Wonderlove vs. Xerograph Deluxe
 

I love filter pedals. Can't get enough of them! With that being said, I now want one that can be controlled via an expression pedal. I'd love to hear from people that have tried both as to pros and cons of each.

If expression control is a major selling point for you then the Xerograph wins hands down. The Wonderlove offers expression control but (at least IMO) the sweep seems too abrupt and not full enough.

That said, the Wonderlove is an amazing filter. Easy to dial in, fantastic sound (pick, fingers, slap), it sounds great with other pedals (octaver in front or fuzz, delay, etc in the Wonderlove's effects loop) and lots of controls to dial in the envelope the way you want it. As a straight funk filter it's my favorite on the market.

The Xerograph is no slouch for funk playing, but it is tougher to dial in and doesn't have the same rubbery "snap" to it's envelope. But in the Xerograph's favor it has a wider range of sounds (large resonance range), can be used as a static or expression swept LPF (which also means you can use it as a pseudo wah) and it is fundamentally a "synthier" filter sound than the Wonderlove.

Jared's description is spot on.

I like the xero as my expression controlled filter and like using the wonderlove as my envelope filter.

I agree with Jared and tlaubs.

They both sound very good in all aspects, so you won't be disappointed either way. If I had to choose, my needs would probably sway me towards the Xerograph. This is mainly because I have had the Xero for a long time and have built a lot of my go to sounds with it. If I only wanted a filter for funk, I would probably go Wonderlove.

I've found that it's pretty dependent on the type of expression pedal used. I like the sweep range way better when I use my Mission Control pedal as opposed to something like a Moog EP2.

Very true. My mission SP-2 works better than my modded VP-jr for this purpose. That said, I see the difference being one of design goals. The Xerograph was created to with expression sweeps as a main function while I think the Wonderlove (and to an extent the Meatball before it) had it as a cool but not essential feature.

The 3Leaf does a lot well but it isn't my choice for synthy sweeps. In fact my only real use of the expression input was with the WL set to bandpass for wah-like tones.

Great info guys! I haven't purchased an expression pedal and was leaning toward the Source Audio Dual expression pedal. The thought of being able to simultaneously control a filter and the Frantabit makes me pretty intrigued.

Xerograph. You don't even get the full benefit of that pedal without an expression pedal. That's not the same story with the Wonderlove. If I had to choose one overall filter I would go with the wonderlove, but for your needs, the Xero is where it's at.

Both are beautiful filters!!!!

I currently use the Xero Dlx and a newer Proton. Both excellent filters but I use them for different things.

That said, I fell in love with the Wonderlove when I tried it a while back so I plan on picking one up for my R&B/Funk board....so nasty!!

Based on your responses I'll be going with the Xero Dlx. I can see a Proton in my future, too.
Thanks guys!

FWIW, I have the SA dual and don't like how it sweeps the Xero

Aww man! So now I need to find the best expression pedal? I see IE recommend the Moog EP-2. Better choice?

I don't know if he still does it, but Taylor sold me a modded VP-jr for use with the Xerograph that I dig. The EP-2 works fine as well.

But if you want expression control of multiple pedals I recommend the Expressionator.

^this... VP Jr mod'd to EP-2 spec w/ expressionator is the way to go

sorry to hijack a little, but where are those modded VP Jr available?

I got mine from fellow TB'r Jeff Moote. For me, it's ideal. I like the VP Jr form but needed better functionality. He mod'd for a more linear taper and added a range knob and reverse switch. Jeff's a good guy and does some really nice work. If you've seen the stuff he does for himself in the PYPB threads, you'd be proud to have something from is workbench. Turned mine around in about a week but took that long to get here from Canada. Totally worth the 2 week wait...

I've got a GR2 and a Xerograph Deluxe. I love them both and can't bear to take one off my board.

The Xero is great for synth sweeps. However the GR2 (and Wonderlove) has a killer feature - the effect loop. Put octave and fuzz in the loop and the filter works on the affected sound, but the envelope is triggered from your dry bass sound - great for synthy tones.

FWIW, I didn't find the SA Dual to be that much different than the EP-2. YMMV.

Both!
 

+1

I have the same setup, for the same reasons. They both have their own strengths and I hate to have to choose between them. If you have the space, it's worth considering.