Calling all the filter freaks...

[RCCollins]

I was just poking at you. I don't think the Polyphase sucks at all. I actually dug it, just not quite as much as the EP-1. My old guitar player keeps saying that I have to try a vintage one - he seems to think they are much better and he's not generally a guy that touts older gear as being better.

The EP-1 has a "funkier" sounding envelope mode, but what I love about the Stereo Polyphase for bass is the adjustable sweep start and stop.

From what I can tell, the original one is VERY different, with its envelope modulation and such. Also, the original is a 6-stage phaser (if I'm not mistaken) while the new one is 4-stage. I was reading on Howard Davis's site that he designed both and that he thought of the Stereo XO version as an improvement (fwiw)

 

[kevteop]

What basses have you used with the Chunk Brown Dog?

FWIW the Brown Dog circuit in the O.S. sounds great with both my Warwick Thumb (stock MEC electronics) and my Stingray fretless (again, stock).

 

[Jared Lash]

FWIW the Brown Dog circuit in the O.S. sounds great with both my Warwick Thumb (stock MEC electronics) and my Stingray fretless (again, stock).

Yep. The Squeezer has the Brown Dog fuzz circuit and I tried it with my two Stambaughs (fretted with Nordy Fat Stacks and an Audere pre and the fretless (EMG jazz pups with the ACG pre) and a modded Carvin (Basslines and an 18 V Aggie OPB-3) which is a very hot bass and it was just fine.

I also used the Brown Dog itself in store with a EBMM Sterling and an MTD 535.

 

[RCCollins]

I've heard that the Brown Dog shares the Squeezer's crappy, hemmorage-level bleeding "true" bypass. Have you found that to be the case?

 

[Jared Lash]

The EP-1 has a "funkier" sounding envelope mode, but what I love about the Stereo Polyphase for bass is the adjustable sweep start and stop.

From what I can tell, the original one is VERY different, with its envelope modulation and such. Also, the original is a 6-stage phaser (if I'm not mistaken) while the new one is 4-stage. I was reading on Howard Davis's site that he designed both and that he thought of the Stereo XO version as an improvement (fwiw)

Yeah, that was about my experience. I liked the Pigtronix more as a filter and the Polyphase more as a phaser. Then again, the EP-1's phaser side wasn't my style at all so that doesn't mean a whole lot.

The reason my buddy thought I'd dig the old Polyphase is that I have a preference for six stage phasers. Of the "envelope phaser" category, I think the Phantasm wins in terms of just the phaser side.

 

[RCCollins]

Yeah, that was about my experience. I liked the Pigtronix more as a filter and the Polyphase more as a phaser. Then again, the EP-1's phaser side wasn't my style at all so that doesn't mean a whole lot.

The reason my buddy thought I'd dig the old Polyphase is that I have a preference for six stage phasers. Of the "envelope phaser" category, I think the Phantasm wins in terms of just the phaser side.

I'd love to get my hands on one of those Phantasms but I'll probably try a barracuda sooner

 

[Jared Lash]

I've heard that the Brown Dog shares the Squeezer's crappy, hemmorage-level bleeding "true" bypass. Have you found that to be the case?

Hard to say since I only played with the Dog in store and for a limited amount of time (maybe 20 minutes total with it and the 00Funk). Then again, while I'm far from a tone freak, I generally notice really bad bypass and didn't pick up on that from the Squeezer when I had it.

 

[RCCollins]

Hard to say since I only played with the Dog in store and for a limited amount of time (maybe 20 minutes total with it and the 00Funk). Then again, while I'm far from a tone freak, I generally notice really bad bypass and didn't pick up on that from the Squeezer when I had it.

I am amazed by that. I had all kinds of octave and fuzz bleeding, even envelope filter spikes. And I've spoken to others who had the same experience. Of course you can put it in a loop, but it's supposed to be the only pedal you need!

I contacted Richard at Chunk about the bypass and he denied that it was possible to have such bleeding, as the OS was designed with "true bypass". Well, guess what - he was wrong

Of course, I don't find this to be unique in the world of true bypass - my Malekko Echo 600 bled like a hemophiliac too!

 

[CliffD]

I am amazed by that. I had all kinds of octave and fuzz bleeding, even envelope filter spikes. And I've spoken to others who had the same experience. Of course you can put it in a loop, but it's supposed to be the only pedal you need!

I contacted Richard at Chunk about the bypass and he denied that it was possible to have such bleeding, as the OS was designed with "true bypass". Well, guess what - he was wrong

Of course, I don't find this to be unique in the world of true bypass - my Malekko Echo 600 bled like a hemophiliac too!

Whoa, big words. Have you played another OS to confirm this? Damn...

 

[RCCollins]

Whoa, big words. Have you played another OS to confirm this? Damn...

no, but I got reports of the same issue with the OS from one of our homeboys, and he told me he had the same issue with the brown dog

then again this dude owns a bunch of moogerfoogers so he's obviously willing to live with crappy bypass (disclaimer: I am sure the moogerfoogers' noisy bypass is not an issue when they are used in modular synth setups... as stompboxes, however...)

 

[grygrx]

I'll toss my hat the other way on the Prometheus. I really don't like the sound of the filter on bass at all. The step stuff is fun, but without a dynamic way to control the rate and step speed, I'm not sure how useful it is.

 

[grygrx]

What about something crazy like the Hot Hand Motion Controlled Wah-Filter

 

[CliffD]

no, but I got reports of the same issue with the OS from one of our homeboys, and he told me he had the same issue with the brown dog

then again this dude owns a bunch of moogerfoogers so he's obviously willing to live with crappy bypass (disclaimer: I am sure the moogerfoogers' noisy bypass is not an issue when they are used in modular synth setups... as stompboxes, however...)

F**K! Just when I was about to put a bunch of chunk under my feet...

 

[RCCollins]

What about something crazy like the Hot Hand Motion Controlled Wah-Filter

too gimmicky. the only product like that I would consider investing in would be the newish moog etherwave theremin controller. Want filter? ya got it. Want pan? done. got moogerfoogers? you got phase, delay whatever you want

but the fact is that in real life, theremins other motion-controlled input devices are hard as heck to use. Fun, yeah. But worth the cost in practical terms? unlikely for all but the most self-indulgent of "experimental" projects. Though I am willing to be proven wrong!

 

[kevteop]

F**K! Just when I was about to put a bunch of chunk under my feet...

My O.S. is completely silent when bypassed, even when set to a patch which creates a blaring feedback loop with the fuzz and filter - you can't make a noisier patch than that! And there's no tone suck from it, it could be TB I don't know.

 

[Jared Lash]

Not to turn this into an Octavius Squeezer thread, but looking at the circuit diagram for the OS, it really is set up as a straight through true bypass. If that's the case, I'd agree with Richard Cartwright that it wouldn't be possible to have any bleed through.

But again, I'm far from a tone purist and didn't even think about investigating this.

 

[RCCollins]

Not to turn this into an Octavius Squeezer thread, but looking at the circuit diagram for the OS, it really is set up as a straight through true bypass. If that's the case, I'd agree with Richard Cartwright that it wouldn't be possible to have any bleed through.

But again, I'm far from a tone purist and didn't even think about investigating this.

It seems so, but my ears say different, and it was NOT a subtle bleed. It did vary from patch to patch, but start it up in "Gobstopper" and boy, was it audible

 

[CliffD]

Well I'm bout to get some Chunk and find out, I'll share my findings...

 

[fightthepower]

The Octavius Squeezer AND the Brown Dog are prone to leaky bypasses. Albeit not very loud, and I had completely forgotten about the OS until I got the Brown Dog and was testing by itself-- When on my pedalboard surrouned by a bunch of other pedals, I never noticed the leaky sound once- never in a jamming situation or anything. (lol so just bleed off the bleed through my huge pedalboard)

But it definitely happens with my hot output Passive P bass, but didn't with my Active Jazz- I'll have to try it out with the Brown Dog before it (hopefully) sells. With the OS you could put it on an empty preset and nothing would bleed. Then as you scrolled the through the presets while bypassed you could hear each one. I never noticed it when it was on my pedalboard (not in a loop) though, so it wasn't really a big issue.

Now the Brown Dog doesn't have patches, so I can hear the bleed in every setting, some worse than others... though in the context of a big ass pedalboard setup I've never noticed it. My Pbass makes the OC2 fart, and blows a bunch of other pedals away as well, so YMMV.

Funny though that the Guy from Chunk says it can't happen because it definitely does. He also said firmware updates with an editor and expression functionality were on the way too didn't he?

 

[RCCollins]

The Octavius Squeezer AND the Brown Dog are prone to leaky bypasses. Albeit not very loud, and I had completely forgotten about the OS until I got the Brown Dog and was testing by itself-- When on my pedalboard surrouned by a bunch of other pedals, I never noticed the leaky sound once- never in a jamming situation or anything. (lol so just bleed off the bleed through my huge pedalboard)

But it definitely happens with my hot output Passive P bass, but didn't with my Active Jazz- I'll have to try it out with the Brown Dog before it (hopefully) sells. With the OS you could put it on an empty preset and nothing would bleed. Then as you scrolled the through the presets while bypassed you could hear each one. I never noticed it when it was on my pedalboard (not in a loop) though, so it wasn't really a big issue.

Now the Brown Dog doesn't have patches, so I can hear the bleed in every setting, some worse than others... though in the context of a big ass pedalboard setup I've never noticed it. My Pbass makes the OC2 fart, and blows a bunch of other pedals away as well, so YMMV.

Funny though that the Guy from Chunk says it can't happen because it definitely does. He also said firmware updates with an editor and expression functionality were on the way too didn't he?

well, he didn't say "soon", did he

it's a very cool pedal with just a few too many minor flaws for me. I've said it before and I'll say it again - it was rushed onto the market before it was ready. That said, if a Mark 2 version is released, and these issues (leak and pretty bad tracking mostly) I will be first in line for another one