How to limit the volume of my EH. Enigma Q-balls envelope filter.

jasmetmouwen · #1 12-23-2010, 06:56 AM

Hi everybody,

I recently bought an Electro Harmonix Enigma Q-balls envelope filter. It's a great pedal and I'm very pleased with it, the only thing is that I find it very hard to avoid a volume boost when turing it on.

So I don't want to lose the great sound the pedal gives me, but I'd like to limit the output volume so I don't blast everything away when I turn the pedal on. Does anybody know a good setting on the pedal, or would an additional limiter-pedal do the job?

Thanks!
Frank

bigchiefbc · #2 12-23-2010, 09:58 AM

I have no experience with the pedal so I can't really recommend settings. But I DO have experience with the Q-Tron, and I can tell you that EHX's envelope filters tend to all have big volume spikes. I used a Boss LMB-3 to tame that spike, and it worked great. It's actually a pretty underrated limiter.

yem · #3 12-23-2010, 11:16 AM

Use a limiter/compressor

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

...a Boss LMB-3...

Same here. It's not perfect, but it's cheap and effective.

jaygoodface · #4 12-23-2010, 06:33 PM

Open it up. There should by 1 or 2 switches to adjust volume and distortion with a small screwdriver.
Hope this helps.

carlos840 · #5 12-23-2010, 06:54 PM

There is an inside trim pot to adjust the volume of the distortion, thats it.
The problem is that the volume of the distortion varies a lot depending on what the other settings are so your going to have to find a setting that you think you will use most and the adjust the distortion level to match the clean level with that setting.
Odds are its not going to match the level at other settings.
I found that the distortion sounds better in BP mode but thats just my experience.

I do use an Aguilar TLC compressor at the end of my chain and it does help a lot, tames the enigma down and makes it more useable...

Volume4 · #6 12-23-2010, 08:23 PM

Please keep the comments coming...I just picked up one of these today

jasmetmouwen · #7 12-31-2010, 07:06 AM

Thanks all! I bought a second hand Boss LMB-3 and within 5 minutes it solved my problem!

Jumbotron · #8 12-31-2010, 08:18 AM

In addition to the internal trim pots, I find that the blend and sensitivity knobs have big effects on the volume. I've got mine set now so that I get a nice response, but only a very small volume boost.

The boost was a bit of a concern for me before I got an Enigma, but I'm quite happy with it. There's a slight overall increase in the way I have it set now, but it helps it sit in the mix a little better, so no complaints. It works way better this way than some other filters I've had (I'm looking at you, robotalk 2).

Spfairchild · #9 05-31-2012, 10:43 AM

I just got one of these too, as well as a Bass Big Muff Pi, and I was thinking that I'd add a master volume pot on the affected output, just as a bunch of folks seem to be doing with the BBM. I'm actually planning on doing that on both pedals. Anyone else tried this? There should be room for another mini-pot somewhere in there!

bongomania · #10 05-31-2012, 10:50 AM

The thing is that the volume spikes are dynamic, so the volume correction has to be dynamic too (i.e. using a comp/limiter). If you just turn down the volume overall, your quieter tones and dynamics will be lost, only the big peaks will be at the volume you want.

Spfairchild · #11 05-31-2012, 10:54 AM

I hear what you're saying, and it makes sense, although I've noticed that at least with the way that I have mine set, the overall volume is louder all the time than my unaffected tone. So the vol would help correct that. There would still be spikes, but the overall output volume would be closer to what's going into it.

FilterFunk · #12 05-31-2012, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlos840

There is an inside trim pot to adjust the volume of the distortion, thats it.

The other trimpot fine-tunes the sensitivity.