Best Envelope Filter for Guitar?

ZenOvertone

I'm gassing for one, I use a Boss AW3 but looking at the Mad Prof Snow White, Maxon AF9 and a few others (e.g. teh Moogerfooger Low Pass filter).  I'm looking for the subtle burbly goodness rather than the extremes of treble the Boss seems to suffer from at times (it may be in part due to picking harder at gigs).  Usual place is first in fx chain (in a QMX loop).    Any good recommendations?  The more 70's Stevie Wonder TONTO sounding the better too...

solar

Check out the DOD 440. I just happen to have one for sale in the classifieds..

hotpickups

Snow White I had was a great pedal. Only sold it, like I always tend to do, because I don't use them much. Out of all of them I’ve had though the Snow White is the one I’d buy again 

ICBM

I really like the DOD FX25 - the 2-knob one not the later 3-knob. It’s quite fussy to dial in despite only having two controls, but it sounds fantastic - really responsive and not at all harsh, if anything the problem is keeping the low end under control.

Funkfingers

Have you tried using an expression pedal with the AW-3?

Dominic

Easily the SNOW WHITE .....dwarfs the others by comparison

JezWynd

ZenOvertone said:

I'm gassing for one, I use a Boss AW3 but looking at the Mad Prof Snow White, Maxon AF9 and a few others (e.g. teh Moogerfooger Low Pass filter).  I'm looking for the subtle burbly goodness rather than the extremes of treble the Boss seems to suffer from at times (it may be in part due to picking harder at gigs).  Usual place is first in fx chain (in a QMX loop).    Any good recommendations?  The more 70's Stevie Wonder TONTO sounding the better too...

Try backing off the volume on your guitar. Guitar volume is the best way I've found to control envelope filters once you've found the sweet spot on the pedal.

Personal fave is the old 2 knob mxr Envelope Filter. The CKK Q cat is also very good once you've played with the controls a while. The Maxon AF9 has a nice sound but I found it tricky to operate (guitar volume very handy with this one).

dogload

Boss TW-1.

Or the ancient Electro Harmonix Zipper if you can find one!

EricTheWeary

My attempts at using envelope filters live invariably ended in unwanted burps and squeaks. They are quite sensitive beasts and so many small things can change between a rehearsal and on a gig.
One solution is supposed to be to calm them down a bit is with a compressor after in the chain. You may/ may not be in a position to try that.

A 2 in 1 auto wah and compressor seemed an obvious pedal design to me as when you think of either it's often for similar musical styles. However, I've never found one yet. Any budding pedal designers out there you can have that idea for free...

solar said:

Check out the DOD 440. I just happen to have one for sale in the classifieds..

The 440 is a bit less extreme than some others so may well be a good choice for the OP.

dogload

EricTheWeary said:

My attempts at using envelope filters live invariably ended in unwanted burps and squeaks. They are quite sensitive beasts and so many small things can change between a rehearsal and on a gig.
One solution is supposed to be to calm them down a bit is with a compressor after in the chain. You may/ may not be in a position to try that.

An alternative solution is to have the autowah in a loop. I use a Boss TW-1 as the first pedal in a loop from a Boss LS-2. This overcomes the issue of those unwanted quacks and farts, and as I don't want my entire guitar sound o be wah'd (I use a regular wah pedal for that) allows me to blend just how much of the autowah I want to hear.
Mind you, I should fess up here and say that I use it to get those Steve Hillage-style Mutron-type sounds for solos, rather than that 1970's cop show 'frying egg' sound.

ZenOvertone

Thanks all, I'm going to try the compressor in front of it in the QMX loop first as that may tame it slightly.  Loads of choice out there (almost led me to the Boss SY300 large synth pedal thing too, bit steep at nearly 600 for a few tracks though). 

EricTheWeary

ZenOvertone said:

Thanks all, I'm going to try the compressor in front of it in the QMX loop first as that may tame it slightly.  Loads of choice out there (almost led me to the Boss SY300 large synth pedal thing too, bit steep at nearly 600 for a few tracks though).

You should get slightly different results with the compressor before or after so if you can try both ways there may be a preference.