WMD FatMan... awesome.

JohnDavisNYC · #1 01-05-2009, 07:40 PM

I was just rehearsing with Jojo today, just messing around, trying out some new grooves, etc... and set up a few mics and a DI so we could listen back to our experiments, and I gotta say, that the WMD FatMan is a totally KILLIN' envelope filter... I will be making a video soon, but until you hear them... man. it is my new secret weapon. definitely not replacing the Moog, but for envelope applications, it is amazing.

It nails the enveloped-sine jungle bass sound completely, and is totally clean and open sounding. I don't play funk or any sort of flashy thumb music, but I imagine it is also great for that sort of music, too! the resonance is nice, and there is a really wide range of sweeps and ranges available. Having a bandpass mode is cool, too, although not terribly useful for me... i used it on a snare drum track, though, and it was lots of fun.

totally unrelated:

I also started using my old Fodera fretless today, instead of my Jazz Bass, and this might become my main axe for Nerve... playing fretless both connects me to my upright bass pedigree, and also allows for totally synthetic slides and glissando.

anyway, just super psyched about the new material with that bass and pedal... party on.

john

**grygrx** · #2 01-05-2009, 08:23 PM

I agree, great pedal... wish the volume knob was on the outside.

JohnDavisNYC · #3 01-05-2009, 08:24 PM

the volume seems right to me... so it isn't a bummer... but i could see with high resonance settings (i have the res at minimum) there being too much of a gain boost.

john

**grygrx** · #4 01-05-2009, 08:28 PM

There is an INTERNAL volume trimmer. I just noticed a big swing when really playing with the ranges of the pedal. That said, it's great and I definitely think it is one pedal where the word hasn't really gotten out... yet.

JohnDavisNYC · #5 01-05-2009, 08:31 PM

well... i'm gonna do my part to get the word out. hopefully i'll be checking out a geiger counter soon, which i hope is equally killing.

construction is top notch, and it is purple, which is nice.

john

**grygrx** · #6 01-05-2009, 08:32 PM

My Review

Though I do have secret hatred of goo...

JohnDavisNYC · #7 01-05-2009, 08:40 PM

yeah, the goo is BS... i hate when builders do that...

nice review. i am going to try splitting my dry signal and running that into the key input... so even with mayhem fuzz, i still can dynamically control the filter.

we'll see if the key input tracks the same as the regular input.

john

whoatherechunk · #8 01-05-2009, 08:45 PM

john was this grygrx's? i wanted to buy his. haha.

is this envelope filter a clone of anything? comparable to anything out there?

after listening to grygrx's clips i really can't compare it to anything i've played with. a few settings seem like an af9 could cop it but on most of the settings it seems like it is its own pedal.

whoatherechunk · #9 01-05-2009, 08:46 PM

is goo simply just for people to not find out what's being used on the insides?

perk45 · #10 01-05-2009, 08:50 PM

What is up with that goo?? Do builders use it to prevent people from seeing the components they are using or is it just poor soldering?

**grygrx** · #11 01-05-2009, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perk45

What is up with that goo?? Do builders use it to prevent people from seeing the components they are using or is it just poor soldering?

I think the idea is to protect intellectual property. There are plenty of big name boutique builders/designers who do it to some degree or another.

JohnDavisNYC · #12 01-05-2009, 09:00 PM

no, i got mine from ToneFactor, and I am making videos for them. I have just about gotten to know the pedals well enough, and am shooting in the next few days... if i like them, i buy them... this one i am definitely buying. not sure about the CopilotFX Orbit... it is cool, but i am on the fence as to whether or not it is a keeper for me.

john

perk45 · #13 01-05-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grygrx

I think the idea is to protect intellectual property. There are plenty of big name boutique builders/designers who do it to some degree or another.

Ya that makes sense. I remember hearing that Devi Ever does (did? I always forget the DE/Effector 13/OohLaLa situtation) something like this with her pedals to keep the circuit protected, but I'm pretty sure that she didn't use goo for it. She might have wrapped it up or something. It seems unprofessional to me to use that goo, as it just makes everything look like a mess.

fightthepower · #14 01-05-2009, 09:02 PM

Damn now I wish I would have bought that one from Grygrx too. The Grinder, Syle Green, and Gyroscope just got here today. I only spent a few minutes with the grinder so far- extremely versitile, but I haven't been able to get it to 'envelope' yet, but the closed envelope sounds are great, and it might kick my fx25 (as well as the qtron) off the board for dub duty.

The gyroscope is also pretty cool with the modulated autowah deal- rotating slow to fast wah that will be great for dubstep. It's the older version, but the builder contacted Grygrx and he passed the message along, so I'm probably going to send it in to get upgraded to the new version.

The Syle Green filter kicks ass too! Spitty and gurgly, doesn't seem to lose low end and responds well to playing dynamics. All in all I'm really stoked with all of them, thanks Grygrx!

JohnDavisNYC · #15 01-05-2009, 09:07 PM

cool. so many filters, so little time. the fatman seems to be exactly what i needed. the moog with expression pedal and LFO mod box (when i get it) sorta is IT for me in terms of non-envelope filter sounds.

but i feel like filters are very personal... what works for one person might very well be shite for another... same as fuzz.... and octave... and anything for that matter.

i'm glad there are so many cool pedals out there that make it fun/easy/possible to make cool electronic bass textures... i want to be blown away by hearing someone use something i've never heard in a crazy new way.

john

dubsymmetry · #16 01-06-2009, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnDavisNYC

hopefully i'll be checking out a geiger counter soon, which i hope is equally killing.
john

I can tell you that much (I´ve only had it for 2 days), the geiger counter is great. a million of fuzz & distortion tones with less or more digital destruction going on, sustaining forever or gated as hell, complete noise, cleanish tones... the drive control is very useful for tone shaping, I even found a setting that reminded me of an envelope controlled filter... something doug wimbish might like.
I guess you will love it for your dubstep tones.

I might do a review with clips soon, just let me get it to know better. it is really a pedal that has a lot of options - of course, there are other pedals for creamy vintage fuzz..

the goo: this pedal has some on a few crucial parts and I agree it looks a bit funny, but I can understand the builder wanting to protect his design. I can also tell you that I wrote William Mathewson of WMD a few e-mails with questions about both pedals and he replied quite detailed within 2 days or so - nice!

Largedon · #17 01-06-2009, 04:54 AM

I just went and checked out their website and they have a ton of sound clips up there. I really like the sound of that pedal. Seems like it has a lot of different sounds. Here's their link if anyone's interested.
http://www.wmdevices.com/fatman.php

dubsymmetry · #18 01-17-2009, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubsymmetry

geiger counter
I might do a review with clips soon

so I tried to record a few tracks and my audio interface stopped working. I´m sure it´s just some driver issue or something, but I´m not sure when I´ll be able to look into it.

sorry for thread-derailing btw.

kevteop · #19 01-17-2009, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnDavisNYC

totally unrelated:

I also started using my old Fodera fretless today, instead of my Jazz Bass, and this might become my main axe for Nerve... playing fretless both connects me to my upright bass pedigree, and also allows for totally synthetic slides and glissando.

Yeah I tend to pull out my Stingray fretless when doing "synthy" stuff for much the same reasons. It's also cool to try to mimick dodgy tuning or temperament, or even just add some chaotic out-of-tune nonsense.

rcubed · #20 01-17-2009, 03:03 PM

One of the benefits of the goo (or any conformal coating on a circuit board) is to prevent very small solder balls from getting loose and potentially shorting out something. But this is mainly an issue for surface mounted components and ICs.