MXR M82 Bass Envelope Filter users...

[Insouciance]

Hello Talkbass,

I just picked up one of these guys because of all the praise here on TB. In the store it sounded huge. Very throaty, and powerful. When I got it to my rig, things changed a little. In order to trigger the envelope to get the WHOMP!, I have to set the sensitivity knob almost all the way clockwise (around 3 o'clock) and when the envelope "closes" there is a weird distortion.

I have run it off a power supply and a battery... same results. For what it is worth, my bass is a 1978 Gibson RD Artist, so it's an active signal.

I have 24 hours to return this guy, especially if it is shoddy. So I want to know where other TB'ers are setting their sensitivity knobs, and/or if they are encountering a weird distortion when the envelope closes.

Thanks in advance!
Insouciance.

 

[lbanks]

The Bass's volume in real important for determining the effect. Try playing with the bass volume. I have all the knobs set at 12'o clock, except for the sens., which I have at 3 o'clock.

 

[Chrisk-K]

I set the sens knob at 3 o'clock.

 

[ninepoundjammer]

With my passive J I run the sensitivity at least as high as you are, if not higher. Nothing sounds funny there.

If you let a note ring out you will get some sort of feedback-related volume bump as the filter closes. Not sure I understand exactly why that happens, but it's normal. Could be that this bump in volume is making something else later in your chain or your amp distort, as I wouldn't say I get any kind of distortion out of mine.

My wild guess is that your pedal is fine, maybe just something weird about your setup. I had to get rid of my MXR Octave because it freaked out a particular envelope filter of mine. Both pedals played nice with everything else and weren't defective, they just really didn't get along.

Here's what mine sounds like:

 

[M Sterling]

I keep my sensitivity at 3 o'clock usually. It really depends on what else is on. My MXR Octave sounds really good with the M82, but only if I tweak the sensitivity accordingly. I don't really change any of the other settings, but I have found that the Sensitivity knob is the key to unlocking this pedal's versatility. As far as the weird spike during the decay, I have noticed that in a couple of filters I've played. You can kind of tweak it by playing with the decay knob.

 

[Insouciance]

Thanks everybody! I played with it some more and still love the thing, and after watching some youtube videos, my paranoia has subsided. Most people have their sensitivity knobs in that general 3 o'clock area, and it does sound outta this world with an octave pedal in front of it!

 

[Jman2089]

After a long night of playing around with my pedals and listening to youtube demos here is what I found. The m82 is very bright. AND yes the sens knob needs to be at 3'oclock. I loved the demos, but after I got it home I couldnt dial it in. I almost returned it, but........
I was listening to bobbie vega and uria on the demos and i think I finally found the sound. I was using the "slap dance setting"
Fender custom shop 5-string Jazz bass roll back all of the highs and mids
using a fulltone fat boost 3 as a clean comp sound and the mxr just took off. Funky warm, bubbly and fat. Its staying as well as the fulltone fat boost. works like a compressor and really fattin's it up. more to follow

 

[Insouciance]

I will have to try it at that setting, but I too have been fiddling often and found some enormous tones.

Please keep your findings coming!

 

[Lambic]

I ordered the pedal end of june, and finally got it a couple of days ago. Here are my actual fav' settings:

You'll notice the mirrored position of the DRY vs. EX knobs: that's because I still want to have some basic bass sound left on one hand, and I don't want to have too much difference in volume between playing with the effect on, or in standby, on the other.

I love the sound, but of course it's restricted to very few songs, or a very narrow period. I tried it with "Play that funky music" from the first "Sittin' in with the big band" book, and I liked it a lot.

Edit: Forgot to tell: I played a Fender passive J with roundwounds through it, and later today I'll try with a Fender passive J fretless with flats.

 

[Insouciance]

End of June!? Hope it was worth the wait, thanks for sharing your settings! There are definitely some usable tones in this puppy!

 

[Kwesi]

I've never had to max out the sensitivity on mine... ever . I run the volume on my bass maxed out almost all the time. I don't have a particularly favorite setting but I play with the sens. knob a lot to get a bunch of awesome sounds.