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Low pass wah

Happynoj

Happynoj

Dec 5, 2006
4,237
717
UK
Disclosures
I like turtles.
#1
So, a wah pedal is basically a band pass filter, with a manually controllable range, correct?

I was thinking last night and I reckon that it would be cool to have a wah pedal type thing that was a low pass filter, and the treadle controlled the upper cutoff frequency - so when the pedal was fully open (Heel down) you just got a really dubby sound with just the low frequencies, and as you depressed the pedal more high frequencies were added, until when the pedal was fully toe down you had your uneffected bass tone.

Has anyone done this? If not, how easy would it be to build one or mod an existing wah pedal? And PLEASE don't just say 'buy a moog' or something, because that isn't what I'm asking.

Cheers
 
#2
Well the Dunlop 105q only Wah's the top end of your signal it leaves the bass unaffected but it's not quite what you want.

One cool way to do it is get a filter that does that dubby sound like the FX25 or Gurgle and Moan and attach a TIP Third Hand to it.
 
#8
DeArmond (and Bigsby) used to make a volume/tone guitar pedal years ago, the Shadows used them on a couple of numbers (yes, that old!)

It was a strange device that rocked back and forth for volume and side to side for tone. So you could do diagonal vol+tone swells.

Fender now do a version (I think they bought DeArmond a few years ago) which you may want check out. Not sure how this would work for bass frequecies but you may be able to mod or get someone (hell, ask fender) to mod it with a bass tone pot.

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/35191

british shop I know, but it was the first link google found.
 
#9
speak_onion said:
Moog LPF with an expression pedal, Peavey Spectrum filter w/ expression pedal, Frostwave Resonator w/ expression pedal. . .

I'm not 100% sure, but I bet there's a setting in the Line6 FM4 where you could do this, w/ expression pedal of course!
Click to expand...

+1 for Moog Lowpass. It does this very well, sounds cool as hell. And since you can control other parameters (drive, resonance) you can get many sounds out of it.

Monk
 
#11
Happynoj said:
Has anyone done this? If not, how easy would it be to build one or mod an existing wah pedal? And PLEASE don't just say 'buy a moog' or something, because that isn't what I'm asking.

Cheers
Click to expand...

speak_onion said:
Moog LPF with an expression pedal, Peavey Spectrum filter w/ expression pedal, Frostwave Resonator w/ expression pedal. . .

I'm not 100% sure, but I bet there's a setting in the Line6 FM4 where you could do this, w/ expression pedal of course!
Click to expand...

Colonel Monk said:
+1 for Moog Lowpass. It does this very well, sounds cool as hell. And since you can control other parameters (drive, resonance) you can get many sounds out of it.

Monk
Click to expand...

thombo said:
+1 on the moogerfooger
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I couldn't help but point out how many people missed his original question and what he didn't want. :D
 
#12
MysticBoo said:
Sorry, but I couldn't help but point out how many people missed his original question and what he didn't want. :D
Click to expand...

the original question was asking from happynoj was asking for "wah pedal type thing that was a low pass filter, and the treadle controlled the upper cutoff frequency - so when the pedal was fully open (Heel down) you just got a really dubby sound with just the low frequencies, and as you depressed the pedal more high frequencies were added, until when the pedal was fully toe down you had your uneffected bass tone."

i do not have any experience w/ other pedals that do this. i have had great success doing just this w/ a moogerfooger lpf w/ external controller plugged. as such, i was (we were) trying to contribute positively to this thread.
 
#13
thombo said:
i do not have any experience w/ other pedals that do this. i have had great success doing just this w/ a moogerfooger lpf w/ external controller plugged. as such, i was (we were) trying to contribute positively to this thread.
Click to expand...

I know. Just poking fun at the question.

...okay, so it was funnier in my head and didn't come out right. :hmm:

The Moog LPF and Frostwave resonator are pretty much the only ones I know of with cutoff frequencies that can be adjusted by expression pedal... so I thought it was funny when he said not to tell him to buy a Moog... especially since it's what he's really asking for. :D
 
#14
MysticBoo said:
I know. Just poking fun at the question.

...okay, so it was funnier in my head and didn't come out right. :hmm:

The Moog LPF and Frostwave resonator are pretty much is the only ones I know of with cutoff frequencies that can be adjusted by expression pedal... so I thought it was funny when he said not to tell him to buy a Moog... especially since it's what he's really asking for. :D
Click to expand...

sorry mb, tp'rs can be ruthless... i guess i have gotten a little defensive.
 
#16
Happynoj said:
So, a wah pedal is basically a band pass filter, with a manually controllable range, correct?

I was thinking last night and I reckon that it would be cool to have a wah pedal type thing that was a low pass filter, and the treadle controlled the upper cutoff frequency - so when the pedal was fully open (Heel down) you just got a really dubby sound with just the low frequencies, and as you depressed the pedal more high frequencies were added, until when the pedal was fully toe down you had your uneffected bass tone.

Has anyone done this? If not, how easy would it be to build one or mod an existing wah pedal? And PLEASE don't just say 'buy a moog' or something, because that isn't what I'm asking.

Cheers
Click to expand...

i thought a wah was a bandpass filter?

anyways, it sounds like you could mod a wah pedal to be a tone control (thats basically what you want it sounds like) just find a schematic for a bass, and apply the same pot+cap combo to the wah pedal--it could even be passive--you'd just be taking whats in your bass, and putting it at your feet
i would also suggest modding an expression pedal instead of a wah pedal--it would be easier--or for the easiest idea--check out the ernie ball passive volume pedals--really I think it would just be a matter of changing the pot and adding a cap

IIRC correctly i thought that was the wah's original purpose--more of a tone control
 
#17
MysticBoo said:
...okay, so it was funnier in my head and didn't come out right. :hmm:
Click to expand...

Honestly you beat me to it, I was about to make the same "joke" earlier.

The nature of the OP's post indicates to me that he already knows about the Moog with expression pedal option, and was inquiring whether there were any other options that would be all in one housing.
 
#18
MysticBoo said:
Sorry, but I couldn't help but point out how many people missed his original question and what he didn't want. :D
Click to expand...

Whoops, yeah, fully. I missed that sentence. D'oh! Sorry. Anyway, I don't know why the moog is out, though, since it's probably the best option.

If it's that the OP wants only one box and no exp pedal, then I'm stumped.

Does the Weeping Demon have a lowpass option. I played one at a friend's house once, and I thought it did. But it doesn't sound really like a typical resonant lowpass like a moog or the other things I mentioned.
 
#20
I realise that you can do all that stuff with a moog, but there is no way that I could afford one - particularly as it is just something that I thought would be cool to have and I don't actually have a use for one at the moment... :D

Would a tone control work? Because the tone controls on passive basses are not enough - I want a really subby sound, a bit like when you get breakdowns in house music and stuff - I want my bass to sound like it is in the house next door and then gradually fade it up. Could you do it with just a normal tone control?
 

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