Fantastic Envelope Filter!

I put this in my dirt cheap pedal thread.

Yesterday's score was a used Digitech X-series Synth Wah/Envelope Filter. Snagged it for $19.

It's out of this world. Seven settings, some of which are just plain silly, but some are really great. One of the Synth (Filter) settings is a freaky octave divided thing that sounds just like the intro on "When Doves Cry".

The best sounds though are the straight up Envelope sounds. If you dig evelope filters, you owe it to yourself to try to find one of these. I've tried tons of them, never had one like this. The tones are very nice, and the tracking is SICK. I can finally nail that Edie Brickell "What I Am" solo sound. With the tracking on this pedal, I can play as fast as I feel like, and the effect works perfectly. It even works great on double stops. Playing around with the controls got me a really wide range of useable envelope tones from What I Am, to Jerry Garcia style stuff, all over the map. I've had Q-Trons, DOD's, Boss Auto Wah's, all kinds of stuff. I'd take this Digitech over any of them no contest. Bonus- No volume loss with pedal engaged. I've had this problem with other filters, but the Digitech is right on the money.

I had a ball with it at my gig last night, and got lots of positive feedback on the overall coolness and funky-ness of it.

I bought it because it was dirt cheap and looked like fun. It's staying on the board.

Glad your finding a use for it. I've got a T-Wah I dearly love, but now that we're doing this twang thang there's no place for it.

There's a song Christina wrote that reminds me of Box of Rain. I'm trying to sneak the effect in, but so far no luck.

Glad your finding a use for it. I've got a T-Wah I dearly love, but now that we're doing this twang thang there's no place for it.

There's a song Christina wrote that reminds me of Box of Rain. I'm trying to sneak the effect in, but so far no luck.

They can be tough to find a niche for. I am not doing much twangy stuff right now. My main gig right now is a blues, blues-rock, r&B kind of thing. I probably over-used it a little last night due to the "new" factor, and getting excited over how great it sounded. But I will get to use it. The boss liked it quite a bit.

I've got one of those! It's on loan because I bought a boutique thing (Emma Discumbobulator), but after reading a few threads here recently, I've GOT to get that sucker back...

The Synth Wah doesn't seem to get much respect....but my thoughts and experience echo Jakedogs. I've had one for quite a while and it does what it does very well. While not a pedal one would use on a regular basis, it's a whole lot of fun and adds some unique color and flavor to the proceedings when the moment is right. Thick, fat, chewy envelope goodness at a price that's hard to resist.

Cool! I'd love to have a Jerry-style envelope filter - I built a BYOC, but it's too dirty to do Jerry G.

Where'd ya get it??

mud

Cool! I'd love to have a Jerry-style envelope filter - I built a BYOC, but it's too dirty to do Jerry G.

Where'd ya get it??

mud

I found it in the used pedal display case at Guitar Center. Since I've been on my "dirt cheap pedal" mission, I hit them every monday morning when they open up, and then once later in the week. Monday mornings have scored me a bunch of cheap stuff that got sold or traded in over the weekend. Mid week has been good for scores too. Not much traffic on a wednesday afternoon, so if anything's come in since monday, you've got a good chance of it still being there.

I scored this little green monster for $19.00 in excellent, like new condition.

"used pedal display case at Guitar Center."

Oh, I gotta check that out.

mud

I just traded for an MXR auto wah. I am hoping to get some 70's " Shaft " vibes going soon.

I just traded for an MXR auto wah. I am hoping to get some 70's " Shaft " vibes going soon.

the MXR is my favorite hands down! One just sold for $410.00 on ebay.
Maybe they will re-issue these like the micro flanger and micro-chorus?
I think it would be a big seller for sure

But now I'd like to try the Digitech. My philosophy is try em' all!

2 questions:

1) how well does it do auto-wah? Meaning, sounding like a real wah pedal? I think the Boss AW-3 does this very well.

2) does it lose low end? That's my one complaint with the Boss- the bottom drops out when engaged.

2 questions:

1) how well does it do auto-wah? Meaning, sounding like a real wah pedal? I think the Boss AW-3 does this very well.

2) does it lose low end? That's my one complaint with the Boss- the bottom drops out when engaged.

On question one, I don't know. I haven't tried it on that setting. My experience though, is that Auto Wah is a seperate effect entirely from using an actual Wah pedal. I wouldn't trust any pedal to work a wah the way I do.

I bought this to use pretty much strictly just the Envelope Filter. At that, it's fantastic. And does not lose low end. The very first envelope setting is beyond golden on this thing. Thick, juicy, envelope goodness as somebody else said. Best one I've ever had.

Oh I know auto-wah isn't exactly like a wah pedal, altho I disagree that it's "totally different"... I think there are more similarities than differences between auto-wah & wah. Anyway, I don't use any synth effects, I'm really just curious how good the auto-wah on the Digitech is, because that's what I'd be buying it for. No good video demos of the Synth Wah (using the auto-wah mode) online. For the record, I like the Boss AW-3 alot, but it drops low end, which I don't like.

I want a Mad Professor Snow White, but I'll never pay $350 for an auto-wah.

Well, it died. So much for longevity!:lol:

I'm gonna return it tomorrow. I plugged it in tonite, wouldn't come on. Checked the battery connection, came on all by itself, but wouldn't turn off. Unplugged the instrument cable, it turned off. Plugged it back in, wouldn't turn on. Guess this one's belly up. Shame too. It's an outrageous sounding envelope when it works. Oh well. Back to the drawing board!

Is it the same effect type as BOSS FT-2 Dynamic FIlter or MXR Qzone?

I had a clunker digitech synth wah in my cellar; dusted it off and it sounds great - I really like the octave effect for bass lines, the auto wah for parliament funkadelic licks when looping, and the #3 synth setting is very cool. nice pedal! thanks for reminding me about it.

I used to have one of those, Liked it alot...

I had a get rid of the gear I wasn't using moment a few years back and sold it. ( I should never do that)! We are playing a couple of songs that require the use of an envelope filter, so I ended up snagging a line 6 otto filter for 20.00. It's pretty good but the synth wah could do way more.

to the OP: Is it the Bass synth wah? green? I have it and can not get a single good sound out of it. I would have sold it by now, but... y'know, its still gear

the MXR is my favorite hands down! One just sold for $410.00 on ebay.

Sweet! I've got one I bought for 15 bucks back in '86. Still works great, but it likes starved batteries best, so I need to get a variable power supply...my SKB board doesn't do it justice.

Sweet! I've got one I bought for 15 bucks back in '86. Still works great, but it likes starved batteries best, so I need to get a variable power supply...my SKB board doesn't do it justice.

I'll try the staved battery trick in mine,but it sounds great at 9v.:cool:

to the OP: Is it the Bass synth wah? green? I have it and can not get a single good sound out of it. I would have sold it by now, but... y'know, its still gear

I don't think it's a bass model... Doesn't say bass anywhere on it. It is green though.

I didn't return it. Gave it more chance the next morning, and it worked great. It may have some sort of intermittent problem. Time will tell. If it does end up going totally belly up, I won't be that upset. I paid $19 for the thing, and already did several hudred dollars worth of gigs with it.

Nice! I've got an '81 silver screw T Wah, and just picked up an FT-2 Dynamic Filter. I love both. The T Wah is a little harder to dial in based on pickups and it's more finicky about attack. But it's got a really organic/natural sweep, and it's super quacky and warm. The FT-2 is more vocal, smooth, watery, easier to use, also very warm but slightly less natural sounding. I'm keeping both though, because I love them equally.

I got a DOD Envelope Filter in a box of stuff with an amp I bought. It is on my pedal board, and is a great pedal. Kind of use it seldom as and auto wah or for funky town stuff. I like it a lot.

I heard that Jerry used that older Boss you are talking about, You gotta have one for estimated Prophet

I have the same DOD pedal that Rob just wrote about. I bought it at the time because it was cheap, but it turned out to be a really good pedal. I think the model # is FX-25.

I heard that Jerry used that older Boss you are talking about, You gotta have one for estimated Prophet

Yup. Garcia used a T-Wah and you CANNOT do Estimated without it. He used it a lot on stage. The pedal worked really well with his percussive style.

The pedal has a switch that makes the effect go bass to treble or treble to bass. Playing live, to me, sounded like he would switch back and forth but I never saw him hit the toggle. (Of course, there were other forces at work whenever I went to a Dead show.)

Anyone else finding the EVF has to be the first pedal ??

Anyone else finding the EVF has to be the first pedal ??

Oh yeah. Discovered that years ago. If you don't run one of these first in line, forget it, it's gonna sound like poo poo.

Of course, I've found that to be true for me of any kind of wah type effect. I have to run a traditional wah first in line as well. Other wise, it's just a cool looking paper weight.

I have a vintage Ibanez BiChorus and when I kick it on I get a volume jump that is very noticeable...anybody get that with any of their modulation pedals that don't have vol. adjustments???


Cheers
ce24

sorry thought I started a new thread but I ended up here

Oh yeah. Discovered that years ago. If you don't run one of these first in line, forget it, it's gonna sound like poo poo.

Of course, I've found that to be true for me of any kind of wah type effect. I have to run a traditional wah first in line as well. Other wise, it's just a cool looking paper weight.

IDK, I really like mine after my overdrive... including when the overdrive is on. I know SUPPOSEDLY an overdrive takes away the dynamics of the signal, which in turn would make the EF be "less reactive", but I don't find that to be the case. I notice Jonny Lang also runs his AW-3 AFTER his Rt66 OD.

FWIW, I found the same thing when I had a regular wah... I preferred it AFTER my OD, not before.

I heard that Jerry used that older Boss you are talking about, You gotta have one for estimated Prophet

I always thought he used a Mutron III on that song?
Any body know for sure if he ever used a Boss t-wah ?
Inquiring minds want to know. :smile:

heres a link to his rig at one time - http://dozin.com/jers/rig.html