scotch]

If you like the Mu-Tron sound you're in luck - both vintage (Musitronics) & reissue (HAZ) Mutron's work great with active basses! The Mu-Tron was designed with other instruments in mind, such as keyboards, so the operating headroom is really wide...

[gibsualdo]

My MXR Bass Auto Q sounds nice with my Spector Euro LX (very active). I had to go through a few other filters, to find one that worked well, but this one definitely does it for me.

Don't be fooled by the name, it's actually both an envelope filter and auto wah in one. I use mine as just an envelope filter though, by turning the blend (EF into auto wah blend, not clean blend) knob fully counter-clockwise. Only down side it, using it like this, you're limited to just volume, Q and range controls.

[derrico1]

Add the Maxon AF-9 to your test-drive list.

[bongomania]

Active or passive makes absolutely no difference to any filter pedal ever made. What does make a huge difference to filters is the output level of the bass, completely regardless of how it gets to that level. So the question becomes: "which filter pedals have an input level control or a sensitivity control that effectively brings very low or very high signal levels into the ideal triggering range of the effect?"

[Largedon]

A very easy pedal is the Bassballs. Only one knob. Its not the most versatile, but doesn't get much easier. The tone is a little different than many filters, kind of a dirtier tone, at least thats how it sounds to me. Go try one out. Personally I'm loving my EBS IQ pedal. Easy to use and pretty versatile. The ones I'm GASing on are a Chunk Agent Double 00 Funk and of course the Moogerfoogoer BassMurf.

[kesslari]

So the question becomes: "which filter pedals have an input level control or a sensitivity control that effectively brings very low or very high signal levels into the ideal triggering range of the effect?"

Gonna whack myself in the forehead a few times for not thinking of this. Once the wife wakes up and I can plug in, I'm going to try the FX25 to see if lowering the sensitivity fixes the volume drop I'm getting with my very high output Zon bass.

[kesslari]

That did it.
/GAS for a few minutes, at least...

[Jared Lash]

I'm trying to think if I have used any filters that didn't have a sensitivity control but I'm drawing a blank at the moment.

Outside of gain pedals (and fuzzes in particular), the only pedals I've ever had any trouble using actives vs passives were FET based phasers (especially Phase 45/90 & their clones) as you get some clipping with a hot signal.

Pretty much every other pedal has been the same or in some cases (EBS Octabass for instance) better with actives.

[kevteop]

One pedal I know of that misbehaves with some active basses is the Robot Factory Pulse Synth. Probably not a big deal given that only two of us here (I think?) have got one.

[Toastfuzz]

If you like the envelope sound in this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAlAp2PUJ6I (around 3:40?) then you'd like the DOD FX25. I have the 2 knob one, and it does sound like this video. I put an Ibanez SR506 through it.

[GilGB]

The Chunk Systems Agent 00Funk Mark II is great.
My bass is both active and passive and works well.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by kevteop

One pedal I know of that misbehaves with some active basses is the Robot Factory Pulse Synth.

I'm curious exactly how that misbehavior manifests.

About the sensitivity knob thing, there's a clause in what I said before which cannot be conveniently ignored: "...an input level control or a sensitivity control that effectively brings very low or very high signal levels into the ideal triggering range of the effect". Almost every filter has a sensitivity knob, sure, but that knob does not always bring every input signal into the ideal operating range of the effect. The FX25 is a classic example- yes the sens knob has good range of control, but there are several basses I've used which were either too quiet or too hot to really work well no matter how I set the sens knob. In each case the problem was 100% solved by adjusting the level of the signal prior to the input of the filter.

[OptimusPrime]

I don't want to make a new thread, so sorry for the hijack, but...



Where the hell can I buy this version of the Q-tron? I don't need the + with the effects loop. EHX lists the regular version on their website, but I can't find it to buy anywhere. Is it discontinued?

[TheMutt]

I know that TPB has them in stock.