Best envelope filter for dub?

[Jared Lash]

The DOD is a bandpass filter, isn't it? If you just want massive dark bass, you're going to want to stick to a lowpass filter. The Moog certainly does get a lot love, but pretty much any LPF with the sensitivity rolled ALL the way off will do the job. You also might want to consider a bass boost, like the EHX Mole, Devi Ever Dark Boost, or something like that. Maybe even the DOD Meat Box (?)

Love the Meat Box for what it does but I wouldn't use it for dub. Then again I've been too afraid of speaker damage to ever use that thing except to goof around with my practice amp at home at low volumes.

The FX25 is a BP filter I believe, but it's sweep is HUGE and with the sensitivity rolled off it works perfectly for insta-dub tones. The only issue being that you have to like the sound as is because you have no means to tweak it. The Moog (and Xerograph and Brain Freeze/Photron Filter) all give you more control. You can set the cutoff point (especially useful for a static LPF), adjust the resonance and even add some clean blend if you desire.

Again, my recommendation (based on size, features, the tone from clips, true bypass, and of course price) is to try out the Iron Ether Xerograph.

My board from my ambient dub band had both the FX25 (in a blend loop) and the Moog

 

[Rickett Customs]

As far as live, not sure. Recording: I use a fretless with flats, (has 2 EMG 40dc pickups, mainly use the neck position, EMG BQC electronics.....treble all the way down, mids in the center, midsweep is set to lower mid freq and bass is up 3/4. Also, in protools, I use a 7 band eq, to kill out highs and high mids, once recorded and boost the lowend from 25hz to 120hz. Recorded direct, initially, then eq'ed

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

In the vein of the fx25, allow me to suggest the MXR m82. It can achieve a similar "insta-dub" sound, but with way more control over the proceedings, and with none of the concerns over quality.

 

[Rickett Customs]

Not an env filter though, but the DBX 120xp, Eric Wilson used one, but he also used 18's for a long time too.

 

[Swimming Bird]

The DOD is a bandpass filter, isn't it?

Yes, but it has a very wide seep range. For dub tones with my band I don't even both turning the sensitivity down, I just play lighter up on the neck -- it shakes the practice room.

 

[aledeville]

Anyone experience with the dbx 120a Subharmonic Synthesizer? Costs as much as the Moog...

I just uploaded two soundfiles with the SFX X&M Invalid Link Removed

First one is with the particle reverb (from the M9) in the high channel and the low is bypass. After approximately 15 seconds I mute the high channel and then there is only the low channel. X-Over frequency is about 300Hz? I'm not so sure...
http://soundcloud.com/aledeville/dub-mit-effekten-ii

In the second file I do some weird stuff with the high channel. That was a jam with a drummer and a rapper and I just tried to fill more space.
Again it's the particle reverb, but this time into tremolo and stuff.
http://soundcloud.com/aledeville/dub-mit-effekten

I like those dub tones where you just cut the high frequencies better than boosting the lows because the tone remains very clear and articulated.

 

[Colonel Monk]

Yeah, shouldn't have assumed that everyone reading the thread would understand, and the question that should have been asked is "what filters are you guys using for dub?"

Because in the context you don't want the envelope to open, you want to keep it closed. So no envelope at all.

I'll play. I have three different filters, FX-25, Moog LPF, and Iron Ether Xerograph.

Of the 3, it's a no contest - FX25, and that's what I bought it for. Sensitivity down, turn freq to taste, instant "I got no high freqs" deep bass. No fooling with my EQ (I use no EQ usually) no rolling off treble on my bass, no playing over the neck (unless I want) no boosting bass. It's simple genius.

(I also like fooling with the Bill Laswell riffs with it - fun to make it bark...)

When I was younger I even modded my treble control with higher value caps to remove even more freqs, but nothing did it as well as using the FX25.

The bad thing about FX25 is that the bypass is horrible. Mod it or but it in a TBP loop.

Moog is OK it'll get you there, but with the gain control, the envelope control, the strong resonance control, it'll take more fooling and more money to get you there. My Moog LP is wasted if you just used it for that.

Xerograph will do it, but it's not as FAT. Thankfully, because if it was as fat as FX25 it wouldn't work well as a sweepable filter which is why I have it.

CM

 

[reddi]

Thanks for all the help people. I think I'm gonna go with the Iron Ether Xerograph. Do you think i should pay the extra $30 for the blend knob?

 

[bigblondeafro87]

^^^ I would, so you can blend it in for your clean tone + some deeper creamy bass

 

[Kobaia]

I would honestly say any envelope filter with an input trigger. you can run the drum machine into the filter to trigger the filter, or run a mic from the kick drum to filter the trigger.

for example


there are few envelope filters that.
the Groove Regulator and WMDFatman are the only two i've found so far

 

[Matt Dean]

Thanks for all the help people. I think I'm gonna go with the Iron Ether Xerograph. Do you think i should pay the extra $30 for the blend knob?

Good choice! I ordered a full envelope version from Taylor about six weeks ago, but decided not to spend $30 for the blend. In all my years of using filters, I personally never found a need. If I'm filtering, I want 100% of the effect.

 

[reddi]

I'm bumping this old thread. I'm still considering the Iron Ether pedal but I can get a MXR deluxe bass envelope filter used for around $100, would this for sound I described it would the Iron Ether do it better?