Feedback when using autowah on Zoom B2.1u

[AndreasMergner]

Can anyone help me figure out what I can do to stop this? If I have the volume up on my amp (small practice amp at home or 4 x 10 at band practice) I can't use the autowah effect. I get screeching feedback so that it is unusable. I have a Rick straight into the B2 and then into the amp.

How can I stop it?

Do other envelope filters/autowahs have this problem?

Thanks!

[AndreasMergner]

How about a hint?

Anyone have this problem with an autowah/envelope filter?

Thanks!

[niftydog]

Can't say I've ever encountered feedback with an envelope pedal. But I will say this - one cause of feedback is excessive gain boost at a particular frequency. Envelope filters are very "selective" filters that boost narrow bands of frequencies.

I suggest you might want to look at your eq settings (either on your bass, amp or within the B2 or even all three) and try to tame the particular frequency band that's feeding back. Another trick might be to play with the 'resonance' setting in the envelope filter patch - this directly affects the filter bandwidth.

[AndreasMergner]

Thanks a bunch. I'll have to try a few of these things and figure out what fixes it. I appreciate it.

[higgi]

Do you have a lot of gain in your compressor and amp/od?

[bassbrad]

One thing to remember most of the sample patches have some added grit, trying to sound like Bootsy, Claypool or Flea.
I would suggest starting a patch with everything off except the autowah, then scroll thru until you find the sound and settings you want, then add other effects as needed.
The other thing to remember is that Ricks in overdrive distortion mode are prone to feedback and controlling them is a whole art unto themselves. So just a dab will do on a Rick and not too close to the amp please!

[AndreasMergner]

Thanks for the replies.

I do think I have a lot of gain set everywhere. My thinking was to keep everything at a level of 100% and then I could always turn it lower. The Rick seems to have a lower than average output. I think I'm slowly realizing that is a bad thing.

I am using a patch with nothing, but compressor and autowah.

The Zoom has a few different places to set output level/gain. I have the compressor set to output at 100%. Then I have the patch set at 100%, and then the general pedal output is set at 100%. What should I be doing? Should they all be at 50%? ....and then adjust up until I get clipping (and back off a bit)?

I was thinking the Rick was prone to feedback. I will keep that in mind.

I did some fiddling with the Zoom and the amp, but have not quite gotten there yet.

[bassbrad]

Sounds like way too much gain. Turn off the compressor to begin with (it will hamper the envelope) also with the level on that it may be causing the feedback in the envelope module. Also dial back the output gain to 80 which is the default, running that at max may be causing your amp to feedback and be sure to be a reasonable distance from your amp. Start with the envelope mix at 60, sensitivity at 50-60 and resonance 40-60, that should get you something.
I find it really helps to think of the modules as seperate effects, they really do interact and respond much like seperate pedals would (usually the worst way possible eg:feedback, noise...).

[AndreasMergner]

Thanks for all the help! I think I have the feedback resolved. I turned my gain way down and that seems to do the trick along with turning the compressor off on the envelope patch. I turned the amp up pretty loud and didn't have any problems either.