Bo0tsy

The Chunk Brown Dog gated fuzz is my favourite (or the Brown Dog fuzz circuit in the Octavius Squeezer). Combine it with the 00Funk MkII for a fantastic synth too. I also have a modded Russian Big Muff that sounds fantastic on bass, especially with a bit of delay. Lastly, the Crowther Prunes & Custard is a lot of fun (synthy almost filter like on some settings and like no other fuzz or OD). I don't know how to categorise the P&C, Crowther describes it as a "Harmonic Generator Intermodulator" which I [i]think[/i] is a two stage fuzz (preamp with gain/drive), but I'm never quite sure

Blimey, you really are on a massive Filter quest! It Is addictive but I never did manage to narrow it down to just the one go-to filter, I like all the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) variations from pedal to pedal.

I really like Rick's I love the style of them. I really hope I get the opportunity to try one one day. Rick James swore by his.

When I was talking about the Micro Q-Tron previously, by volume spike, I meant the volume boost that you encounter when you engage the pedal. I think this is a common 'feature' across all the Q-Tron models. How would you mod something like that? bear in mind I am not particularly technically minded!

[quote name='Bass Pedal Geek' timestamp='1427201175' post='2726993'] My personal favorite is the old Boss FT-2. I did a review of it and currently it actually tops the list :-) Well, the list is quite new, so I don't say it's the best pedal ever, but I do like it a lot! I put in some sound clips as well, so you're welcome to give it a quick listen here: http://bass-pedals.com/boss-ft-2-dynamic-filter-review.html [/quote] Nice review. I've not tried one of these before. The sound clips of the Boss FT-2 make it sound like a stellar filter.

Here’s the list of Envelope Filters I’ve tried: [b]Mu-FX Mu-Tron 3x[/b] (or Tru-Tron as they’re known in the U.S.) – for me this is THE envelope filter to beat. It can do subtle or extreme, can be very quacky, or squelchy. On the ‘Mu’ setting it can do everything the original Mu-Tron can do but then there’s a lot more: The ‘Pre’-setting engages a built in pre-amp, giving you separate controls for envelope drive and preamp. The new Mu also has a Mix-setting to mix in the tone of your bass with the filter, has really strong down-sweep, sand a filter range high/low switch (high is good for funk solos). The downside with the Mu-Tron 3x is that it's not very pedal board friendly, still fairly big, & has its own external 12v AC adapter. [b]Chunk Systems OS [/b]– ostensibly the same filter a the Agent 00Funk but throw in a mix of Octaver, Fuzz, Synth and Filter effects, build your own patches and up to 50 presets. For flexibility alone, this is my favourite pedal. The UI stinks though! [b]Chunk Systems Agent 00Funk [/b]– the wettest, gloopiest, slurpiest filter I’ve ever tried. Sounds nothing like a Mu-Tron though and the knobs are very sensitive, change a setting slightly and you get a completely different effect. The down-sweep is not the strongest or easiest to dial in though. [b]Emma DiscumBOBulator[/b] –The inverse of the Chunk Systems pedals, subtle, quacky rather than wet, the tone of your bass really comes through with the filter and it’s very easy to dial-in. One of my favourites, I like it for it's subtlety. [b]Russian Bassballs[/b] – Nice vocal sounding filter with an added distortion switch. Bit of a one-trick pony, but what it does it does well. [b]EHX Stereo Talking Machine[/b] – so many options on this formant filter. Sounds unlike any other filter I’ve come across, a lot of fun though I don’t know if you’d ever use many of the effects. The Bassballs effect sounds more digital than the standalone Bassballs though, (the STM is digital not analogue) and some of the effects lose a bit of bottom end. [b]3Leaf Proton[/b] – Not as warm & expressive as the Emma or as fat or extreme as a Mu-Tron 3x. Was a bit disappointed with it so I sold it on. [b]EBS BassIQ [/b]– Solid enough but a bit bland with some muddy sounding mids. Sold it on. [b]Micro Q-Tron[/b] – untameable, peaky, distorty, with a big volume boost when you switch it on. I keep it for sentimental reasons as it was my first ever pedal. I would love to try a Frostwave Funk-A-Duck – have heard mixed reports about it on bass, some say it’s the “holy grail” of envelope filters, other’s state it’s hard to dial in and is a very extreme effect with sub-lows that could do some serious damage to your amp!

It's funny how different people's opinions are when it comes to envelope filters! I have the Micro-Q Tron (which ostensibly is meant to be the same circuit as the Mini-Q Tron but in a smaller enclosure, and it's the mild distortion & volume spike that I dislike. TBH, I find the Micro Q-Tron a bit of an untameable beast (even after fiddling around endlessly with the internal trim pot). The Emma DiscumBOBulator, on the other hand, is more subtle & controllable, with no discernible volume boost, and allows the warm tone of your bass through. It can get Mu-tron-like quacky but is not what I'd call a squelchy/wet filter by any means.

I had to read the Ric thread after this. There seems to be so much anger and vitriol on BC these days. It an internet forum talking crap about basses to strangers. Whilst everyone's entitled to an opinion, and I can see people feel passionately, there's just more important things in life.

I really like this. Sounds like vintage Chic to me, very much looking forward to the album.

That's a shame about the Neutrino, I thought that filter showed a lot of promise from the YouTube clips. The Tru-Tron 3x has a workaround for that issue with the ability to switch between Mu/Pre settings. The 'Mu' setting is the same as the original Mu-Tron where it controls both envelope and filter audio drive, but if you switch to 'Pre' you then have separate controls for envelope drive and preamp. Throw in the peak control, mix setting and a filter range high/low switch, & the Tru-Tron gives you a heck of a lot of flexibility. I hope either the Enigma and Groove Regulator work out for you. I always think Filter pedal's are always down to personal preference, and (like me) you can end up going through a lot of them until you really find one/some you like!

I have a mixture of boutique and mass-produced effects, however, I don't think it is as black and white to say mass-produced is superior to boutique or vice-versa. It definitely pays to do your research on each effect and seeing what else is out there that's similar & how does it compare before making a purchase, so you know exactly what to expect. I've failed to do that on a couple of occasions and ended up with pedals I'm less than happy with, so I don't rush into a decision these-days.

I've not tried the Deep Impact (although a re-issue is meant to be on the way if threads in Talkbass are to be believed. It's on my GAS list). I tried, liked and sold on the EHX Bass Microsynth (that is a pedal crying out for some presets). My favourite synth bar none, is the Chunk Systems Octavius Squeezer. The UI is pretty horrible, but if you invest (a lot of) time with it, you basically can build your own analogue synth patches and store up to 50 presets. The OS has endless possibilities, plus the gated fuzz circuit (from the Brown Dog) and Envelope Filter (from 00Funk MkII) aren't too shabby either...unfortunately the Chunk OS is getting as hard to come by as the Akai DI these days!

Dare I say it, but a filter and a fuzz combined, might get you the synth sound you need. A decent synth pedal can set you back a lot of money.

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1424644003' post='2698780'] Recommendations please, folks ... I'll be in NYC for a wee while in October. I'm just wondering if anyone here knows of any goodly establishments where I can get down to some proper funk? [/quote] If it is live funk you are after, try a place call The Groove, on Macdougal St. I think they have live funk and soul bands on 7 nights a week (or at least they used to).

Here's mine....(I don't count these as weird at all )

Bootsy Collins, & my love of listening to funk music and foolishly thinking "I can play that"

Parliament, Mothership Connection, quite possibly the funkiest bass driven album ever IMHO.

I use the Van Damme Silent Neutrik leads. They've been very reliable so far and come with 'silent' jacks which mute the signal when coupling/removing the jack. Very reasonable, good quality and you can easily get them on eBay.

...And I completely forgot some of the incredible Blaxploitation soundtracks : Shaft, Truck Turner, Superfly, Across 110th Street, Trouble Man, Coffey and Black Caesar.

+1 for the Tron Legacy Daft Punk soundtrack. A lot of John Carpenter's original electronic scores are great (Halloween, Assault of Precinct 13, The Fog, Escape from New York and The Thing - though think this is Ennio Morricone). I also love both of Carlito's Way soundtracks (the 70's tunes and the Patrick Doyle haunting original score), & also like a lot of other thriller type dramatic soundtracks: Bernard Hermann: Cape Fear, Psycho, North by Norhwest Vertigo, Marnie, Day the Earth Stood Still, Twisted Nerve as well as Pino Donaggio - in particular his work with Brian De Palma on Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Raising Cain, Passion, Blow Out and Body Double - all great soundtracks. Lastly 2 more De Palma scores - Snake Eyes and Femme Fatale by Ryuichi Sakamoto are really quite something.

Here's what came with the pedal, I got it from Thomann so I can plug it straight into an EU to UK adapter and into the mains, works a treat.

Sorry I didn't explain that very well, no other solution that I've come up with I'm afraid, I use a Diago 9v power station for the rest of my board and so have to power the Tru Tron separately via the separate power supply adapter supplied.

Yes that's right BassNut, the new Mu Fx pedals come with their own power supply. I emailed Mike Beigel about it previously when I was enquiring about getting one and he said "The Tru-Tron3x uses its own LITTLE wall-wart supply that delivers 12volts AC, which the unit itself turns into (analog regulated) accurate +/- 9volt DC with TRUE GROUND--same as Mu-Tron III but much more accurately and quietly regulated." Mike also said the following about the Tru Tron on bass ."... the new independent ENVELOPE SENSITIVITY and AUDIO LEVEL controls allow a "lower" sweep with whatever loudness you dial in so that means it should be EASIER to use it with a bass than an original Mu-Tron III, and from Bootsy Collins we know that a bass and a mu-tron III can make history together.... " That pretty much sold me anyway!

[quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' timestamp='1420808929' post='2653685'] Sounds good - so is it the best filter ever? Does it sound better than the original Mu-Tron? [/quote] There's no such thing as best filter ever, 'best' is way too subjective I own a few other filters, but I like them all & they all sound different. I've only briefly played an original Mu-tron and not side by side with the Tru-Tron, but from limited experience of the original unit, the Tru Tron can do everything the old Mu-tron can and can get more extreme. Is it better? hard to say. Sorry if that's a cop out answer!