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CALLING DOCTOR Q...a call for advice from the obsessed and bored

G

Godbody

May 27, 2008
676
6
#1
Ok, I've posted quite a bit recently about my pedalboard setup, but now I have a new addition to the family, and I want some suggestions.

I was at guitar center to see what they had on sale this weekend, and I spotted a used EHX Doctor Q envelope follower for $20. I tried it out extensively on a few rigs, and I liked it. I have to wait for the police hold to end before I pick it up, so I have a week to sit and wonder wher it should go in my line-up, which is currently:

compressor>OD>spring reverb>chorus>octave divider(adjustable 2 down and 1 up)

Consider them all to be moveable, aside from the octaver, which is built into the amp. Where would you stick an envelope follower into this mess, and what kind of sounds can I expect?
 
#5
Godbody said:
Ok, I've posted quite a bit recently about my pedalboard setup, but now I have a new addition to the family, and I want some suggestions.

I was at guitar center to see what they had on sale this weekend, and I spotted a used EHX Doctor Q envelope follower for $20. I tried it out extensively on a few rigs, and I liked it. I have to wait for the police hold to end before I pick it up, so I have a week to sit and wonder wher it should go in my line-up, which is currently:

compressor>OD>spring reverb>chorus>octave divider(adjustable 2 down and 1 up)

Consider them all to be moveable, aside from the octaver, which is built into the amp. Where would you stick an envelope follower into this mess, and what kind of sounds can I expect?
Click to expand...

Police hold?
 
#8
Chronicle said:
Most countys in the U.S have a police hold on used items in case they are stolen. In my county, it's 21 days.
Click to expand...

Its ten days in the county I bought it in. I don't think I could stand to wait three weeks!

I've been running my OD after the compressor just to make it punchier, but that even robs the OD of some of its dynamics. I'll probably switch it.

Does anyone know how the good Doctor would interact with a chorus or reverb pedal?
 
#9
Doctor Q! By strange coincidence I just picked one of these up myself. You definitely need to use it before the compressor!

Do some searches here you'll find that most comments about the Doctor Q are negative, though there are some positive ones as well. There is a little trim pot on the inside of the pedal which you should play with immediately if not sooner. Futzing with the little trim pot really brought my Doctor Q to life. I've only had it for a few days but I think I like it. It's subtle enough to give me a little funky wah effect without being too much (too much effect and too much money!).

Can't help you with how it interacts with a chorus or reverb. I'd be interested in what you think in regards to your OD since that's the only other pedal I'm using right now.
 
#10
Philbiker said:
Doctor Q! By strange coincidence I just picked one of these up myself. You definitely need to use it before the compressor!

Do some searches here you'll find that most comments about the Doctor Q are negative, though there are some positive ones as well. There is a little trim pot on the inside of the pedal which you should play with immediately if not sooner. Futzing with the little trim pot really brought my Doctor Q to life. I've only had it for a few days but I think I like it. It's subtle enough to give me a little funky wah effect without being too much (too much effect and too much money!).

Can't help you with how it interacts with a chorus or reverb. I'd be interested in what you think in regards to your OD since that's the only other pedal I'm using right now.
Click to expand...

I've read about the trim pot inside; I didn't get to mess with that when I was trying it out, but I assumed I could dial in a good sound at home. Does anyone know what that pot actually controls??? I see it mentioned everywhere in online reviews, but nobody says what it does.
 
#12
4StringsEnough said:
What amp have you got that's got a built-in octave up? :confused:
Click to expand...

It's a Behringer 450w head (yeah, I know, everyone says Behringer sucks, but my head is awesome). I picked it up used. I'm pretty sure one of the previous owners tampered with it. The octaver (they call it Ultrabass) is one knob, and normally as you turn it clockwise it'll go from one octave down to two down, and increase how much effect is mixed with the dry signal. When I mess with the contouring function, I can eventually get it to go an octave up. The manual I found for the head sort of hints that you can do this, all it says is if you adjust the contour and octaver concurrently you'll get some "wild sounds!" or something stupid like that. The only complaint I have is that the octaver has some tracking issues, but compression fixes that for the most part.
 
#13
Godbody said:
Does anyone know what that pot actually controls???
Click to expand...

It sets the 'range' of the filter effect - at one end the filter will sweep more in relation to your playing, at the other end it'll sweep less. Before you play with it mark the original position with something; you could well find the factory-set position is as 'good' as it gets.
 
#14
unbeliever said:
It sets the 'range' of the filter effect - at one end the filter will sweep more in relation to your playing, at the other end it'll sweep less. Before you play with it mark the original position with something; you could well find the factory-set position is as 'good' as it gets.
Click to expand...

Uh.. 'Range' is quite clearly the pot right on the outside of the case, where you would expect knobs to be. I need to know what the trim pot inside the case does. Unless it also affects the range, in which case I look like a jerk.
 
#15
I was looking at a schematic with the outside control labelled 'sensitivity', and the trimpot is labelled 'range'. :)

Anyway, both will interact to determine how the filter responds to your playing.
 
#18
Just got an email reply from EHX on what the internal control does....

"The trimpot is a factory adjustment used to calibrate the center frequency of the sweep. This is NOT intended to be an end user adjustment."

So EHX says I shouldn't touch it. What the HELLo is going on with this pot? I smell a conspiracy... :ninja:
 
#20
"The trimpot is a factory adjustment used to calibrate the center frequency of the sweep. This is NOT intended to be an end user adjustment."
Click to expand...
Sounds like if the effect is set up for guitar that it may need to be adjusted to have the desired affect on bass frequencies for a bass guitar.........

Have you tried the effect yet? Got what you like out of it? I'll try to post a comparison later tonight.
 

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