I use the subdecay prometheus.....but i want a WMD fatman, the wmd is two settings on the prometheus but more tweakable and awesome imo
prometheus works well though
prometheus works well though
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Envelope Filter Survey
- Thread starter lowfreqfreak
- Start date
I currently own:
Ehx Qtron
Ehx Polyphase (has envelope mode)
FX25 (1st and 3rd flat green versions)
FX25b and GFX25
Barge Grinder (Meatball clone)
Subdecay Prometheus
Moog MF101
CopilotFX Gyroscope
Syle Green Filter (gurgly and spitty)
Octavius Squeezer (Agent 00funk filter inside)
BMS and G5
My thoughts on the more traditional styled envelope filters I own and enjoy:
*I really like the voicing of the Prometheus (I use if mostly as a regular envelope filter). It has a cool spacy sound and responds well to playing dynamics (sweet ghost notes). It's pretty tame (no volume spikes etc), plays well with a hot signal.. cool filter.
*The Grinder can do subtle or juicy, dubby and/or synthy. It is versitile and potentially speaker shredding in many settings, and settings are easily bumped out of place, so you have to watch yourself with it. It handles my hot output passive pbass pretty well, but is more prone to volume spikes than with my active jazz (lower output, has a wider range of useable settings with the Grinder; similar to the Qtron in that sense only more tame).
Using an expression pedal, you can control the sweep decay for a wah style effect. In lowpass mode, you can do the Moog-exp-cutoff thing although it feels a bit different; Comparing it to the Moog in approximately identical settings, it has a slower swelling effect than the instant response of the Moog, and a slightly shorter range using the same exp pedal- letting less top end (or fuzz) through at toe down. In general the Grinder has more range than any other filter I've tried, and is extremely resonant. It's very versatile, and the color knob can dial the desired level of dry/wetness.
*FX25's have a killer dub tone. Kermit green ones have a slight volume boost (the oldest big knobber boost a little more than the 3gen small knobber which is almost at unity), the FX25b/GFX25 has a volume drop. I just feel like I have too much overlap with it on my board, along with the Grinder and Moog, which both do a pretty good sub thumpin' dub tone as well... but I really like the tone and the feel of it. OC2 + FX25 is a pretty killer cheap combo for that kind of stuff in my opinion.
*I just got the Moog and plugged it in yesterday and it instantly started making pretty noises. That happened with every Moog I've purchased. The two pole side of the switch is nice and crunchy with dirt through it, controlling the cutoff with the exp pedal. The 4 pole side sounds smoother and more modern. As a regular envelope filter for bass it sounds great, though maybe a bit dated? 4pole side sounds rounder and smoother, while the 2pole side is a bit jumpier/spittier. For crunchy synthy stuff though it kills and I'm stoked to finally have bitten the bullet, and stopped trying to be different.. lol. This is my impression of the pedal after a few hours with it- love it!
*The Polyphase has a pretty funky envelope filter, and can be foot control via exp pedal. (Check RCCollin's clip thread) It plays much nicer with hot signals than a Qtron and is pretty versatile in its own way... but it didn't blow me away next to these other filters. The phaser didn't either for that matter and I'm really thinking about the Moog phaser at this point, since I already have 3 other moogs on my board.. I could control all 4 with the mp201.. im pretty sure my hog too.. hmm.
Ehx Qtron
Ehx Polyphase (has envelope mode)
FX25 (1st and 3rd flat green versions)
FX25b and GFX25
Barge Grinder (Meatball clone)
Subdecay Prometheus
Moog MF101
CopilotFX Gyroscope
Syle Green Filter (gurgly and spitty)
Octavius Squeezer (Agent 00funk filter inside)
BMS and G5
My thoughts on the more traditional styled envelope filters I own and enjoy:
*I really like the voicing of the Prometheus (I use if mostly as a regular envelope filter). It has a cool spacy sound and responds well to playing dynamics (sweet ghost notes). It's pretty tame (no volume spikes etc), plays well with a hot signal.. cool filter.
*The Grinder can do subtle or juicy, dubby and/or synthy. It is versitile and potentially speaker shredding in many settings, and settings are easily bumped out of place, so you have to watch yourself with it. It handles my hot output passive pbass pretty well, but is more prone to volume spikes than with my active jazz (lower output, has a wider range of useable settings with the Grinder; similar to the Qtron in that sense only more tame).
Using an expression pedal, you can control the sweep decay for a wah style effect. In lowpass mode, you can do the Moog-exp-cutoff thing although it feels a bit different; Comparing it to the Moog in approximately identical settings, it has a slower swelling effect than the instant response of the Moog, and a slightly shorter range using the same exp pedal- letting less top end (or fuzz) through at toe down. In general the Grinder has more range than any other filter I've tried, and is extremely resonant. It's very versatile, and the color knob can dial the desired level of dry/wetness.
*FX25's have a killer dub tone. Kermit green ones have a slight volume boost (the oldest big knobber boost a little more than the 3gen small knobber which is almost at unity), the FX25b/GFX25 has a volume drop. I just feel like I have too much overlap with it on my board, along with the Grinder and Moog, which both do a pretty good sub thumpin' dub tone as well... but I really like the tone and the feel of it. OC2 + FX25 is a pretty killer cheap combo for that kind of stuff in my opinion.
*I just got the Moog and plugged it in yesterday and it instantly started making pretty noises. That happened with every Moog I've purchased. The two pole side of the switch is nice and crunchy with dirt through it, controlling the cutoff with the exp pedal. The 4 pole side sounds smoother and more modern. As a regular envelope filter for bass it sounds great, though maybe a bit dated? 4pole side sounds rounder and smoother, while the 2pole side is a bit jumpier/spittier. For crunchy synthy stuff though it kills and I'm stoked to finally have bitten the bullet, and stopped trying to be different.. lol. This is my impression of the pedal after a few hours with it- love it!
*The Polyphase has a pretty funky envelope filter, and can be foot control via exp pedal. (Check RCCollin's clip thread) It plays much nicer with hot signals than a Qtron and is pretty versatile in its own way... but it didn't blow me away next to these other filters. The phaser didn't either for that matter and I'm really thinking about the Moog phaser at this point, since I already have 3 other moogs on my board.. I could control all 4 with the mp201.. im pretty sure my hog too.. hmm.
I used to have an EBS BassIQ, and I'm really sorry I sold it at this point. Can anyone give an objective comparison between that & the WMD Fatman? The latter is obviously substantially more tweakable, but vs the EBS is it just going to be a bunch of tweaking that I might not ever use?
The Mail Bomb for just a filter, because it has a really wide range of tones, from subtle to spacey/wacky, BUT, the Pigtronix because, although the filter side is kinda tame, it has a really "natural" sound, and the phaser is really nice and smooth. But then, the MXR is it's own thing too, with it's shimmer after effect. Yeah,...no.
Thank you for your thoughts RickenBoogie. I kinda jumped the gun and bought an EB-1 on Ebay. I had gone to the Pigtronix site and there were a plethora of bass clips with the pedal. They sounded really cool so I felt comfortable jumping on the auction. BUT if the EP-1 is as you describe I might have to look into a Mail Bomb....and I still want a Groove Regulator, too.
Here is the link to that site if anyone is interested. Invalid Link Removed
The EP-1 is nice. I liked mine a lot even though it has a couple flaws (fairly large, resonance knob needs to be in nearly opposite directions in the two modes) because it sounds great. Being an envelope phaser it has this funky wash at the end of each note that is really cool. It's the reason I always keep my phaser next to my filter so I can kick them both on and get a similar sound.
One suggestion I'd make it to get the "Marv" mod. I didn't get it done on mine, but I played one that had and it really opens things up. Very cool.
Back on topic, I tend to go through filters fairly often, but I think I'm going to stick with the AF-9 this time after selling it before. Versatile and so drippingly funky.
Yeah, love my EP-1 as well, but you're (BigO) dead on about the resonance knob. And it's confusing at first, "in this mode you use these 4 knobs, and in that mode you use these 4 knobs", and there's only 6 knobs, so read the manual first,(Jerry) then have fun. It's a great pedal.
I picked up an Ashdown envelope filter for about $30, it gives me that porno soundtrack sound I was looking for and it has a VU meter which looks cool. It was worth $30 but not much more.
Hi,
we just tested out a 3Leaf filter for a week here, and the best bass player I know has stolen it from me and wants it for his birthday! ... Seriously he called me raving today this morning and at lunch!
With really awesome build quality, simple tone control approach using pots right offa that jazz bass, its gonna replace 2 or 3 of his pedals in cluding the Qtron and the BassBalls.
Try it for $199 and you won't regret it. Spencer hasd winner here.
I need to buy another for me today.
Jeff
we just tested out a 3Leaf filter for a week here, and the best bass player I know has stolen it from me and wants it for his birthday! ... Seriously he called me raving today this morning and at lunch!
With really awesome build quality, simple tone control approach using pots right offa that jazz bass, its gonna replace 2 or 3 of his pedals in cluding the Qtron and the BassBalls.
Try it for $199 and you won't regret it. Spencer hasd winner here.
I need to buy another for me today.
Jeff
Bet you can't eat just one!
I've tried lots, myself. Most recently the prometheus and the 3Leaf... But I'm sticking with my emma discomboobulator.
~ Charlie
I've tried lots, myself. Most recently the prometheus and the 3Leaf... But I'm sticking with my emma discomboobulator.
~ Charlie
I own an original Mutron III and I love it! It's pretty damn big though. I recently borrowed a Prometheus (Thanks TaySte!) and it's really impressed me. Definitely will be the filter I buy if I decide the Mutron is taking up too much space on the board. I did used to love my old AF-9 though, so maybe I'll have to buy both and do a shoot out
I own an original Mutron III and I love it! It's pretty damn big though. I recently borrowed a Prometheus (Thanks TaySte!) and it's really impressed me. Definitely will be the filter I buy if I decide the Mutron is taking up too much space on the board. I did used to love my old AF-9 though, so maybe I'll have to buy both and do a shoot out
Get them both. They're different enough as filters to justify having them on the same board. The Prometheus is better for spacey stuff and the AF-9 is funkier.
Plus even together they are still smaller than the Mutron.
I have a Tone Factor 442 Red which is the same as the bottom feeder, it's really nice, pretty subtle though. You may wanna look elsewhere for crazy freak out filter sounds.
I've got a Bassballs and a Meatwad on my board (another Meatball clone like the 3Leaf pedal), the Meatwad definitely could not do what the Bassballs does. They're totally different filters.
Just gave the filter in the Octavius Squeezer a first bash tonight (is it exactly the same circuit as the Agent 00Funk? I've never tried their standalone filter) and this thing has a great character to it. Very smooth and squirty, lots of fun. I'll try to get some clips up tomorrow if I have time.
I used to have the FX25 and didn't like it at all...for some reason I could never get a decent sound out of it....but people rave about it...so maybe it was just me.
I use a Moog LPF now and love it. I shielded the inside of it with copper foil and that made a difference in hiss and radio frequencies I would pick up....but the pedal is about as versatile as they come...I haven't used the expression pedal with it as much, b/c I haven't used the Moog in a live setting...but as far as tone....wow.
I use a Moog LPF now and love it. I shielded the inside of it with copper foil and that made a difference in hiss and radio frequencies I would pick up....but the pedal is about as versatile as they come...I haven't used the expression pedal with it as much, b/c I haven't used the Moog in a live setting...but as far as tone....wow.
