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MXR M82 BEF - Envelope Filter & Humbuckers

morrisonhendrix

morrisonhendrix

When the music's over, turn out the lights...
Supporting Member
Aug 14, 2009
2,111
1,065
near Dallas, Texas
#1
OK, I did a search and didn't find anything on this topic, so here goes. I bought a MXR BEF and tried it with my Warrior with dual humbuckers (Barts). I've tweaked the pedal every way you can, tweaked the settings on the bass (even made it as trebly as possible and also just using the bridge pickup) and still can't get a decent quack out of it. Yes, I've tried playing very percussive, even with a pick too, to no avail.

While this is my first filter, and I've read a TON of material here on TB about different filters, and I just don't think it's my type of filter. I want to love it and get it to quack really well. I'm going to try it with my jazz bass and see if the single coils and its' preamp give me anything different. However, the Warrior is my main player and will continue to be.

Any suggestions/opinions?
 
#2
With filters the best way to get it to quack or register is to use mids. Too much bass and the frequency wobbles, but its so undefined. I would cut a little bass and boost a little bit of mids in the 150-300 area. That being said, I tried tto like the mxr m82 but ended up selling it and getting a Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter.
 
#7
When I first got it, I tried it by itself and wasn't that impressed. I just chalked that up to not having time to tweak it. However, I've got a BBE compressor in front of it now, and even with the compressor off, it's not even as good as it was by itself.
 
#9
morrisonhendrix said:
When I first got it, I tried it by itself and wasn't that impressed. I just chalked that up to not having time to tweak it. However, I've got a BBE compressor in front of it now, and even with the compressor off, it's not even as good as it was by itself.
Click to expand...

I really have to wonder what the deal is here. What you're saying doesn't make sense--and I don't mean that as an insult, I just mean it doesn't add up.

First thing is, humbuckers come in a wide range of designs, output levels, and dynamic qualities--so the problem is not humbuckers, though maybe it's something about your specific bass.

Second thing, when you said you "couldn't get a decent quack out of it" people assumed you meant the filter wouldn't open up enough, which is why a boost would help, since the envelope follower will be triggered more. But then you say you just weren't "that impressed" with it, and that adding a boost doesn't help, which makes me think maybe you mean the filter opens and closes exactly the way it's supposed to, but you just don't like the sound. Is that more of what you meant?
 
#10
Bongo,

I can see where you are confused, maybe I wasn't clear. I understand that humbuckers come in a wide variety, and while I don't know the specific Bart model that is in my Warrior, I thought I'd mention it in case others had the same experience. Specifically, to my ears, a single coil jazz pickup has way more bite to trigger the filter. My question really should've been, generally speaking, has anyone noticed a difference between single coils and humbuckers with the M82? So yes, I'm trying to see if it's not only a humbucker thing (I know, there's a ton of them) or perhaps what you are saying, that maybe it's just my bass, period.

Yes, a boost may help, that's the kind of advice I'm looking for. Maybe I need a specific type of boost, I don't know.

You're right again, maybe it is opening up like it should and I just don't like it. But I don't think that's the case because the written/video reviews I seen have it opening up much more that what I can get out of it.

To Von Felgenhauer, yes I have a EHX Bass Big Muff PI, a Boss ODB-3, El Grande Fuzz and other effects.

Does that clarify anything?
 
#12
If you're saying that you can't get it to open up enough, and you've tried boosts, etc, there's a small chance you have a defective unit. I used to have one of these, and I could make it do whatever I wanted with any bass I owned with a few minor adjustments of the settings. From my experience, the M82 is one of the easiest filters to get a good sound from. Is there any way you could make some kind of recording, audio or video, that would help us solve your problem?
 
#14
I have a Peavey T-40 and an Epi Ripper. The T-40 actually sounds better with the M82 and it has humbuckers(I never use it in single coil mode). I have to turn the sensitivity knob up a bit with the Ripper. So like others have said I don't think it's the buckers. I will say that I'm slowly starting to not really like the way it sounds. It sounds great to me sometimes and other times I want to get rid of it. Have you tried really pounding on yer strings?
 
#15
RFord04 said:
If you're saying that you can't get it to open up enough, and you've tried boosts, etc, there's a small chance you have a defective unit. I used to have one of these, and I could make it do whatever I wanted with any bass I owned with a few minor adjustments of the settings. From my experience, the M82 is one of the easiest filters to get a good sound from. Is there any way you could make some kind of recording, audio or video, that would help us solve your problem?
Click to expand...

Let me put some dirt/boost in front of it and see what happens. I kind of get the feeling that it may be a defective unit too. I don't really have an interface to do a recording. I'll report back after I mess with it again.
 
#16
CHILDISHGAMBINO said:
I have a Peavey T-40 and an Epi Ripper. The T-40 actually sounds better with the M82 and it has humbuckers(I never use it in single coil mode). I have to turn the sensitivity knob up a bit with the Ripper. So like others have said I don't think it's the buckers. I will say that I'm slowly starting to not really like the way it sounds. It sounds great to me sometimes and other times I want to get rid of it. Have you tried really pounding on yer strings?
Click to expand...

Yes, I've slapped and popped the $hit out of it, used a pick, fingerstyle, everything.
 
#19
Two questions...

1) Have you checked your connections to make sure your patch cables are fully inserted?

2) Have you adjusted the sensitivity setting to make sure it's adjusted to your attack based on your volume level?

Lonnybass
 
#20
OK, I think I figured it out. It's very sensitive to the master volume on my bass. Some of you may be saying, "duh", but it seems there's a sweet spot with the volume knob, where it responds best about midway up instead of full volume. I also switched the Monster Cable going from the MXR output to the amp with a cheaper cable. My memory was jogged by Lonnybass' post about the cables being fully inserted. While the Monster Cable was fully inserted into the MXR output, I remembered it was very hard to get in there. However, so was the cheaper cable I swapped it for. Not sure if that had anything to do with it, probably not.

What a weird situation. Maybe I was just a dumbass, but I can't imagine why it responds best to a specific volume level from my bass. BTW, this was just the bass directly into the MXR and directly into the amp.
 

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