good alternative to moog lowpass?

casio · #1 03-21-2008, 01:10 PM

hey guys!
I had a question for you, since I dont have much experience with these kinds of pedals!
Ive got to say Im very happy with the sound of the moog lowpass filter and all that goes with it except the pricetag!

so I wanted to see what pedal you would say can give me that kind of sound for less cash?

bongomania · #2 03-21-2008, 04:51 PM

Do you need a fixed filter, an envelope-following filter, an LFO-following filter, or an expression-pedal controlled filter?

manmountain8 · #3 03-21-2008, 05:01 PM

EH Q-tron is similar and cheaper but I am definitely getting the moogerfooger. The extra money is well spent IMO.

Max Roberts · #4 03-21-2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manmountain8

EH Q-tron is similar and cheaper but I am definitely getting the moogerfooger. The extra money is well spent IMO.

+1. Expression control is just too good to miss out on IMO.

manmountain8 · #5 03-21-2008, 11:42 PM

I haven't tried it, but I hear the EBS Bass IQ is pretty good, and its a little cheaper.

bongomania · #6 03-21-2008, 11:47 PM

It just depends on whether he needs an envelope-controlled filter.

casio · #7 03-22-2008, 04:00 AM

well, I didnt have any plans of getting the expression pedal anyway if that helps!

bongomania · #8 03-22-2008, 09:22 AM

OK, but are you looking for the "dirty" filter tone of the Moog, or the intense resonance peaks (with or without sweeping the filter open/closed), or are you just looking for an ordinary envelope filter, or are you looking for one that cycles open-closed automatically in a repeating pattern? The Moog has many aspects, which is why it's so large and expensive. If you want something similar but cheaper, you have to say which feature or quality you want to pay for.

rottenramone · #9 03-22-2008, 12:40 PM

u can try the frostwave resonator or the alesis philtre

jucas · #10 03-22-2008, 01:52 PM

Well, the resonator is at least as expensive as the moog, so its not really a cheaper alternative. And like bongo said, until we get some idea what aspect of the moogerfooger we're looking for, its tough to recomend something, so something with no envelope follower might not be the best option.

The Lurker · #11 03-22-2008, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

OK, but are you looking for the "dirty" filter tone of the Moog, or the intense resonance peaks (with or without sweeping the filter open/closed), or are you just looking for an ordinary envelope filter, or are you looking for one that cycles open-closed automatically in a repeating pattern? The Moog has many aspects, which is why it's so large and expensive. If you want something similar but cheaper, you have to say which feature or quality you want to pay for.

+1. The moog is a very good pedal that can do an insane number of things, with or without the expression pedals-- personally I think calling it a lowpass filter is a bit of an understatement. It's the filter stage of an analog synth, crammed into a floor module.

That said, it has some drawbacks-- it's not bypass-friendly at all since the gain stage is active whether the pedal is on or not, and tends to get thrown out of whack when switching between instruments with different output levels, or when putting another pedal in front of it.

That said, if you want plug-and-play simplicity, look elsewhere.

Mharris · #12 03-22-2008, 10:50 PM

I don't mean to hijack the thread here but is there a Moog that can act as a resonance filter with the expression pedal? I occasionally mess around with my friends Boss ME-50 (guitar version) and I really enjoy the resonance feature with the expression pedal. ...Was curious if there's something out there designed for bass or that would work well with the lower frequency.

casio · #13 03-23-2008, 06:29 AM

well, Id be looking for the whole "dirty filter" feature you mentioned if I would have to pick one since thats the thing that caught my eye the most!
I mean, being as theres no moog dealer in croatia and I happen to be in london for another week or so, i figure theres plenty more options for me here so I would get something here!
IM not thrilled with the Q tron so I would prefer to avoid that, but I am considering the maxon AF-9, but would it be an adequate replacement for what I need?

bongomania · #14 03-23-2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mharris

I don't mean to hijack the thread here but is there a Moog that can act as a resonance filter with the expression pedal? I occasionally mess around with my friends Boss ME-50 (guitar version) and I really enjoy the resonance feature with the expression pedal. ...Was curious if there's something out there designed for bass or that would work well with the lower frequency.

Yes, you are exactly describing the Moog. There's also the Frostwave and a few other equally-expensive options.
http://www.bigcitymusic.com/search_r...ch=filter&1=Go

bongomania · #15 03-23-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casio

well, Id be looking for the whole "dirty filter" feature you mentioned if I would have to pick one since thats the thing that caught my eye the most!
I mean, being as theres no moog dealer in croatia and I happen to be in london for another week or so, i figure theres plenty more options for me here so I would get something here!
IM not thrilled with the Q tron so I would prefer to avoid that, but I am considering the maxon AF-9, but would it be an adequate replacement for what I need?

The Maxon can be "made dirty" by using it in combination with a distortion/fuzz/OD pedal, but it is not dirty by itself. It's an excellent funky envelope filter though. But it has a lot in common with the Q-Tron, so if you're not happy with the Q-Tron then I don't know if the Maxon will suit your hopes.

It sounds, to be honest, like you just want a different filter than the one you have, but you aren't sure what you're looking for. And that's fine! But the only sensible answer in that case is you should just go into every shop possible and try every filter they have until you hear what you like. Since you haven't tried the Moog yet, who knows- you might not even think it's any improvement over the Q-Tron when you get to actually try it. Filters are such an individual taste.

When you go into the shops, be sure to ask them about filters designed for keyboards, rack synths, and DJ/computer music. Those filters are very often designed for the full range of audio including bass, even though they are not marketed to bassists.