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Envelope Follower Junkie Support Group

#61
MXR M-188
EH Bassballs (USA)

Have an old FX-25 somewhere, but I can't find the dang thing. Might just have to buy another one. I have to use the MXR on at least 3 songs a night or I go home grumpy. For what I do, the Bassballs is less useful, but I still try and make it work sometimes, just because it's sitting there feeling unloved.
 
#62
I thought I'd post this here instead of starting a new thread.

Ok I've had the Q-tron awhile now and and I really have a hard time getting the optimum sound I want without distorted peaks with out either adjusting my bass's volume or playing really light. I'm in LP, Lo and in down mode most of the time. I'm not say I can't get a good sound out of it, just not "the sound". This is with passive and active basses all strung with flats. So my question is: Does the Maxon AF-9 distort if sent to high a signal and/or have the sensitivity up too high?
 
#65
Mudfuzz said:
Ok I've had the Q-tron awhile now and and I really have a hard time getting the optimum sound I want without distorted peaks with out either adjusting my bass's volume or playing really light. I'm in LP, Lo and in down mode most of the time. I'm not say I can't get a good sound out of it, just not "the sound". This is with passive and active basses all strung with flats. So my question is: Does the Maxon AF-9 distort if sent to high a signal and/or have the sensitivity up too high?
Click to expand...

Are you sure these distorted peaks are coming from inside the pedal circuit? I would more likely expect that the volume spikes from it were clipping the input of your amp or whatever is next in line after the Q-tron. With only one "claimed" exception that I have heard, any of the really wet, resonant, Bootsy-like filters will have a massive volume spike at certain frequencies. The filters that have less of a volume spike are also much less resonant, and thus less wet and Bootsyish IMO/IME. The one exception is supposedly the Lovetone Meatball, but I haven't used one yet myself to confirm. The AF9 is one of the best compromises I've heard, but OTOH it is a compromise.

Try a compressor/limiter after the Q-tron and see if that eliminates distortion caused elsewhere in the chain. If you're sure that the distortion is coming from clipping inside the Q-tron, then you could try putting any pedal that has an output level control in between your bass and the Q-tron to regulate the input levels.

IME the Q-tron and the AF9 reacted very similarly to different signal levels.
 
#66
bongomania said:
Are you sure these distorted peaks are coming from inside the pedal circuit? I would more likely expect that the volume spikes from it were clipping the input of your amp or whatever is next in line after the Q-tron. With only one "claimed" exception that I have heard, any of the really wet, resonant, Bootsy-like filters will have a massive volume spike at certain frequencies. The filters that have less of a volume spike are also much less resonant, and thus less wet and Bootsyish IMO/IME. The one exception is supposedly the Lovetone Meatball, but I haven't used one yet myself to confirm. The AF9 is one of the best compromises I've heard, but OTOH it is a compromise.

Try a compressor/limiter after the Q-tron and see if that eliminates distortion caused elsewhere in the chain. If you're sure that the distortion is coming from clipping inside the Q-tron, then you could try putting any pedal that has an output level control in between your bass and the Q-tron to regulate the input levels.

IME the Q-tron and the AF9 reacted very similarly to different signal levels.
Click to expand...

Ok, I just did one more test, and ran it through three limiters, turns out one of my distortion problems is the Q-tron overloads my BL2 like mad :mad: I've tried it with my other limiters and they did quell the Q-tron for the most part as well as tried the padded input on my amp; better but I'm still getting some peak distortion in down mode, up mode hasn't really been a problem, and I use my FX 25 for up filter sounds most of the time any way.

I don't know about adding another pedal to control the input volume to the Q-tron, that would mean that I'd have four pedals on my board just to control other pedals on my board.:scowl:
 
#67
Yeah, I have the same problem. I love my FX25, but only in combination with a Xotic Blender/bypass and a limiter. I just picked up a Moog, which has exactly the same problems but occupies 4 X the pedalboard space. :) (Yes, I knew in advance it would.)
 
#74
So now that Bongo has removed all my AF-9 gas as it won't fix my Q-tron issues and be more of less the same[ish] sound, and I'm even starting to doubt whether either will get the sound I actually want. I’m just not getting enough big bouncy rubberyness. I don’t even know if it’s the “tron” sound I’m after.

I'm starting to get 00funk gas now. I love every sample I've heard of the thing so far.

So Question: does the 00Funk get that over the top low spike similar to that of a DOD FX25 [I actually want this] like the sound samples seem to allure to or is it mid to lowmid-rangey like the Q-Tron and the samples I’ve heard of the Af-9?
 
#76
Regarding Q-tron comments earlier in the thread---

I just read on the EHX website that the "overload" light is supposed to come on...
I thought it was like a clipping light, like on an amp, to be avoided....but it is in the instruction pdf to use it where it flashes on for different settings.

Just hooked up my Q-tron last night for the first time, and was worried about the light, (before looking the owners manual up online)..but it never sounded distorted, even with turning the gain up.

It recommended trying an octave pedal prior to the Q-tron, I'll have to try it...anyone have any luck with that combo ?
 
#77
waffle puzzle said:
Regarding Q-tron comments earlier in the thread---

I just read on the EHX website that the "overload" light is supposed to come on...
I thought it was like a clipping light, like on an amp, to be avoided....but it is in the instruction pdf to use it where it flashes on for different settings.

Just hooked up my Q-tron last night for the first time, and was worried about the light, (before looking the owners manual up online)..but it never sounded distorted, even with turning the gain up.

It recommended trying an octave pedal prior to the Q-tron, I'll have to try it...anyone have any luck with that combo ?
Click to expand...

you are correct; it's an input gain indicator.

Q + octave....how could it be unlucky??:bassist:
 

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