Auto-wahs?

[J Purcell]

Who makes the best sounding, easiest to use auto-wah?

[RunBeerRun]

My favorite is the the Dod, it's just right and it's cheap.

I had a Mu-Tron, that was nice but a little cheesy. It wasn't worth more than the Dod sound-wise.

I had Q-Tron+, that was very average sounding, disappointing.

[Melodic Dreamer]

I have a ToneFactor Analogue Filter thats sounds really good.

[LouRossi]

I love my old Ibanez Auto Filter which is the Maxon AF-9....

[autopilot]

I have a ToneFactor Analogue Filter thats sounds really good.

another vote for the tonefactor analogue filter, it sounds fantastic clean and with fuzz.

[The Everlove]

+1 for the tonefactor.

[scottcw]

Just bought a used Tonefactor meself. I don't think it will be the same as a BJF VCF, but it was $300 cheaper. Considering I am not a big wah user, it should be perfect for me to add a little color here and there.

[nashvillesteve]

I have heard great things about the ToneFactor AF and have a few of their other pedals that are great, but I really like my Emma Discumbobulator at the moment...

[iualum]

...Maxon AF-9 reigns...

[Franklin]

I have the MXR Auto Q. It's cool, but I can't seem to dial in my sensitivity and leave it at one setting.

[madsr]

I have the tonefactor analog filter.. I have also had an EH mini Q.. the mini Q did more with the effect but in the end the tonefactor had a little better mojo and smaller footprint.

[Stevoreen]

I have the Emma Discumbobulator and can get some really cool sounds out of it. It has an UP/DOWN switch to simulate heel/toe or toe/heel. I sold my Teese Picture Wah and got the Emma and am well pleased with it. Check out the sound clips on M.Friend.

[iualum]

I have the Emma Discumbobulator and can get some really cool sounds out of it. It has an UP/DOWN switch to simulate heel/toe or toe/heel. I sold my Teese Picture Wah and got the Emma and am well pleased with it. Check out the sound clips on M.Friend.
Happy you're liking the Emma so much.

[Benny]

+1 on the Maxon AF-9. It's not the simplest to use because you have a lot of options between how you set sliders and the switches, but you have to work pretty hard to get a bad sound out of it. Classic sounds, weird sounds, cool sounds, are all in there, and it really plays well both before and after traditional wahs, fuzzes, od's, and some modulation effects.

[sumis]

guyatone. great.

.

[disturber]

The classics, Ibanez AF9, Ibanez AFL, Qtron, min Qtron, DOD etc are
all pretty easy to use once you get to know them.

I was on an envelope filter quest just a month or two back and got
lucky to find an old 70's Electro Harmonix ZIPPER, (the original one
without tubes). This one was created by the two inventors of the Mutron and it sounds absolutely incredible. Warm, vintage and analgue. Think
Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack, or Bob Marley´s classic albums. That
Lee Junior Marvin guitarsound is right in this box. They are pretty hard to come by, but if you find one you should buy it. (It's not so bright as the Ibanez AF-9 and more organic).

I have not tried the new Electro Harmonix Tube Zipper, but it too seems to have some cool sounds in it.

[kenoflife]

Impressions...

Emma - more uncolored, maybe not true bypass (?), tracks individual notes well, easier setting for snsitivity, might benefit by being pushed a little, a little more synthetic...but maybe more transparent with a lot of other pedals

Tonefactor AF - more vibe and mojo, more 3-d, I use a comp after to even it out, louder, more like a nice burp after some spicy Asian food

[Zillie]

I was on an envelope filter quest just a month or two back and got
lucky to find an old 70's Electro Harmonix ZIPPER, (the original one
without tubes). This one was created by the two inventors of the Mutron and it sounds absolutely incredible. Warm, vintage and analgue. Think
Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack, or Bob Marley´s classic albums. That
Lee Junior Marvin guitarsound is right in this box. They are pretty hard to come by, but if you find one you should buy it. (It's not so bright as the Ibanez AF-9 and more organic).


Hey, don't you know if Lee Junior Marvin was using Zipper? I'm looking for THAT tone very much...

[gpro34]

Guytron is getting ready to come out with the most serious looking one yet.

[iamspartacus]

i'm a big fan of the discumbobulator

[Moe45673]

Any reviews on the Jacques Trinity?

[EunosFD]

Guyatone has a very impressive unit called the GST-U05 Ultron optical auto wah. It's rather expensive (relatively speaking), but has a LOT of options and sounds killer (judging by the sound files that is):

http://guyatone.com/GstU05.php

[TheFlash]

Any reviews on the Jacques Trinity?

Sound quality is really really good. I a/bed it against the mxr m-120 autoQ and the autoQ sucked out a lot of low end and low mids. The trinity retains much more of the natural signal of the guitar as it filters/auto-wahs.

[gregb]

I was on an envelope filter quest just a month or two back and got
lucky to find an old 70's Electro Harmonix ZIPPER, (the original one
without tubes). This one was created by the two inventors of the Mutron and it sounds absolutely incredible. Warm, vintage and analgue. Think
Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack, or Bob Marley´s classic albums. That
Lee Junior Marvin guitarsound is right in this box. They are pretty hard to come by, but if you find one you should buy it. (It's not so bright as the Ibanez AF-9 and more organic).

Disturber,
I scored myself one of these recently also, and I COMPLETELY agree with everything that you said about it. HIGH FIVE!! :)

This filter, and the MXR Envelope Filter have both ended my "quest".

I've found that they're both great for different applications. The MXR is great if you need something small, with Mutron-like wetness, whereas the Zipper has a really groovy "spank", (even moreso than the Mutron, IMO) and of course, much more versatility.

And if you haven't tried it yet, the Zipper with fuzz is absolutely orgasmic!

[Gas-man]

I like the Emma (with bass too) but it's hard for me to justify the money I spent on it.

The other guitar player in my band as a Danelectro and it sounds almost as good.

That p'ed me smooth off!

[Paychek]

I just love my Emma

[esoteric pete]

emma for me too...very cool pedal!

[EunosFD]

While on the topic...anybody try out the Line6 FM4? Very little talk of it on here so not sure what to think of it. Haven't had the chance to try it in person yet, but may this weekend.

[vulcaniza P]

sheeeeeeeeeeeeet.... guyatone wah rocker 2 (haven't heard 3 but if it's like 2 then it'll do). little and violent as heck.... plus its purple AND not hella expensive.
when i don't have a wah with me this thing is a great "back up". responds really well and molests the frequencies i want sodomized.
can get really sharp and piercy if need be.
tremendous with drum machines as well.

[g-nem]

While on the topic...anybody try out the Line6 FM4? Very little talk of it on here so not sure what to think of it. Haven't had the chance to try it in person yet, but may this weekend.

If you want an autowah, the analog feel/sound is really important- the FM4 did NOT cut it for me. There are so many good AF's out there and for less money, just don't go the L6 route.

[Gas-man]

For the record, the Emma is not an auto-wah but rather an envelope filter.

Someone more into this stuff can explain the difference but I know there is one.

Carry on...

[EunosFD]

If you want an autowah, the analog feel/sound is really important- the FM4 did NOT cut it for me. There are so many good AF's out there and for less money, just don't go the L6 route.

That's what I kinda figured, but in a band context it's a wash. Purely for flexibility I can't think of anything else that comes close. But then again L6's reliability is usually questionable anyway so who knows. Thanks for the heads-up.

[zsno]

ToneFactor Analogue Filter

[g-nem]

That's what I kinda figured, but in a band context it's a wash. Purely for flexibility I can't think of anything else that comes close. But then again L6's reliability is usually questionable anyway so who knows. Thanks for the heads-up.

In a band situation is where it matters most! I always find the digital stuff to not 'cut through'- not that I am a purist- I have a magicstomp on my board, etc.

[g-nem]

For the record, the Emma is not an auto-wah but rather an envelope filter.

Someone more into this stuff can explain the difference but I know there is one.

Carry on...

Hmmm. . . . there really isn't a difference- an envelope filter uses an envelope follower to control the freq of the filter based on the dynamics of your playing. An auto-wah is a wah (bandpass filter) controlled by your playing (envelope follower). However, I always think of something called an 'envelope filter' as having more filter types (lowpass, highpass) than an 'auto-wah'. But there really isn't a difference.

I guess maybe you could be thinking of an autowah as a wah pedal controlled by an LFO- in that case it doesn't respond to your playing, but moves the filter up&down every quarter note, for example- which actually is one of the main ways people play with a wah. But most guitar players assume an autowah is envelope controllable. All of the pedals mentioned here have been envelope followers.

[el duderino]

Has anyone tried the build your own clone envelope filter?

[orogeny]

Boss Dynnamic Filter . . . FT-2. I found a pair on the bay for under 100 bucks each. I gave one to my cousin to replace his Boss auto-wah. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better than a Boss auto-wah. Thems are poopie, for sure. I LOVE the Mutron/Q-Tron stuff, but it is MORE than 3x the price. I think anyone who doesn't like them is daft, but that's just MY opinion. Anyway, if you want to hear the FT-2, check out our myspace and listen to Trenchtown or check out the purevolume site and listen to Released. I don't know about the songs, but the pedal kicks bootie.

Peace and hairgrease

[disturber]

"Hey, don't you know if Lee Junior Marvin was using Zipper? I'm looking for THAT tone very much..."!

Disturber,
I scored myself one of these recently also, and I COMPLETELY agree with everything that you said about it. HIGH FIVE!! :)

This filter, and the MXR Envelope Filter have both ended my "quest".

I've found that they're both great for different applications. The MXR is great if you need something small, with Mutron-like wetness, whereas the Zipper has a really groovy "spank", (even moreso than the Mutron, IMO) and of course, much more versatility.

And if you haven't tried it yet, the Zipper with fuzz is absolutely orgasmic!

I don´t know what Junior Marvin used. But with the ZIPPER I get that exact tone, and as it is a 70's pedal chances are quite big this is the pedal he was using I guess.

I will try it with a fuzz, have not done that yet. I just love the sound of the original ZIPPER pedal. It's everything I've been looking for.
But I also have the Adrenallinn II pedal, which is good for auto wah´s as well. The good thing about it is that I can store the settings, and easily get back to them with the push of a button. It's a bit cleaner sounding, but it also has great warmth. Also, it's not vintage, so I don't have to be afraid to take it to gigs and bang it around. It's a good backup.

[Zillie]

does a new tube zipper sound similar to the original zipper?

[George Johnson]

+1 for the Emma. :AOK

[Mincer]

Guyatone's cheaper WR-3 is a great sounding (and cheap) auto wah. Very fun!

[EunosFD]

In a band situation is where it matters most! I always find the digital stuff to not 'cut through'- not that I am a purist- I have a magicstomp on my board, etc.

I'm not an analog purist either, but tend to find cleaner (sterile?) signals like digital effects can sometimes cut better. But I guess its a matter of how the effect is made in terms of the signal coming out of it and how it colors your sound. I def see your point though. As an aside...the Magicstomp is a killer lil' unit in itself which I wish Yamaha would've kept tweaking until they got it totally "right".

Anyway, another unit that might be worth considering if you can find one is the Alesis Phltre from their now discontinued ModFX series. Not really a stompbox per-se, but can be used as such. Needs a lil' buffer out front though.

[beatnix]

Guyatone's cheaper WR-3 is a great sounding (and cheap) auto wah. Very fun!

I've got to agree here. Good performance for your $, and doesn't take up much space on the pedal board.

[g-nem]

As an aside...the Magicstomp is a killer lil' unit in itself which I wish Yamaha would've kept tweaking until they got it totally "right".

Anyway, another unit that might be worth considering if you can find one is the Alesis Phltre from their now discontinued ModFX series. Not really a stompbox per-se, but can be used as such. Needs a lil' buffer out front though.

I completely agree about the Magicstomp- so frustrating, the tiny flaws that keep it from being great. I guess what can you ask for for $150 or however much I paid for it. But if they fixed the reverb level drop, added a jack for taptempo, and ESPECIALLY midi I/O- and maybe included a level control for the pitchshifter- I'd pay $400 for it! Well, maybe not now since there are a ton of great delay's coming out. . . but I would have. Really a shame.

I do have a modfx filter, and it's got the digital thing still- cold. the bitrman is WAY cool, and actually to me sounds better than the philtre. BTW, they are also really easy to mod for an expression pedal, which is cool- mine is.

[g-nem]

Guyatone's cheaper WR-3 is a great sounding (and cheap) auto wah. Very fun!

Not that I've used a WR3 but I've heard so many great things about it for $50 or whatver- why mess with digital when you can get a great analog filter for that much?

[scottcw]

Just bought a used Tonefactor meself. I don't think it will be the same as a BJF VCF, but it was $300 cheaper. Considering I am not a big wah user, it should be perfect for me to add a little color here and there.

So how do y'all set the TF Analogue Filter?

Does the "level" become more sensitive to input signal as you turn it clockwise or the other way around?

I take it that setting the "range" counter-clockwise makes the sweep shorter, getting longer as you turn it clockwise. Is this correct?

[drolling]

There's cooler, newer, sexier pedals out there, but that Maxon 9 series RI's pretty much as good as it gets, IMO. Holds up really well against the original vintage Ibanez AF9 I A/B'd it against.

But it's pricey, and kinda tweaky too, w/all those sliders & switches..

If you want drop-dead funky & brain-dead simple in a small set & forget package, hard to go wrong w/that Guyatone WR2 that's come up a few times in this thread. Pretty crappy buffer, but hey, 50 bucks...

[Jon Silberman]

Looks like I'm the only one here using an original issue, authentic '80's Boss T-Wah. Not alot of options but for copping the Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead and funky auto-wah tones that I'm after, it flat out works. I've bought others, tried 'em, and sold 'em because they didn't please me as much.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682310/1133497/109303843.jpg

[street]

Has anyone tried the build your own clone envelope filter?

Yes, and am very pleased with it.
Not a tough build either.

[scottcw]

So how do y'all set the TF Analogue Filter?

Does the "level" become more sensitive to input signal as you turn it clockwise or the other way around?

I take it that setting the "range" counter-clockwise makes the sweep shorter, getting longer as you turn it clockwise. Is this correct?

Anyone? Buehler?

[Brion]

Looks like I'm the only one here using an original issue, authentic '80's Boss T-Wah. Not alot of options but for copping the Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead and funky auto-wah tones that I'm after, it flat out works. I've bought others, tried 'em, and sold 'em because they didn't please me as much.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682310/1133497/109303843.jpg

Nope, you're not the only one. I have one just like it, although I do not use it much. It stays in the drawer and I plug it in when I'm in the mood for it. :)

[yesteryear]

Can't recommend the Boss AW-3 enough when using the bass input only. The guitar in is useless and thin. BUt damn it the bass in kicks ass. Tele to Boss AW-3 to Champ is bliss.

[amconcept]

just got the AW-3

Have to agree about the bass input. It is a verstile box with lots to offer. Sure it is not as pristine or specifically awesome as some of the others out there but I can spend hours finding subtle to drastic tones.

Pretty happy... hopefully I will keep it...

[The Pup]

Guyatone has a very impressive unit called the GST-U05 Ultron optical auto wah. It's rather expensive (relatively speaking), but has a LOT of options and sounds killer (judging by the sound files that is):

http://guyatone.com/GstU05.php

The sound file samples alone will keep me from buying this one. :eek:

[XKnight]

Old thread, but on point since I recently got a Tonefactor Analogue Filter 442 and the more I play it the more I like it. I especially like the touch sensitivity which allows me to have it on and still get a clean sound and then when I dig into the strings I get that funky quacky wah thing going. I bet my 9 year old daughter that I could make my guitar quack like a duck. She thought I was nuts, but when I stomped on the Tonefactor 442, quack it did.:AOK

[sandman]

Looks like I'm the only one here using an original issue, authentic '80's Boss T-Wah. Not alot of options but for copping the Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead and funky auto-wah tones that I'm after, it flat out works. I've bought others, tried 'em, and sold 'em because they didn't please me as much.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1600/682310/1133497/109303843.jpg

I love mine! Great pedal.

[Jon Silberman]

Looks like I'm not the only one after all. How cool!