Envelope Filters

[kafka]

I like filter effects. They're a lot of fun. I just got the EH Q-Tron+, and I think the EH hype is correct. It's definitely the best envelope filter I've played.

I side-by-sided it with my original MuTron III, and the Q-Tron+ is a much more musically useful tool. It does all of the quacks of the MT-III, but is just so much smoother and more flexible. I'd say it it's probably even smoother than the MXR Envelope Filter. If you've been saving up your $$ for a vintage MT-III, my recommendation is to forget it, and get the Q-Tron+.

The effects loop is a great addition. My only complaint is that I'd like to still use the loop effects even when the Q-Tron is off. I can't see putting much more than a distortion in the loop, though.

Of the 4 envelope filters I currently have, I'd rank them as follows:

* EH Q-Tron+ - smooth, useful, flexible, innovative. best of breed
* Mutron III - the epitome of the EFF, gives a real funk quack, kind of jittey, somewhat difficult to control
* MXR Envelope Filter - smooth, good for that Edie Brickell sound, if that's the one sound you want
* EH Tube Zipper - not very smooth, kind of difficult to control, deep and flexible overdrive, has a nasty sound the others don't have, which is good if you want nasty

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by kafka

I like filter effects. They're a lot of fun. I just got the EH Q-Tron+, and I think the EH hype is correct. It's definitely the best envelope filter I've played.

I side-by-sided it with my original MuTron III, and the Q-Tron+ is a much more musically useful tool. It does all of the quacks of the MT-III, but is just so much smoother and more flexible. I'd say it it's probably even smoother than the MXR Envelope Filter. If you've been saving up your $$ for a vintage MT-III, my recommendation is to forget it, and get the Q-Tron+.

The effects loop is a great addition. My only complaint is that I'd like to still use the loop effects even when the Q-Tron is off. I can't see putting much more than a distortion in the loop, though.

Of the 4 envelope filters I currently have, I'd rank them as follows:

* EH Q-Tron+ - smooth, useful, flexible, innovative. best of breed
* Mutron III - the epitome of the EFF, gives a real funk quack, kind of jittey, somewhat difficult to control
* MXR Envelope Filter - smooth, good for that Edie Brickell sound, if that's the one sound you want
* EH Tube Zipper - not very smooth, kind of difficult to control, deep and flexible overdrive, has a nasty sound the others don't have, which is good if you want nasty

[This is an old thread but I just ordered a new Q Tron Plus and I am looking for inputs.]

I dig what you are saying and agree w your basic review. I just ordered a new Q Tron Plus and I cannot wait to rig it up. The new loop and various improvements over the old platform should make for a superior unit. I think they get a bad name from the typical duck quack everyone seems to do in demos, there is so much more to these effects, some really, really heavy fusion, funk coolness can be dialed up. I have heard some really cool vocal quality wah triggers that nothing else could do from this unit. I loved them back when Trower was using the Mutron IIIfor major cool tones and all the funk of the 70s. The Q Tron was designed to reissue the Mutron III by its engineer for EH. It is no doubt superior to the old unit with all the new features, loop, and true bypass.

Does anyone know if putting a good buffer pedal before this will mess up its triggering issue on the guitar signal?

Any experience w different pedals in the loop? I am curious what I can toss in there sans an echo, which has to stay in my loop. What does it do with a sweep like a Vibe or a Phaser? I plan to give it its own Dist and OD in the loop and see what that can do.

[darkhorse]

Not sure about tons of others but all I have used in the past including the original Mutron III, it would be hard to beat the new Q Tron. It has up and down drive as well as gain adjust, release speed and all the filters. The Q Tron was created by the engineer of the Mutron III for EH to bring back the out of production Mutron (which has returned again under a new maker). Having had the Mutron and the Q Tron nothing really beats the musical usefulness of the Tron, from quick Mutron response snap to slower release and more vocal vowel sounding deeper wah effects. Also true by pass and with the gain adjust and loop feature adding the options it's a real winner and the price is really low. I can say the new Tron units are much better than the first platform Trons and the original Mutron. The original Mutron worked actually better for keyboards (see Stevie Wonder's 70s hits) as the resonance snap was really excessive. The first units were of course tone sucking and volume droppers not being true bypass or output gain controlled. New ones seem to hold unity output gain well and the input gain allows a greater drive to the filter without using anything before it. Not saying there cannot be anything better but it would be hard to imagine how the performance could improve much less the price is probably double.

I just dig the effect myself and there is far more to the device than the usual quacky duck thing everyone does, you can get some really deep resonant wah tones with a real vowel quality especially into dist. I have gotten some really wicked heavy fusion effects with such a unique cool tone it really makes people wonder how you are getting that sound. I cannot wait to try out the new loop feature to see how that reacts.

[GearOnTheGo]

Great thread and thanks for the info. You've got me thinking I need an EHX Q Tron.


Posted via the Gearslutz iPhone app

[darkhorse]

Finally got my new box of gear today and busy trying to hook things up and positions, gets rather infinite.

Experimenting with the Q Tron loop and settings, and seriously if you know envelope filters and dig that funky English that bass players love as well. I cannot imagine a better unit especially for the bucks, the EH Q Plus is packed w great features to move it beyond the old school Mutron III reverse whip and fast attack, although it can get this sound flawlessly. As I mentioned the original EH Q Tron was mapped out by the original engineer of the Mutron III which had gone out of production just about at its peak use. The EH Q Tron was meant to be another go round of the old Mutron but the new units are smaller, true bypass and just better sonically all around.

It is a tweak machine despite everything is controlled by your touch and sensitivity of playing. Something cool which makes the unit a very cool expression tool.

This is an extra effect, probably not something you would use a lot but for a few things it would turn some heads. The additional of the slower sweep mode allows for some really great vocal vowel tones when combined w either some amp tube gain or a pedal really, gets heavy and unique. Don't expect to just do knobbies at 12:00 and have a tone, you are going to experiment a lot w this unit plus you have the combination of 4 filter settings, drive up down, sweep speed and gain adjust and some I am sure I forgot. I cut my teeth on Trower's early effect arsenal and his use of the Mutron on some tunes, also Stevie Wonder's timeless classics are all Mutron III processed to get that funk.

Some consider the effect little more than an "auto wah" but there is so much more here than just that simple use. Also using different effects in its loop makes for a lot of options and choices, which brings me to my one and only complaint on the design of this unit, the effect loop return and send is opposite of what would be considered normal in out flow, so you are going to have to run some longer connection cables that I certainly like to use. I plugged some stuff in upside down just to try out the tones. Hard to describe the tonal different in say an octave or harmonizer octaver in the loop, it works on the pedal in a unique manner and when the unit is by pass the loop is also off. Pedals in the loop can be turned on and off by they will be for use by the unit when it is on.

All in all cool unit from the heads at EH, decent price and fantastic control options you just do not get on the issue Mutron III despite that unit is also superior to the original. ByPass is good on the Q Tron cannot tell any loading at all. By the way front of chain for this one. Presents a bit of a problem for me as I like to have a nice buffer pedal first in chain but I am still goofing around with the possibilities.

[edwinhurwitz]

I'm thinking about the 3Leaf Groove Regulator. From what I understand it's more like a Lovetone Meatball than a Mutron III. I have a 70s Mutron III, which I love, but it's hard to use because of gain structure issues, which they all have (instead of having a threshold control, there's a preamp at the front end which is engaged all the time, regardless of the bypass status).

There's lots of options these days!

[darkhorse]

I love the gain option on the Q plus as you can leave it normal or engauge it to boost the front end and dynamic out of the unit plus the peak indicator which allows you to run it optimal setting without distortion.

I messed with the classic reverse envelope Mutron fast trigger settings and you can really hear that old sound but through better tech. Thank "some God" that EH went true bypass and solved all their tone sucking signal load dropping that was a nightmare on the 70s tech.

On the Mutron settings, running through some old Stevie Wonder Superstition and that Clav sound really was a cool tone. Switching over to the slow sweep trigger I got some really wicked deep heavy power wah sweeps w high gain that are just impossible to get without the envelope filter.

The original Mutron III was mainly designed for keyboards and synth and you had to really keep the Q down for guitar and adapt it. The Q Trons are definitely engineered for guitar, I can tell anyone though, that I have yet to see a demo using one where someone actually knew the technique and touch to use it properly. It is a major funk machine, no matter what make you get.

If you have the bucks check out the Xiotic Effects Robo Talk II, pretty cool unit it has dual filters like having two units.

[darkhorse]

I dig the Q Tron+, gave up on the loop though. This is one moody pedal but man when you hit the right settings it does the funk. Anyone tried using a good buffer before it to help stabilize it or does it make it worse? (Speaking of a buffer pedal, no boost, like the Wampler.)

[guerillary]

Picked one up today and must say it's incredible. Aside from the quality of tone and control over it, can also vouch the dual channels are anything but a gimmick; makes for some killer phrasing.

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by guerillary

Picked one up today and must say it's incredible. Aside from the quality of tone and control over it, can also vouch the dual channels are anything but a gimmick; makes for some killer phrasing.

That Xiotic unit is a killer. I have been pondering trading off my Q Tron as it is just not bringing the tone I had hoped. Seems rather limited.
The PGS demo for the Xiotic is amazing. Having 2 different voiced filter triggers should make for some unique tones. Xiotic is a very impressive builder. All their pedals seem to just have great tones and quality. For drives and gains I prefer Wampler but he does not make any cool filter boxes and those can be just damn fun. I have to say I think the Xiotic is probably the top shelf envelop filter sans the tube units but even those do not have two filter circuits to stack.