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Envelope pedal advice


Lobster fingers
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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1370594417' post='2103088']
Nice one!
I think the Source Audio is great, especially if you are not quite sure what envelope filter pedal you want, as it can do many variations. Then you'll probably stick with just one type, but I think it sounds great and it's the easiest envelope to tame. Soem can sound great but are too prone to spikes, while the SA BEF seems *just right*, for me, of course.
[/quote]

True, i found the Source Audio great for that.

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it's a fairly straightforward one but a bit fiddly; basically you cut the PCB track going from one of the caps (0.01µf IIRC) to pin 8 of the LM13600 chip and solder a wire from the same cap to pin 9 of the LM13600 - that essentially turns it from a band pass filter to a low pass filter. Once you've done that it's hella loud, so I stuck a volume control on it to tame the output.

Like I say, fiddly but worth it. If you're interested I can open mine up again and let you know exactly which cap it was.

If I get time today I'll do some sample recordings and put them up on here.

Edited by paul_5
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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1370673101' post='2104170']
it's a fairly straightforward one but a bit fiddly; basically you cut the PCB track going from one of the caps (0.01µf IIRC) to pin 8 of the LM13600 chip and solder a wire from the same cap to pin 9 of the LM13600 - that essentially turns it from a band pass filter to a low pass filter. Once you've done that it's hella loud, so I stuck a volume control on it to tame the output.

Like I say, fiddly but worth it. If you're interested I can open mine up again and let you know exactly which cap it was.

If I get time today I'll do some sample recordings and put them up on here.
[/quote]


The FX25 is really nice too, but quite wild. I find you need to get the settings and your touch just right, or it either sounds thin or incredibly bassy. I still have mine although I rarely use it, because it just sounds so nice... maybe one day I should attempt to mod it.

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The trebly/boomy is due to it being a band pass. The boosted frequencies start way up top and plummet down to teeth-rattling which makes it a tricky one to use properly, when I first got it it took some time to learn how to 'play it'.

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Samples are up chaps!

[url="https://soundcloud.com/paul_5/sets/fx-25-before-and-after"]https://soundcloud.c...efore-and-after[/url]

first clip is the modded FX25 (LPF), the second is the FX25 as a stock BPF (I've put a toggle switch to go between the original pinout of the LM3600 and the new wiring). Nice

Edited by paul_5
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  • 3 weeks later...

[quote name='BigBeatNut' timestamp='1372283646' post='2123938']


Yeah, I like it ... if I take the plunge and get one I may get back to you for details of the mod if that's alright.
[/quote]
that's fine. I'll start looking back through my notes to see what I eventually settled on...

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[quote name='Lobster fingers' timestamp='1368185349' post='2074162']
I want something that can provide a range of sounds, but isn't too complex or expensive[/quote]

Good luck.

You should really try a few. The main thing that makes up a player's opinion of an envelope filter is the envelope follower itself. Some are very quacky (Mu-Tron style), some are snappy (DOD style), some are very smooth (Lovetone Meatball style), and it really depends which suits your playing.

My favourite is the Meatball, but that's a very complex pedal. The 3Leaf Groove Regulator is the most simplified Meatball clone on the market, but again I would go out and try a few different designs yourself - you might not like the envelope follower on a Meatball.

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  • 2 weeks later...

With apologies to the OP for a minor thread diversion, and to avoid starting another very similar thread...

I too am contemplating such a beastie, but am not looking for the full on 'quacky' sound but something a shade more subtle, which pedals do the cognoscenti advise? Should I be looking for something with a blend knob maybe. Not looking to spend humungous amounts of wonga at this stage, this is more of a trial.

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Listen to some 3 leaf proton and groove regulator clips on YouTube. Between the 2 you'll find one that suits you I'm sure. The gr2 has a blend which can tame it down, allthough you can set it to be pretty tame anyway (i have the gr1 and it's lovely, but thinking of seeking out a gr2 just for the buffered bypass).

Edited by Bigwan
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[quote name='ead' timestamp='1374132124' post='2145522']
With apologies to the OP for a minor thread diversion, and to avoid starting another very similar thread...

I too am contemplating such a beastie, but am not looking for the full on 'quacky' sound but something a shade more subtle, which pedals do the cognoscenti advise? Should I be looking for something with a blend knob maybe. Not looking to spend humungous amounts of wonga at this stage, this is more of a trial.
[/quote]

Yup, I'd say a blend knob is the critical bit you would need.
The Source Audio BEF pro is fitting my needs beautifully, but is rather pricey.

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Guest FretNoMore

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1374133919' post='2145540']
Listen to some 3 leaf proton and groove regulator clips on YouTube. Between the 2 you'll find one that suits you I'm sure. The gr2 has a blend which can tame it down, allthough you can set it to be pretty tame anyway (i have the gr1 and it's lovely, but thinking of seeking out a gr2 just for the buffered bypass).
[/quote]

Just a note on the Proton; it doesn't have a blend, and because it inverts the signal phase it doesn't work well if you use a loop to mix it with dry signal (unless the looper has a phase switch, or is buffered). It does sound very nice though.

Edited by FretNoMore
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[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1373113839' post='2133847']
Good luck.

You should really try a few. The main thing that makes up a player's opinion of an envelope filter is the envelope follower itself. Some are very quacky (Mu-Tron style), some are snappy (DOD style), some are very smooth (Lovetone Meatball style), and it really depends which suits your playing.

My favourite is the Meatball, but that's a very complex pedal. The 3Leaf Groove Regulator is the most simplified Meatball clone on the market, but again I would go out and try a few different designs yourself - you might not like the envelope follower on a Meatball.
[/quote]

This!

The first filter i bought was a 3Leaf GR1, since i had all the usual suspects and none of them could take the GR's place on the board. It's just the way the enveope sounds on the GR, now i can say for sure that my filter sound is the Meatball, everything based on a Mutron sounds to quacky on the highs for what i want to hear.

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Would love a go on a 3Leaf GR, between my AF9 and MXR Auto-Q I have a lot of nice and very different filter tones, but the Meatball always seemed like the modern daddy of all filters. Just never got a chance to actually find out!

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Guest FretNoMore

I would agree, I switched to the Wonderlove from the Proton, partly for the blend, but I'm more and more liking a full wet mix. An exception would be when using the bandpass setting, it's weak/thin wihout some dry mixed in. YMMV, down to personal taste, etc

Edited by FretNoMore
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