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Pigtronix EP-2 envelope phaser

enrique_baiss

enrique_baiss

Oct 21, 2021
5
0
Brazil
#1
Hey guys! I have read a few threads about this pedal but none of them quite told me what I need.
So, I have been looking recently for envelope filter and chorus pedals. Since I live in Brazil I have few options on the topic, but recenty a PIGTRONIX EP2 pedal came to my knowledge for a very fair price $144 (in dolars).
Should I buy it? Is it worth it? I know it won't act fully as an EF since it's a phaser too, but is it versatile?
 
#2
I have the EP-1 (the one in the rounded enclosure) and love it, but it's getting a bit glitchy and Pigtronix says it's out of service because they can't get parts any more. :( But that seems like a good price if it's working correctly.
 
#3
They are pretty awesome pedals.

Very versatile for a phaser, but the Envelope Phaser portion is a little more subtle than your typical Envelope Filter/Auto Wah pedal.

I'd recommend it unless you are needing a dedicated Auto Way/Envelope Filter for full blown funkiness.
 
#4
Love the EP1 and wish I'd kept the EP2. One of the cooler things you can do is use a buffered splitter to send clean into the trigger input then run fuzz/octave into EPx, sorta like an fx loop on Wonderlove or Meatball
 
#5
the EP2 is definitely a great pedal and that is a good price. grab it! Just be prepared for potential volume differences. Pigtronix might still do the volume mod they've done in the past for it though.
 
#7
Just FYI, if you've got the scratch (expensive), the KMA Horizont phaser has most of the features of the Pigtronix, plus much more (the envelope can control the phase speed in "spurt" mode). Of course, both in parallel is even spacier!
 
#8
Even though phasing is generally more subtle than filtering, the EP2 has a resonance control (feeds the signal back into itself) which can go to an extreme setting. If you're looking for definition of the envelope follower, a little bit of resonance will go a long way in giving you that funky quack.

I have to say, though, that while it's a tweaker's delight, there are so many interacting controls on it that I find it difficult to use in practice. Super fun to experiment with! But so sensitive to input levels that it's hard to rely on coming back to a sound you expect to be there. A simpler more-dedicated envelope filter, or PigTronic's more streamlined later envelope phaser, may serve a more useful tool. YMMV.
 
#11
I've had an EP-2 and they are great pedals, far more versatile than you'd expect a phaser to be. You can get some really cool ramp up/down of speed by switching between modulated and envelope triggered.
 
#12
ficelles said:
I've had an EP-2 and they are great pedals, far more versatile than you'd expect a phaser to be. You can get some really cool ramp up/down of speed by switching between modulated and envelope triggered.
Click to expand...
That's sort of what the Horizont adds - by having envelope control phase speed and setting the default speed low, you can get it into a very responsive "auto-talker" mode, that doesn't get boring because it never repeats. Sometimes it's "wah" sometimes it's "oww", or "woah" or whatever, depends on where the envelope rate speedup catches the "wave". Lots of fun to play with.
 
#13
bholder said:
That's sort of what the Horizont adds - by having envelope control phase speed and setting the default speed low, you can get it into a very responsive "auto-talker" mode, that doesn't get boring because it never repeats. Sometimes it's "wah" sometimes it's "oww", or "woah" or whatever, depends on where the envelope rate speedup catches the "wave". Lots of fun to play with.
Click to expand...

Actually I'm wondering if I am confusing the speed thing with the Tremvelope... I had that and the EP-2 at the same time. EP-2 is still a great pedal though. I must check out the Horizont.
 
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#14
ficelles said:
Actually I'm wondering if I am confusing the speed thing with the Tremvelope... I had that and the EP-2 at the same time. EP-2 is still a great pedal though. I must check out the Horizont.
Click to expand...
Oooh yeah Tremvelope - that's a name I remember wanting to try. Nothing like combining these gadgets to get warbley confusion haha. I recently picked up an EHX Eddy envelope chorus (demo discount) that goes great after the phasers. Just wish it had a sine wave LFO, I hate the pitch-bending turnarounds that the triangle waves cause.
 
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#15
bholder said:
Oooh yeah Tremvelope - that's a name I remember wanting to try. Nothing like combining these gadgets to get warbley confusion haha. I recently picked up an EHX Eddy envelope chorus (demo discount) that goes great after the phasers. Just wish it had a sine wave LFO, I hate the pitch-bending turnarounds that the triangle waves cause.
Click to expand...

Tremvelope does stereo panning... with the speed up/down thing can be very like a Leslie through a PA or stereo rig. I wonder if @StereoPlayer has one? :)
 
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#17
ficelles said:
Tremvelope does stereo panning... with the speed up/down thing can be very like a Leslie through a PA or stereo rig. I wonder if @StereoPlayer has one? :)
Click to expand...
Ah ok yeah the Horizont has stereo panning too. It's fun if slow, but at high rates, it starts affecting my pitch perception (frequency modulation type stuff). I also have an old but still working Ibanez FP-777 Flying Pan which is a stereo panner and phaser stuck together - also fun!
 
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#18
bholder said:
Ah ok yeah the Horizont has stereo panning too. It's fun if slow, but at high rates, it starts affecting my pitch perception (frequency modulation type stuff). I also have an old but still working Ibanez FP-777 Flying Pan which is a stereo panner and phaser stuck together - also fun!
Click to expand...

That was the thing with the Tremvelope, it's just tremolo but fast stereo panning somehow creates that doppler / chorus effect.

Those Ibby Flying Pans are interesting, one day will try one.
 
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