ShortScale.org

Recently I have become extremely interested in enevelope filters, and after playing a few i decided i wanted one, but on the cheaper side. I narrowed it down to 2 i found on craigslist.
1)Electro Harmonix Micro Q Tron
Sounded pretty good in the video review from pro guitar shop, and some guys on youtube have also said it was good, I really like the 3 presets on it. From the EHX pedals I have owned and played, they seem reliable and this one looks to be built of metal which I like ALOT, metal cases make me feel safer with pedals.
Cost - $50


2) DOD FX25B
Sounded pretty good in the videos I watched, and in one video one person went as far as to say they liked this ALOT better than the Line 6 one. DOD has also never let me down, however I dont like that its plastic. However seeing as this is a bass pedal, I could also run this with my bass and it wouldn't sound terrible.
Cost - $30


Any expierence/ input would be good, and useful.

I have the older version of the qtron (mini) and love it. I think its based on an old MuTron pedal. i really like it a lot and gets a good range of sounds out of it. does the squelchy 70s porno funk so well

Only the footswitch is plastic on the DOD; the housing is metal.

That said, I've owned a few DODs in my time, and they always seem to develop a fault within a few years, even from just home usage.

Had the same experience as Doog with Dods. I just sold an old big box Q-Tron, they are based on the Mu-Tron, and can be got really cheap, as I unfortunately discovered.

The FX25B is not specifically a Bass pedal, that's a silly rumor someone started about DOD Pedals ending in "B". B is just the revision "number" for the pedal, sometimes it only differentiates cosmetic and not circuit differences. I mean, what does the FX55C stand for then? Clarinet?


Anyway, having owned the FX25B and other envelope filters, it all depends on what sound you are going for. So, what is your main reason to get an envelope filter? I'll state the usual reasons below, let us know if it it's one of these:

1) Radiohead
2) Red Hot Chili Peppers
3) Funk
4) You are addicted to buying pedals and have the spare cash


So with that being said, if you're looking to cop Radiohead sounds, they used a Mutronics Mutator for envelope filter sounds starting with the OK Computer album. Jonny picked up a DOD 440 Envelope Filter to recreate those sounds live. Between those two choices, I would pick the DOD FX25B to be the closer of the two to those sounds, if this is what you're looking for.

If you are looking for some of the envelope filter sounds that Flea uses in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, here's what I know about that. Flea has used at least 4 different envelope filters in the Red Hot Chili Peppers. For some of the sounds on the "BSSM" album, he used an original Mutron III (which the Q-Tron is a partial clone of). For a track or two on the "One Hot Minute" album he used an Electro-Harmonix Bassballs filter, I'd still pick the Q-Tron between your 2 choices for this. Later he actual used an FX25 (not the B model mind you), and I dont know if he ever used it live, but here he is using it in an instructional video scenario ( In the last pics of his live rig I saw, he was using a Q-Tron (not the micro version, but still).

For general funk, well its up to you to decide, either works. The FX25B wasn't out back then though, but the Mutron III was, and the Q-Tron would get you closest.

If you're just looking to add another pedal to your arsenal because you have more money than you know what to do with, than really either one will do. Those are both good prices for those units, I've never seen prices cheaper than that for them, so go ahead and get both and you can resell the one you dont like on eBay and maybe even make some cash.

Or maybe, *gasp* , he wants to use a filter to make interesting new music that breaks away from historical genre-based revisionism.

I just ordered this...