Envelope filters are funny pedals, because you don't just step on them and change your sound; you kinda have to play the pedal. The MXR is the winner for me. Sounds great, has a straightforward control setup, and the clean blend is just a must. Great review! Really liking this series!
Q-Tron Plus here. Gives you the extra features you wanted. Having said that, they all sound different so you could legitimately end up with all of them!
I bought the MXR Bass Envelope Filter when it came out 10 -12 yrs ago & I love it !! However I have been eying the EHX Q-Tron in the last year as an alternate to have in my collection. 😀👍
highly recommend taking that plunge. go to a local shop with a 30 day return policy and try one out risk-free. when you A/B the two, there are some very noticeable differences right away. both are good, but the Q just has the juice for the kind of full-spectrum bubbly quack I'm after.
Another cool video. The Bass Channel always puts out great content. To me it feels like finding “the” envelope filter sound is an ultra elusive endeavor. I’ve been through a ton of them. For those who commented not being able to afford one or other, buy used. More than 90% of all my gear I bought used. Happy hunting
out of these 3, q-tron "wins" hands down. the mxr sits a solid rung below despite the top quality build and features, and the boss is a totally different beast with some amount of overlap. my opinion in usage fits this hierarchy as well. as mentioned, the boss is great for a lot of sounds but I just wouldn't use it as my primary filter sound.
The Q-tron plus with its ability to slow down the filter sweep is the best. You can also reverse the sweep for an "ow" sound instead of a "was." I just wish these features were available without having to dedicate so much space on my board, not to mention the 24V adapter.
Boss - Have no need for those vowel modes and I thought it sounded thin in all settings. MXR - Sounded full and warn, no low end loss. Can definitely tell it is made for bass. EHX - Classic sound but a bit harsh at times. My personal favorite of these three would be the MXR.
Soundwise (to me, anyway…), the EHX Q-Tron nano has a more “punchy-er” sound. The fact its at the bottom end pricewise is just an added bonus. Will pick one up to replace the Walrus Audio Kangra (i will use that delicious Fuzz effect the Kangra offers tho..)😎🤘🏼
I own the Mxr and I used to used the bass balls back in the day. The Mxr is a wild bit of gear and takes caressing to get a sweet sound and the overtones are pretty wild when the filter closes
I had the MXR - played it for a while, and sold it. I also experienced the woofy quality that he described and that's what led me to get rid of it. Currently I have a BassBalls, which is cool, but not tweakable enough for me. I'm looking at the QTron, which is what led me here. Also looking at the bass Mono Synth. Decisions, decisions...
Hey, I'm planning to build a pedalboard. first pedal I got is tube compressore from markbass. Do you think compressor eliminates that jumped out frequencies? Cause I really like that dry knob and want to get mxr because of that.
Listening back to this It’s gotta be MXR for me. The most rounded and for me easy on a gig with versatility is choice.l though I do like the oddness of that Auto-Wah BOSS has too
I use all three companies , MXR, Boss, and electro harmonix .MXR Envelope filter, Boss OC-5 Octave pedal, Boss chromatic tuner pedal,, and electro harmonix deluxe big muff pie 2 fuzz pedal, and 360 looper pedal.
The main difference I could hear is just general roll off, which I think is mostly due to slightly different settings for sensitivity. The AW-3 was breaking up as well. Props for the Jacksonbacker on the wall stand. Surprisingly great instrument.
Of these choices, I preferred the Boss. However, mine isn't one of these. I have an F-Pedals Punq Monk. Designed in Italy for Flea. This thing sounds equally great with bass or guitar!
Very informative video. Great job outlining the differences, similarities and considerations. However… I wonder if A/B-ing live in the room while playing might give a better impression of how each pedal sounds, though? The settings of the pedal in a given moment, especially with something like wah, would affect (and inspire!) the performer to dig in or back off. Except for the last two clips (9:15 and 12:55) which feature super consistent dynamic playing, I found with most of clips it was hard to gauge if the pedal was useful applied to that line or style probably because the player wasn’t hearing what we’re hearing. This is a pretty small gripe. Just a thought. Still grateful for the review. It helped me confirm I prefer the MXR to the Q-tron for my needs at the moment. ✌🏽🖤
Q-tron definitely has “THAT thing” that’s instantly recognizable as a classic reference, just enough of that something special from the original MU-Tron circuit. MXR is the most useable for the widest range of players. Much more than the ability to maintain low end, the blend control allows for overbearing fx lvl to more controlled subtlety needed in a recording or band mix. Best for the gigging player For the best of both worlds w/auto-wah features (done better than all 3 imho) is The Aguilar Filter Twin.. Not in the video but so damn good has to be mentioned!!
Searching for envelope fillter is a personal taste. This video did not tweak all knobs on each of them. But, Great Vid of analisis. For my taste I'll take the MXR
I would have thought I'd see separate start and stop frequency knobs similar to the ehx micro synth. That's a pedal worth discussing on its own. Not the easiest to use. My biggest issue is it cuts off the longer notes.
Great video again, really enjoying this concept. That said I suppose your Wiretap recording setup wasn't a great fit to get the best out of a filter effect, much less compare different ones against the same playing dynamics. Oh well, understandable. Also, that September was fire.
I've owned y Q-Tron+ for 4 years now and it's still my favorite pedal to flip on whenever you need to add that classic, raw envelope filter tone. It's sure to funk up any bassline! I agree with Dave in regards to the peak problem, sometimes due to the dynamic nature of the pedal if you don't hit the string right it can produce a sharp peaky noise. However, running your bass compressor or a limiter after the envelope filter in your signal chain fixes this problem and actually enhances the overall tonal quality of it! I would highly recommend the Q-Tron for anyone who's trying to funk up their bass playing! That being said, I was loving the tone of the MXR so if I ever get a chance to demo one at a local music shop I'm definitely going to check it out!
I was little disappointed in the MXR, actually, I hear what you mean about the "woofiness" and it sounds a little off to me - it's sort of the same problem I have with the filters on my multifx mostly. The other two seemed to have a much smoother curve.
Boss was harsh and noisy but had the most expression, which I love. MXR was middle of the road…not as potent. Qtron was the subtlest, but had the sexiest graphics for sure. I wanted it to Qtron to be the winner but no go for what I’m looking for.
Here is my "Big Three" Bass envelope filters: Seamoon Funk Machine, 3Leaf Audio Groove Regulator and the Boomstick Audio Bottom Feeder (bass specific clone of the DOD 440).
I, for one, am definitely bummed by the loss of DOD and then Digitech. If we can get our hands on one, the FX25 and FX25B could be fun. Hell, maybe even a 440 to do a trifecta of DOD.
I feel like filter pedals are another type of humbler pedal (like loopers) because if your technique and stroke is all over the place and not steady it makes sound thats too weird to be called even funky. ofc it is smooth sailing with compressor before it.
Whilst I love BOSS - my entire board is BOSS - except for this - I have an MXR envelope filter... It messes with my BOSS OCD but, for my money, the MXR holds the bottom end so much better...
The q tron misses the up/down switch that would make it really great. As it is, only the lpf is usable, high pass on bass just screams for a reversed sweep…
Is the MXR M82 Bass Env Filter any different to the M188 Bass Auto Q? I remember checking out vids of the Auto Q many years ago and thinking if I ever need an envelope filter, this would be the one!
Oh man I love the bass auto Q! not the same, and I like it even better than the m82. It’s just that the m82 is the big popular one so it was selected for this vid.
Actually I bought an HX Stomp XL 6 months ago thinking that it’s filters would sound like I wanted them. But I didn’t like them very much. So I went with the MXR and it’s just works!
For some reason The Q-tron sounded like it had the fastest response (or tracking) on every played sample. Boss felt the slowest, stickiest, with kind of weird or artificial tone. The Mxr is somewhere in the middle, offering dark, a bit muted interpretation. Go figure..
I am a happy owner of a Boss AW-3 pedal, and I admit that it sounds like a plastic toy, comparing to MXR. Can't find MXR M82 anywhere, it's a rare gear.
In Canada we call it Ottawa
🤣👏🏻
YES!!!
🤣
Quack quack hosers!
😂
Envelope filters are funny pedals, because you don't just step on them and change your sound; you kinda have to play the pedal. The MXR is the winner for me. Sounds great, has a straightforward control setup, and the clean blend is just a must. Great review! Really liking this series!
Q-Tron Plus here. Gives you the extra features you wanted. Having said that, they all sound different so you could legitimately end up with all of them!
I bought the MXR Bass Envelope Filter when it came out 10 -12 yrs ago & I love it !! However I have been eying the EHX Q-Tron in the last year as an alternate to have in my collection. 😀👍
highly recommend taking that plunge. go to a local shop with a 30 day return policy and try one out risk-free. when you A/B the two, there are some very noticeable differences right away. both are good, but the Q just has the juice for the kind of full-spectrum bubbly quack I'm after.
Picked up the MXR from Zzounds a few months ago. Fun as hell. Thank you Zzounds for being my go to. And thank you guys for another awesome video.
The MXR is favored by bass players for a reason. It is the most musical of the three. I do like them all, but the MXR will make my board.
Another cool video. The Bass Channel always puts out great content. To me it feels like finding “the” envelope filter sound is an ultra elusive endeavor. I’ve been through a ton of them. For those who commented not being able to afford one or other, buy used. More than 90% of all my gear I bought used. Happy hunting
monster hunter reference?
I'm a lifelong Boss pedal fan, but that MXR sounds the best, by far, to me. Buying one soon. Thanks for the video!
out of these 3, q-tron "wins" hands down. the mxr sits a solid rung below despite the top quality build and features, and the boss is a totally different beast with some amount of overlap. my opinion in usage fits this hierarchy as well. as mentioned, the boss is great for a lot of sounds but I just wouldn't use it as my primary filter sound.
I'm kinda impressed with the Q Tron. Think it would be good for a first envelope filter.
The Q-tron plus with its ability to slow down the filter sweep is the best. You can also reverse the sweep for an "ow" sound instead of a "was." I just wish these features were available without having to dedicate so much space on my board, not to mention the 24V adapter.
I've had an AW-3 for like 18 years....That MXR sounds the best of the bunch.
Boss - Have no need for those vowel modes and I thought it sounded thin in all settings.
MXR - Sounded full and warn, no low end loss. Can definitely tell it is made for bass.
EHX - Classic sound but a bit harsh at times.
My personal favorite of these three would be the MXR.
Soundwise (to me, anyway…), the EHX Q-Tron nano has a more “punchy-er” sound. The fact its at the bottom end pricewise is just an added bonus. Will pick one up to replace the Walrus Audio Kangra (i will use that delicious Fuzz effect the Kangra offers tho..)😎🤘🏼
I own the Mxr and I used to used the bass balls back in the day. The Mxr is a wild bit of gear and takes caressing to get a sweet sound and the overtones are pretty wild when the filter closes
I had the MXR - played it for a while, and sold it. I also experienced the woofy quality that he described and that's what led me to get rid of it. Currently I have a BassBalls, which is cool, but not tweakable enough for me. I'm looking at the QTron, which is what led me here. Also looking at the bass Mono Synth. Decisions, decisions...
Hey, I'm planning to build a pedalboard. first pedal I got is tube compressore from markbass. Do you think compressor eliminates that jumped out frequencies? Cause I really like that dry knob and want to get mxr because of that.
I’ll tell you what I really want now is the 3/4 shirt with a T-Rex playing bass!
The Digitech Bass Synth Wah is an absolute winner and cheap as chips too been my go to since 2006
Listening back to this It’s gotta be MXR for me. The most rounded and for me easy on a gig with versatility is choice.l though I do like the oddness of that Auto-Wah BOSS has too
Best bass related channel on RUclips🍻🍻🤘
Nice video, and that September jam at the end is KILLER.
I use all three companies , MXR, Boss, and electro harmonix .MXR Envelope filter, Boss OC-5 Octave pedal, Boss chromatic tuner pedal,, and electro harmonix deluxe big muff pie 2 fuzz pedal, and 360 looper pedal.
The main difference I could hear is just general roll off, which I think is mostly due to slightly different settings for sensitivity. The AW-3 was breaking up as well.
Props for the Jacksonbacker on the wall stand. Surprisingly great instrument.
Of these choices, I preferred the Boss. However, mine isn't one of these. I have an F-Pedals Punq Monk. Designed in Italy for Flea. This thing sounds equally great with bass or guitar!
Very informative video. Great job outlining the differences, similarities and considerations. However…
I wonder if A/B-ing live in the room while playing might give a better impression of how each pedal sounds, though? The settings of the pedal in a given moment, especially with something like wah, would affect (and inspire!) the performer to dig in or back off. Except for the last two clips (9:15 and 12:55) which feature super consistent dynamic playing, I found with most of clips it was hard to gauge if the pedal was useful applied to that line or style probably because the player wasn’t hearing what we’re hearing.
This is a pretty small gripe. Just a thought. Still grateful for the review. It helped me confirm I prefer the MXR to the Q-tron for my needs at the moment. ✌🏽🖤
Running an octave up pedal before the MXR envelope filter will give the pedal a higher, quack like sound
Q-tron definitely has “THAT thing” that’s instantly recognizable as a classic reference, just enough of that something special from the original MU-Tron circuit.
MXR is the most useable for the widest range of players. Much more than the ability to maintain low end, the blend control allows for overbearing fx lvl to more controlled subtlety needed in a recording or band mix. Best for the gigging player
For the best of both worlds w/auto-wah features (done better than all 3 imho) is The Aguilar Filter Twin.. Not in the video but so damn good has to be mentioned!!
Q tron sounds the best to me. I should've kept mine.
Searching for envelope fillter is a personal taste. This video did not tweak all knobs on each of them. But, Great Vid of analisis. For my taste I'll take the MXR
the boss has cool features but the MXR sounded the most musical to me
I would have thought I'd see separate start and stop frequency knobs similar to the ehx micro synth. That's a pedal worth discussing on its own. Not the easiest to use. My biggest issue is it cuts off the longer notes.
I miss my AW-3. I really want to own auto wah / envelope filter again.
Great video again, really enjoying this concept. That said I suppose your Wiretap recording setup wasn't a great fit to get the best out of a filter effect, much less compare different ones against the same playing dynamics. Oh well, understandable. Also, that September was fire.
I've owned y Q-Tron+ for 4 years now and it's still my favorite pedal to flip on whenever you need to add that classic, raw envelope filter tone. It's sure to funk up any bassline! I agree with Dave in regards to the peak problem, sometimes due to the dynamic nature of the pedal if you don't hit the string right it can produce a sharp peaky noise. However, running your bass compressor or a limiter after the envelope filter in your signal chain fixes this problem and actually enhances the overall tonal quality of it! I would highly recommend the Q-Tron for anyone who's trying to funk up their bass playing! That being said, I was loving the tone of the MXR so if I ever get a chance to demo one at a local music shop I'm definitely going to check it out!
I was little disappointed in the MXR, actually, I hear what you mean about the "woofiness" and it sounds a little off to me - it's sort of the same problem I have with the filters on my multifx mostly. The other two seemed to have a much smoother curve.
Boss was harsh and noisy but had the most expression, which I love. MXR was middle of the road…not as potent. Qtron was the subtlest, but had the sexiest graphics for sure. I wanted it to Qtron to be the winner but no go for what I’m looking for.
The limp bizkit killed me 😆 🤣 😂
Love my
BOSS AW-3 &
ROLAND EV-5
from Adawliah Al-Khobar Saudi Arabia
Here is my "Big Three" Bass envelope filters: Seamoon Funk Machine, 3Leaf Audio Groove Regulator and the Boomstick Audio Bottom Feeder (bass specific clone of the DOD 440).
I triple dog dare you guys to make a video on the DOD FX25. would love to know how you feel it stacks up to these 3
I, for one, am definitely bummed by the loss of DOD and then Digitech. If we can get our hands on one, the FX25 and FX25B could be fun. Hell, maybe even a 440 to do a trifecta of DOD.
@@davedixon2167 YES! That would be amazing.
How come the black thunderbirds pickups go over the pick guard? I've the same tbird and mine don't? Just curious
The black Tbird in this video is a limited-run *short-scale* that Gibson did in 2011! A few subtle differences beyond just the scale length =0)
I feel like filter pedals are another type of humbler pedal (like loopers) because if your technique and stroke is all over the place and not steady it makes sound thats too weird to be called even funky. ofc it is smooth sailing with compressor before it.
Whilst I love BOSS - my entire board is BOSS - except for this - I have an MXR envelope filter... It messes with my BOSS OCD but, for my money, the MXR holds the bottom end so much better...
I had all three. All three had problems. The envelope filter is inherently flawed since there are so many factors that make the sound.
Its a toss-up for me the MXR sounds amazing but that Qtron is a sleeper....
Where can I buy that shirt!!!!!? I NEED IT~
The q tron misses the up/down switch that would make it really great. As it is, only the lpf is usable, high pass on bass just screams for a reversed sweep…
From my experience with each brand...MXR.
Boss seems pricey and EHX lacks an "edge".
That Limp Bizkit stuff happens at 1:45 for anyone wanting to skip right to the good stuff, haha
“Just think about it”
Is the MXR M82 Bass Env Filter any different to the M188 Bass Auto Q? I remember checking out vids of the Auto Q many years ago and thinking if I ever need an envelope filter, this would be the one!
Oh man I love the bass auto Q! not the same, and I like it even better than the m82. It’s just that the m82 is the big popular one so it was selected for this vid.
Never thought envelope for bass was all that useful. Guitar I get
All in all, it could be a good idea to buy a good multi-effect processor and have them all.
Actually I bought an HX Stomp XL 6 months ago thinking that it’s filters would sound like I wanted them. But I didn’t like them very much. So I went with the MXR and it’s just works!
Boss is so underrated!!! 💀🤟
No it’s not
I like the fwonkbeta
hey man, which slider do you use for your camera?
No slider. I just tilt the tripod back and forth for those B Roll shots.
For some reason The Q-tron sounded like it had the fastest response (or tracking) on every played sample. Boss felt the slowest, stickiest, with kind of weird or artificial tone. The Mxr is somewhere in the middle, offering dark, a bit muted interpretation. Go figure..
I am a happy owner of a Boss AW-3 pedal, and I admit that it sounds like a plastic toy, comparing to MXR.
Can't find MXR M82 anywhere, it's a rare gear.
EHX entertains me. 😁😁😁
I need that shirt
EHX doesn't have a bad pedal it seems like.
I like BOSS pedals but their Envelope sucks.
Source Audio Manta for me
The MXR is 200 euro’s now. Expensiver than the BOSS.
🥛