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11-22-2009, 11:53 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | | Ibanez AF-9 and Pedal Doctor
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This is mainly about the AF-9 but I wanted to post a good word about the Pedal Doctor, too. In another thread, I said I had some communication problems with him for a few months, which led me thinking that maybe he either never got my pedal or misplaced it when he moved earlier this year and didn't want to tell me, but it turned out to be an antispam glitch in his new server resulting in us never getting each other's emails. Anyway, he sent my pedal back after repairing a couple traces and replacing the caps, and it works good as new. He sent it to me without a bill to make up for the wait time, but I'm going to pay him anyway because I believe it was an honest mistake where it just fell through the system cracks. I thought he did a very good and thorough job on my pedal and give him two thumbs up.
Onto the AF-9...I forgot how much this pedal sounds like an original Mutron III. Don't know if it's an exact duplicate but it's darn close. Bootsy sound took all of 30 seconds to find. I bought this pedal for like $40 off a former bandmate years ago and never really dug it, and when I tried it tonight, I remembered why. I always preferred the EHX Zipper and Dr. Q back in the day. Easier to use and had a sound I liked better.
But I guess tastes change because I'm digging it now. Sat there for an hour with my P Lyte and B-15 copping different tones until my wife made me stop. Found a pretty fat tone I can use on my gigs...not very Bootsy-like but pretty fat sounding, way fatter than I remember it from the old days. But I remember very little from back then as it is, let alone how a pedal that sat broken for years sounded back then 
The only other envelope filter I had to compare it to was the one in my Boss SYB-3. It's pretty good and has a good range of sounds to it. When I tried to get the same sound that I use in the SYB-3 out of the AF-9, it wouldn't let me get quite as peaky as the SYB-3, but it sounded warmer, slightly more "mature" on the top end for lack of a better word, and had a slight boost to it. I'm thinking maybe the SYB-3 matched up better with my clean tone. It was the same volume and had the same tone as my clean bass, only with an envelope filter on it. I may not want that added warmth of the AF-9 with the band. Hard to predict. But I do like it better by itself, so I'll give it a crack at my next gig on Friday.
So does anyone else have the AF-9? Has anyone ever done a side by side with the Ibanez and the Maxon? Care to share your experiences?
EDIT: Here are some samples I recorded: http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/...%20samples.mp3
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Last edited by JimmyM : 11-23-2009 at 10:43 PM.
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11-23-2009, 12:41 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | | 30 people looked at this and none of you have an AF-9? We'll see about that...
Bumpeties!
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11-23-2009, 05:09 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | | I guess nobody does...oh well...
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11-23-2009, 05:12 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Portland | | | You are making me ache for one... I've been looking for a filter with a deep, quirky tone to it, like a Mutron.
Free bump.
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Originally Posted by Count Bassie  We all have the occasional fond thought of you too, Moose...  | Looking for a job in audio/staging ect. in Portland. PM me for my resume.
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11-23-2009, 05:13 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NNJ/NYC | | | I'm just glad it all worked out for you, and you took the time to let us all know.
Good of you to see thru the mistake and pay him anyway despite the lack of an invoice. |
11-23-2009, 06:13 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyM I guess nobody does...oh well... | Oh I like little a Ibanez AF-9 chat so here is what I got:
I bought mine recently on ebay, paid 85€ after researching these kinds of pedals for quite some time and I'm very happy with it!
I like the fact that it is easy to dial in, "Range" just "high" or "low", Filter either "HP", "BP" or "LP" instead of knobs that might potentially lead to the discovery of something unique but require attention after each transport. No volume/gain knob either (like on the Q-Tron), the effect sound is already at the right volume. It's also looking like a serious, legitimate pedal. It looks pro.
The seller sent it with a 9V 1000mA power adapter - I plugged that one in while researching and learning that it originally comes with 9V 200mA, while starting to smell some burning plastic or something inside. I unplug it quickly and after some anxious waiting for the smoke to clear I try my own 200mA power adapter and it still works nicely. Has been for a few weeks now. I thought having more mA than prescribed should not hurt, from the physics-point-of-view, but it seems you never know. Can anybody explain that?
I was assuming that maxon af9 and ibanez af9 are identical since they seem to look the same and sellers on ebay always mention both manufacturers as if they were in fact the same thing.
The autofilter sound itself (in general) does not take away the "punch" from the bass (compared to a chorus or phaser), so it's an effect I successfully managed to introduce in the band, something I reserve for special occasions, when improvisation calls for more "funk" or for "another notch" when I'm already giving all I got...  |
11-23-2009, 07:59 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | | Finally someone else who has one! Thanks for the input. I'm finding myself agreeing with you so far.
BTW, the Maxon AF-9 has also been discontinued now.
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11-23-2009, 08:26 PM
|  | The Lowdown Diggler | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA | | | Ok. I'm intrigued. Clips? |
11-23-2009, 08:32 PM
| | Registered User
Beta Tester: Source Audio. Hacker: Heavy Drone FX | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Spokane, WA. | | | Glad to hear that the Pedal Dr. issue was just a glitch and not the norm. |
11-23-2009, 08:37 PM
|  | God of Thunder...retired. | | Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Columbus, Ohio | | | I was wanting a Gayatone Bottom Wah Rocker but the last one went for $250.00 on the Bay.
So I researched them, and the AF-9 is the only autoway I found that could duplicate the stats of the guyatone.
So it is next on my list. |
11-23-2009, 08:44 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar Ok. I'm intrigued. Clips? | Hmmm...give me a couple hours and I'll see what I can do. The hard part for me is finding good sounds in my recording setup, which makes it very difficult to hear things since it's so low budget.
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11-23-2009, 09:01 PM
| | | | I had the Maxon AF-9 briefly, but it wasn't for me. I felt it had too much bottom. |
11-23-2009, 10:22 PM
|  | Registered User | | | | | i have a maxon af-9. i always felt it was more suited towards guitar. there weren't any crazy filter spikes but i just liked other filters more for bass. glad it all worked out for you! |
11-23-2009, 10:37 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/...%20samples.mp3
OK, here you go...the only problem with these samples is I went through them quickly and can't remember settings so well. All I remember is the first one is clean and the second one is my favorite so far...that one I do remember...sens midway, peak all the way up, LP, drive up, range down. I went through the BP, HP, and range down settings as well and tried to get as much low end as I could out of those, but those are clearly more suited to guitar. They can, however, be EQ'd to simulate real low end. I also did one clip with some VT added at the end just for fun.
I'm liking it better after doing this. Really, all I need is one good envelope sound, and the first one does it for me, but the other ones would definitely rock on guitar, which I just happen to play
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11-23-2009, 11:46 PM
|  | OVNIFX
EXAR pedals rep for North & Central America | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: PDX, OR | | | I've posted a lot in the (distant) past about the AF-9, I'm a big fan but I haven't owned one in a few years. Older Ibanez and Maxon units are pretty much identical since they were both made by Maxon; but in the more recent years since Maxon no longer makes Ibanez pedals, Ibanez quality has gone down, while Maxon quality has gone up.
I sold my original MuTron III because I got more consistent response, and less distortion, from the Ibanez/Maxon.
The only reason I sold the Maxon was because I get the one exact filter tone I want from an old FX25. |
11-24-2009, 12:36 AM
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Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | FX25 looks like one I'd be into as well. I've heard a lot of sound clips and they all sound killer. I may sell this AF-9 and get one. I'm really not sure yet. I don't need a collector's item pedal to make quacking sounds. But I do like it and if I sell it I know I'll never get another one, so maybe I'll just sit on it a while and let it appreciate as the market recovers
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11-24-2009, 04:30 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Columbia, MO | | I love AF9... I have an old one, made by maxon... after using the filter on the Korg G5 and a Boss TW-1, this is my favorite... I loved the TW1 sound, but it was hard to have it as my only filter (Band pass)... I sold it and got the AF9 and don't regret the change (I would get a TW-1 again if I found a cheap one), since AF-9 has the band pass mode... I even find it useful in the HP mode - if I blend in the clean signal (at least 50%), it reminds me of a phaser (another effect I love, but couldn't find as much use for it on the bass as I wanted), but different...
I'm listening to your clips on my laptop and can really appreciate the high end of your tone  I miss it, since I currently play everything thru an old 15" combo... I also probably killed some of the high end of my AF-9 when messing with the trimpots inside, I will have another go at it when I have time... I was mostly concentrating on low end when adjusting them the first time...
so yeah, AF-9 makes a great first/only filter, because it's so versatile. it is also small and 9V... I'd maybe consider adding another filter pedal or two, but never replace it... I'd go for something cheap, maybe the FX-25, just for fun and variety, but since I play mostly clean, the AF9 takes care of my funky moments... |
11-24-2009, 12:23 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | Quote:
Originally Posted by sikamikanico II'm listening to your clips on my laptop and can really appreciate the high end of your tone I miss it, since I currently play everything thru an old 15" combo... | I know what you mean...I either use a 115 combo or an SVT on gigs. But I recorded that with the Countryman DI and no high end cut just so everyone can get an idea of its range. I like the peaky envelopes...I figure if I'm going to use an effect, might as well let people know I'm using an effect and pile it on
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11-24-2009, 12:39 PM
|  | I'm a tumbler, born under punches | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Northern California | | | Love the AF-9's sound. So greasy and funky. It can be a tough beast to tame at times and I'm still not a fan of Maxon foot switches, but it's a great filter.
I ended up selling my old one to my guitar player. I'd agree that the AF-9 is great on bass but amazing on guitar.
I found a deal and bought a second one. Really I could have kept it on the same board as my 00Funk since the Chunk is modern, hi-fi and synthy and the Maxon is a much more classic, organic Mu-Tron type sound. But I sold mine - I believe to Lindsay - who I hope is enjoying it. Outside of dirt, I think I could have a whole pedalboard of Maxon stompboxes and be very happy.
Last edited by Jared Lash : 11-24-2009 at 12:42 PM.
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sit on it for a while??? 
