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I've owned a bunch. I think filters are very personal to your taste and playing style. But they are fun. If I only take one pedal, it's usually my 3Leaf Proton. I have one of the old ones with only two knobs. I usually use it as a very subtle effect on slow / dark songs and not so much on the quick funk stuff.
EHX Q-Tron might be a good place to start. The MXR M82 (the purple one) is also a good one to start with. They are both good filters, but the MXR sound very stiff to me with lot's of quack.
I owned the Keeley Neutrono - VERY cool pedal. A Maxon AF-9 was cool for some stuff, but I didn't love it. I really liked the reverse filter on it.
The Malekko E. Filter is actually a really cool, super simple two knob filter that sounds great.
The Green DOD ones are a little weird to me, and I couldn't get what I wanted out of them. But great for big low end dub sounds. And I've heard another local guy use one and make it sound very cool, but not so much a traditional quack / funk sound.
Just try out as many as you can before you buy.
Anyone ever tried the EQD Spatial Delivery?? [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
EHX Q-Tron might be a good place to start. The MXR M82 (the purple one) is also a good one to start with. They are both good filters, but the MXR sound very stiff to me with lot's of quack.
I owned the Keeley Neutrono - VERY cool pedal. A Maxon AF-9 was cool for some stuff, but I didn't love it. I really liked the reverse filter on it.
The Malekko E. Filter is actually a really cool, super simple two knob filter that sounds great.
The Green DOD ones are a little weird to me, and I couldn't get what I wanted out of them. But great for big low end dub sounds. And I've heard another local guy use one and make it sound very cool, but not so much a traditional quack / funk sound.
Just try out as many as you can before you buy.
Anyone ever tried the EQD Spatial Delivery?? [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I play mostly with a cable, so my own sound comes from my attack and dynamics. This is to say that I don't use effects very much. However, I recently picked up an MXR M82 BEF, and I've found it to be very agreeable. I use it for funky fills and the occasional solo. My bandmates all seemed to like it. YMMV.
I own several.
For sure the most potent one I have is a vintage (but 2nd gen) Mutron III that is hard wired.
I sold the previous, external power supply one I owned cause I prefer the one I kept.
I also have a vintage Ibanez AF-9 which is decent but works better for guitar.
I've got a Chunk Systems 00Funk which is fun but hard to tweak - I'd be willing to part with it for $225.
My personal favorite though is the Soundblox Filter Pro - it's seems the easiest to get satisfying watery tones out of with my rig.
Whoever said it's an expensive journey is correct.
For sure the most potent one I have is a vintage (but 2nd gen) Mutron III that is hard wired.
I sold the previous, external power supply one I owned cause I prefer the one I kept.
I also have a vintage Ibanez AF-9 which is decent but works better for guitar.
I've got a Chunk Systems 00Funk which is fun but hard to tweak - I'd be willing to part with it for $225.
My personal favorite though is the Soundblox Filter Pro - it's seems the easiest to get satisfying watery tones out of with my rig.
Whoever said it's an expensive journey is correct.
WEll, I just pulled the trigger on a Boss Ft-2 on ebay. $60. Totally worth the experiment it at this price. I have loved the sounds clips. It is more understated than some products, but the tones just works, for me at least. It's not a wild and crazy filter, but who really needs over the top filter? This effect is merely to add color when desired. my opinions of course. And boss pedals last for all eternity so that is plus.
My favorite too, great return on the investment at this price point. Can get dripping wet. Very funky.
Essentially, most envelope filters are a tone shaping filter triggered by input signal, usually the greater the signal the more the filter "opens," but they all work a little different, can be triggered by external devices or controlled by expression pedals, or some have auto-wah features, which open and close the filter to a set tempo. They are so many, good and bad, they all have their own sound characteristics and different features, some are quite complicated, like the WMD Super Fatman, to the incredibly simple, like the Subdecay Proteus. I think the next one I want is the Fwonkbeta, simple to use and sounds really cool. I would check out as many YouTube videos as you can, here's a few that started me on an expensive path
(4:40 into the vid)
Once you start adding octave and fuzz, then it gets REALLY fun!!!
That Proteus sounds promising.
Out of all the Q-Trons, the Mini sounds the funkiest. I preferred it to my TruTron 3X; never tried an original Mutron III but thinking of getting one!
My favourite though is the Fwonkbeta. Only downside is you need a boost before it with a low output bass like my CV Jazz.
My favourite though is the Fwonkbeta. Only downside is you need a boost before it with a low output bass like my CV Jazz.
The new Mooer Bass filter sounds pretty good to me also for $60. I have really enjoyed the Mooer pedals that I have
Can't say that I have a use for a filter, but I'm intrigued by the WMD Protostar because of all the weirdness you can get out of it:
The EQD stuff I've played has been very cool. They seem to nail a kind of a traditional effect, but then take it to the next level with a ton of extra features that can take you into outer-space if that's where you want to go.
I had the Sea Machine, and it did a beautiful chorus sound, but I was basically using 3 knobs (one being a blend), and the pedal has 6 knobs on it. I would love to try out the Spatial Delivery.
But that's kind of the whole point of an Envelope Filter ...if it didn't react to your volume and how hard you hit the strings it would just be a Triggered Filter, or a Static Filter.
Bob you are absolutely correct. My experience with them is that they can be very unpredictable and as much as I love the sound, I have been very frustrated with my envelope filter at times. That's all I was trying to communicate.
This is a totally awesome thread. As a complete newb to EF's and first time EF pedal buyer I'm STILL torn. As many videos and things I've read the Mu-tron is king BUT the real estate! 
Probably just gonna have to spend some experimental money like everyone else.
Going to start small.
Probably just gonna have to spend some experimental money like everyone else.
Going to start small.
Essentially, most envelope filters are a tone shaping filter triggered by input signal, usually the greater the signal the more the filter "opens," but they all work a little different, can be triggered by external devices or controlled by expression pedals, or some have auto-wah features, which open and close the filter to a set tempo. They are so many, good and bad, they all have their own sound characteristics and different features, some are quite complicated, like the WMD Super Fatman, to the incredibly simple, like the Subdecay Proteus. I think the next one I want is the Fwonkbeta, simple to use and sounds really cool. I would check out as many YouTube videos as you can, here's a few that started me on an expensive path
(4:40 into the vid)
Once you start adding octave and fuzz, then it gets REALLY fun!!!
That proteus is really cool.
Yes it is, one of the cool features is the step filter, as simple as the Proteus is it's one of the only pedals with this feature. I just wish ther was an external tap input to set the tempo, that would make it, well... perfect!
I've tried a lot of envelope filters like many of the guys here.
My first one was the first edition of the q-tron. It sounded great, but then I switched it to a more board friendly one that was a MXR BEF. I liked the MXR but it always sounded too peaky to me. Then I got a Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro that is a super versatile unit capable of doing a lot of things.
I had a DOD 440, a Maxon AF-10, a Mooer Bass sweep, a Snow White, and none stayed too long.
The only one that remains is the SA BEF pro but I will get a more board friendly envelope eventually, and the xerograph is at the top of my options.
If Source Audio added an envelope filter to their one series, I'd be all over it.
You can find the Source Audio BEF used pretty cheap these days if you don't have a problem with size.
My first one was the first edition of the q-tron. It sounded great, but then I switched it to a more board friendly one that was a MXR BEF. I liked the MXR but it always sounded too peaky to me. Then I got a Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro that is a super versatile unit capable of doing a lot of things.
I had a DOD 440, a Maxon AF-10, a Mooer Bass sweep, a Snow White, and none stayed too long.
The only one that remains is the SA BEF pro but I will get a more board friendly envelope eventually, and the xerograph is at the top of my options.
If Source Audio added an envelope filter to their one series, I'd be all over it.
You can find the Source Audio BEF used pretty cheap these days if you don't have a problem with size.
