SYB-3 Review

[*insertcoolname]

Well ever since my EBS BassIQ started acting funny, I knew I needed a new envelope filter to take it's place. I actually really liked the IQ a lot but since it's semi broken (and for sale really cheap since it's not working in the classifieds) and I'm a pedal addict I figured I might as well try something new out there. My first envelope filter was a Micro Qtron which was OK, but was way too loud when engaged. So I considered my options as of now

a) The new MXR. It's popular and there are lots of good reviews out there plus it's new so everybody is getting all giddy for it.

b) The meatwad. So much tweakability and awesomeness in one pedal and I still really want it, but the price is just a little too much for me.

c) The boss SYB-3. I had always had my eye on this pedal since I read some good reviews on it with regards to the filter section and I've kinda wanted one of these pedals cause they looked fun.

So I waited a week or so pondering, when in the GC classifieds I spotted one used SYB-3 for $60. I thought at that price I might as well snatch it up and if it doesn't work I can take it back in 30 days. So now for the review:

To start I want to specify that this is a review of the envelope filter part of the pedal and not all the synth settings. While those are fun none of them track well and I have no use for them.

TWEAKABILITY:

As far as filters go I find this pedal surprisingly intuitive especially when you consider the filter section isn't technically it's primary use. from left to right, you have stacked knobs for wet/dry which is just awesome because it allows you to have unity gain AND wet/dry mixing all in one. To clarify both the wet and dry are silent when all the way down. Next you have another stacked set of knobs that control resonance (or Q) and the starting frequency. With the Q all the way up it gets very wet. With the starting frequency all the way down it does a pretty big "BWOP" on the sweep but it's not overbearing. Setting the starting frequency around noon gives a nice even filter sound and you can go from there. Next control is sensitivity. Basically like any other sensitivity control so not much to say here except I wish it went a little more sensitive but definitely not a deal breaker. Last knob is the mode control, where you can select between up and down filter (as well as the 9 other synth settings).

Interestingly enough, these are almost the same exact controls as the new MXR filter and this pedal also has the down sweep! So far the SYB is great success, BUT...how does it sound?

SOUND: It sounds great! With all of those parameters to choose from (I'm the type of guy that prefers a slightly more complex pedal if it means lots of different sounds) you can get many different USEFUL filter sounds. It does a "standard" wet filter sound very well, a super wet filter sound very well, and something kind of like the awkward sounding guyatone BR-2. I'm not a big fan of down sweep filters but it works just as well in reverse. Another thing to note is that between the Q and start frequency controls you will actually get different sounds and not just variations on one flavor. For me the clincher lies in that fact that between the wet and dry parameters, any filter sound I get out of this pedal will be right at the volume that I want.

The only sound that it doesn't do very well is a super low/fat dub. It will get you some dub but it doesn't have the hugeness that the BassIQ would give me when I would use that for dub.

OTHER THOUGHTS: It's a very fun pedal since it's got all those goofy synth patches but the actual filter section is golden. I must add that technically I am reviewing this pedal during the honeymoon phase but in my defense I was pretty pessimistic about it since I was really digging my EBS filter. I'm stoked now because BOSS is obnoxiously durable and I don't have to worry about having another BassIQ crap out on me. The bypass is just fine (never had a problem with BOSS bypass) and I like the standardized enclosure.

CONCLUSION: I give this pedal an 8.5/10. If it had a nice sounding dub I would be rating it 9.5/10 but alas it doesn't. As of now I strongly recommend this pedal NOT as a synth but as a versatile envelope filter that happens to have synth sounds in it. For reference, I would say that it's wetter than the BassIQ and not as overly resonant or loud as the Micro Qtron. If you're in the market for a filter, do yourself a favor and give one of these a whirl.

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: Tweakable, funky and all round solid-does everything well except dub.

[JimmyM]

i pulled my syb 3 off my board a few months ago, but i did like its auto filter features. i probably made it too duck quacky at the time, but i'm considering putting an envelope filter back on, and i might just trot it out again.

[bobulibobium]

Hows the envelope compared to the BSW?

[*insertcoolname]

Originally Posted by bobulibobium

Hows the envelope compared to the BSW?

I have little experience with the BSW, but I don't remember being nearly as pleased with it's envelope compared to the SYB-3.

Another thing to add: The hold function is really fun to use on this pedal. I wasn't aware that the 3 had this function but it does for anyone that was wondering.

[FilterFunk]

I had an SYB-3, and I remember loving the envelope filter on it. Great sound, plenty of controls, effect/direct (wet/dry) concentric knobs...I'm going to have to get another one of these!

[FilterFunk]

Went ahead and got another one...it's great! The best low-cost envelope filter for bass tones I've ever tried. I only sold my previous one because I wasn't too crazy about the synth tones, but you can find these for around $60-$70 give or take a few bucks, so it's more than worth it just for the envelope filter, IMO. Thanks, *insertcoolname, for reminding me of this little gem!

[bigchiefbc]

<pedant>
Strictly speaking, I don't belive that the SYB-3 (or 5) is an envelope filter per se. The reason I say that is that, once triggered, the filter sweeps at a predetermined speed and frequency range rather than actually following your signal envelope. So its actually a triggered filter, to be exact.
</pedant>

With that being said, I really like the SYB pedals, and think that they are severely underrated.

[MakiSupaStar]

I have an SYB-5 and I love it.

[kevteop]

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

<pedant>
Strictly speaking, I don't belive that the SYB-3 (or 5) is an envelope filter per se. The reason I say that is that, once triggered, the filter sweeps at a predetermined speed and frequency range rather than actually following your signal envelope. So its actually a triggered filter, to be exact.
</pedant>

That's always a really nice feature to have in a filter. It's the best thing about the EHX Bass Micro Synth, and it's available on the Octavius Squeezer too (which is why I ended up shifting my Bass Micro Synth in the end). Nice to hear about another pedal that has an attack->decay filter rather than an envelope-following one.

I've still never tried an SYB, I'll have to buy one soon just to check it out.

[FilterFunk]

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

<pedant>
Strictly speaking, I don't belive that the SYB-3 (or 5) is an envelope filter per se. The reason I say that is that, once triggered, the filter sweeps at a predetermined speed and frequency range rather than actually following your signal envelope. So its actually a triggered filter, to be exact.
</pedant>

With that being said, I really like the SYB pedals, and think that they are severely underrated.

Actually, the T-Wah (envelope filter) section of the SYB-5 is envelope controlled. I have a non-dynamic synth that I run through it, and I played it with one hand while turning the volume knob with the other. The SYB-3 goes from "woh" to "wow" to "wack", depending on the volume, so the T-Wah section does indeed follow the envelope. I don't know about the SYB-5, though, but I don't think it has a separate envelope follower (T-Wah).

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by FilterFunk

Actually, the T-Wah (envelope filter) section of the SYB-5 is envelope controlled. I have a non-dynamic synth that I run through it, and I played it with one hand while turning the volume knob with the other. The SYB-3 goes from "woh" to "wow" to "wack", depending on the volume, so the T-Wah section does indeed follow the envelope. I don't know about the SYB-5, though, but I don't think it has a separate envelope follower (T-Wah).

Ah, I forgot about the T-wah mode, because the 5er doesn't have it. My mistake.

[*insertcoolname]

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

Ah, I forgot about the T-wah mode, because the 5er doesn't have it. My mistake.

Yeah this review is in regard to the t wah mode.

I bought an MXR BEF and its arriving today so ill test them against each other and report my thoughts.

[FilterFunk]

Originally Posted by *insertcoolname

Yeah this review is in regard to the t wah mode.

I bought an MXR BEF and its arriving today so ill test them against each other and report my thoughts.

I'm very interested in hearing the results of that test. I've been thinking about trying the MXR BEF, but the T-Wah on the SYB-3 is impressing the heck out of me.

[svtb15]

I loved that pedal when i tried it... Just wish you could store sounds.... If it could store 3-4 sounds thats all i would ever need. .but still a great pedal!!

[*insertcoolname]

Originally Posted by FilterFunk

I'm very interested in hearing the results of that test. I've been thinking about trying the MXR BEF, but the T-Wah on the SYB-3 is impressing the heck out of me.

WOW the BEF is very bright. That was my first thought, now here's a more comprehensive comparison:

BEF v. SYB-3 in T-wah mode

In regards to versatility, the SYB-3 gets the edge here. It's easier to get more sounds out of it and it's much easier to know what you're going to get when you tweak it. The MXR is a lot more difficult to control and dial in. Furthermore the MXR isn't quite as versatile. HOWEVER, the MXR has an excellent dub sound, my favorite of the filters that I've owned and used (Micro Qtron, FX25B, BassIQ, SYB-3 and MXR). Since my main use for a filter actually is dub, the MXR will more than likely end up being the filter for me.

The upside to the wilder MXR filter is it's much funkier. It can get super wet and funky, much more than the SYB-3. Even with the Q all the way up on the SYB-3, it doesn't come close to how wet the MXR gets even with Q at noon. The BEF can easily fall into that shimmer then BWAOOMP sound that the FX25B does but if you keep your decay around 2 or 3 oclock then it's not a huge issue (some guys like the huge BWAOOMP so I'd say this pedal's got it in spades). Since the MXR is band pass I find I have to mix more of the clean sound in if I want to keep a good foundation, which isn't the case on the SYB-3 since it's low pass.

The other thing I like about the MXR is it's much more reactive to playing. It seems like the SYB-3 is almost stepped, not very smooth when reacting to the envelope. Not at all the case for the MXR. It's not a deal breaker on the SYB-3 but I do like having total control over the envelope.

VERDICT: If you want super wet and funky-MXR. If you want a tamer, less spike oriented and consistent-SYB-3. Both are killer filters and both have their perks. For now I'm going to be using the MXR just cause I absolutely love the dub sounds in it but I wouldn't hesitate to grab the SYB-3 for some classic funk.

[FilterFunk]

Originally Posted by *insertcoolname

WOW the BEF is very bright. That was my first thought, now here's a more comprehensive comparison:

BEF v. SYB-3 in T-wah mode

In regards to versatility, the SYB-3 gets the edge here. It's easier to get more sounds out of it and it's much easier to know what you're going to get when you tweak it. The MXR is a lot more difficult to control and dial in. Furthermore the MXR isn't quite as versatile. HOWEVER, the MXR has an excellent dub sound, my favorite of the filters that I've owned and used (Micro Qtron, FX25B, BassIQ, SYB-3 and MXR). Since my main use for a filter actually is dub, the MXR will more than likely end up being the filter for me.

The upside to the wilder MXR filter is it's much funkier. It can get super wet and funky, much more than the SYB-3. Even with the Q all the way up on the SYB-3, it doesn't come close to how wet the MXR gets even with Q at noon. The BEF can easily fall into that shimmer then BWAOOMP sound that the FX25B does but if you keep your decay around 2 or 3 oclock then it's not a huge issue (some guys like the huge BWAOOMP so I'd say this pedal's got it in spades). Since the MXR is band pass I find I have to mix more of the clean sound in if I want to keep a good foundation, which isn't the case on the SYB-3 since it's low pass.

The other thing I like about the MXR is it's much more reactive to playing. It seems like the SYB-3 is almost stepped, not very smooth when reacting to the envelope. Not at all the case for the MXR. It's not a deal breaker on the SYB-3 but I do like having total control over the envelope.

VERDICT: If you want super wet and funky-MXR. If you want a tamer, less spike oriented and consistent-SYB-3. Both are killer filters and both have their perks. For now I'm going to be using the MXR just cause I absolutely love the dub sounds in it but I wouldn't hesitate to grab the SYB-3 for some classic funk.

Very informative! My Q-Balls covers all the wet 'n' wild stuff, and I don't need dub sounds, so I'll stick with the SYB-3 for meat 'n' potatoes filter tones. Also, the smoothness of the reaction to the envelope is less of a concern for me since I'm playing a non-dynamic synth. I just set it for the quack that I want. With my synth, all envelope filters are auto-wahs; as long as I like the tone and voicing, I'm good. And I like the fact that the SYB-3 is low-pass; no matter how I set it, the bottom is always there. You just saved me some money! Thanks!