Sweepable low pass filter pedal

[EthanRoppBass]

I am a bass player who does a lot of Nerve-esque synth stuff, and I would like some sort of sweepable low pass filter, but cannot afford a moog. I am also somewhat new to the electronics and pedal making and modding thing. Could I take a volume pedal and just wire it to basically a tone pot with a very high value capacitor? And then to counter the volume reduction, also put in some sort of simple boost circuit that sweeps with it, ie more boost the lower the filter cut off frequency. Would this work in theory to get some sick dubby bass sounds?

 

[Erik S]

I don't know anything about that, but I've recently got into messing with some synths, and I'm curious.

From some quick searching, it looks like there's some stuff based on the Korg MS-20 filter.

Looks like @DGWVI has built some with expression pedal input that might do what you're looking for:

Peddler Effects Barn Owl (MS-20 filter emu)

A super raucous dual series resonant filter- High pass into low pass. Capable of a ton of fixed wah type tones and beyond. Both sets of (anti)resonance and Frequency controls have a huge range from clean and subtle to nasty and migraine inducing. I need to go over the wiring and traces for the...

forum.pedalpcb.com

 

[Diynot]

Electric Druid FilterFX with an expression pedal can get you most of the way there

 

[DGWVI]

I don't know anything about that, but I've recently got into messing with some synths, and I'm curious.

From some quick searching, it looks like there's some stuff based on the Korg MS-20 filter.

Looks like @DGWVI has built some with expression pedal input that might do what you're looking for:

Peddler Effects Barn Owl (MS-20 filter emu)

A super raucous dual series resonant filter- High pass into low pass. Capable of a ton of fixed wah type tones and beyond. Both sets of (anti)resonance and Frequency controls have a huge range from clean and subtle to nasty and migraine inducing. I need to go over the wiring and traces for the...

forum.pedalpcb.com

This one has some quirks with the exp pedal that I'm not a fan of, but it can definitely do some dubby bass stuff. Here's the Designer's Page

@Passinwind might be able to assist with some ideas

 

[EthanRoppBass]

Thanks all, I will investigate these options. Currently I am just using the dunlop mini bass wah to approximate it, so I am also going to see if maybe there is some way I can mod that to open up the low end so it just acts as a low pass instead of a band pass, but I am not sure if that is possible.

 

[Aentons]

Behringer put out a preview of their Moog clones last year. Not sure they will ever come out tho.

Behringer BM-101, a clone of the Moog Moogerfooger MF-101 lowpass filter

Behringer previews the BM-101, an analog clone/replica of the Moog Moogerfooger MF-101 lowpass filter effect pedal from 1998.

synthanatomy.com

 

[Aentons]

Some folks mod their EHX MicroSynth to add an expression pedal on the sweep.

https://www.reddit.com/r/basspedals/comments/1bs9c0n

 

[EthanRoppBass]

Behringer put out a preview of their Moog clones last year. Not sure they will ever come out tho.

Behringer BM-101, a clone of the Moog Moogerfooger MF-101 lowpass filter

Behringer previews the BM-101, an analog clone/replica of the Moog Moogerfooger MF-101 lowpass filter effect pedal from 1998.

synthanatomy.com

Oh damn that would be nice if it ever happens

 

[jwin615]

Murmors about madbean doing a microsynth a while back. Hopefully that'll be part of the revamp.

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

Murmors about madbean doing a microsynth a while back. Hopefully that'll be part of the revamp.

Yes to this. Want bad. Pretty please

Electric Druid FilterFX with an expression pedal can get you most of the way there

This is what I use. The lfo and selectable waveshapes are fun but I only use it in expression lpf mode. It's a lot of bells and whistles but it's the best diy expression filter I've found. I definitely agree that it would be nice to have a good lpf in it's own wah enclosure though.

 

[Feral Feline]

Welcome to the PPCB forum, Ethan.

Check out DeadEndFX "TRESONATOR" — Korg MS-20 Filter in a Wah-shell.




Bill Laswell got some good dubby effects with a DOD 545 — I have the schematic, but know of no layout thus far…
Laswell's Trick:
— turn down the 545's sensitivity all the way down, the filter locks on to the highs leaving only the lows. When the sensitivity is rolled all the way down, the filter won't open and Range control has no affect. [WHAT IS RANGE? THE 545 HAS ATTACK AND PEAK]
The other thing you can do is roll the sensitivity back but just to the point where normal playing doesn't come close to opening the filter and really digging in gives that big pulse in the lows but doesn't open the filter all the way. You'll likely want a limiter/compressor but it can be a cool sound too. Laswell plays with flats, I think.
Lotsa people think he uses an FX25, for which you can get the PCB here. You should still be able to get close to Laswell's sound with a FX25.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/dod-545-a-wah-filter.578696/

The 545 is an Optical-based filter, like the Mutrons. The FX25's are OTA based, AFAIK. A clean booster in front, such as the microamp, can help.




If you're new to DIY pedal-building, I'd highly recommend building a simple boost or fuzz to wet your feet. Low parts-count makes trouble-shooting easier and then build increasingly more complex builds 'til you're confident in your abilities to fab up a filter with the mods you want.

Some great EQ, compressor, and pre-amps for bass in the PPCB Shop/Forums, not to mention modulation, overdrives and others...

 

[Diynot]

Check out DeadEndFX "TRESONATOR" — Korg MS-20 Filter in a Wah-shell.

Curse you Sir!

 

[EthanRoppBass]

Welcome to the PPCB forum, Ethan.

Check out DeadEndFX "TRESONATOR" — Korg MS-20 Filter in a Wah-shell.




Bill Laswell got some good dubby effects with a DOD 545 — I have the schematic, but know of no layout thus far…
Laswell's Trick:
— turn down the 545's sensitivity all the way down, the filter locks on to the highs leaving only the lows. When the sensitivity is rolled all the way down, the filter won't open and Range control has no affect. [WHAT IS RANGE? THE 545 HAS ATTACK AND PEAK]
The other thing you can do is roll the sensitivity back but just to the point where normal playing doesn't come close to opening the filter and really digging in gives that big pulse in the lows but doesn't open the filter all the way. You'll likely want a limiter/compressor but it can be a cool sound too. Laswell plays with flats, I think.
Lotsa people think he uses an FX25, for which you can get the PCB here. You should still be able to get close to Laswell's sound with a FX25.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/dod-545-a-wah-filter.578696/

The 545 is an Optical-based filter, like the Mutrons. The FX25's are OTA based, AFAIK. A clean booster in front, such as the microamp, can help.




If you're new to DIY pedal-building, I'd highly recommend building a simple boost or fuzz to wet your feet. Low parts-count makes trouble-shooting easier and then build increasingly more complex builds 'til you're confident in your abilities to fab up a filter with the mods you want.

Some great EQ, compressor, and pre-amps for bass in the PPCB Shop/Forums, not to mention modulation, overdrives and others...

The TRESONATOR definitely looks like a good option. And yeah, I have some simpler pedals that I am going to build first, then I want to do that ocelot octave OC2 clone and that unison double tracker. Thanks for the welcome!

 

[Paradox916]

I am a bass player who does a lot of Nerve-esque synth stuff, and I would like some sort of sweepable low pass filter, but cannot afford a moog. I am also somewhat new to the electronics and pedal making and modding thing. Could I take a volume pedal and just wire it to basically a tone pot with a very high value capacitor? And then to counter the volume reduction, also put in some sort of simple boost circuit that sweeps with it, ie more boost the lower the filter cut off frequency. Would this work in theory to get some sick dubby bass sounds?

Do you mean like a wah?

 

[Passinwind]

This one has some quirks with the exp pedal that I'm not a fan of, but it can definitely do some dubby bass stuff. Here's the Designer's Page

@Passinwind might be able to assist with some ideas

Thanks for that thought, but the manually controlled resonant low pass filters I build so frequently are really a whole different animal.

 

[EthanRoppBass]

Do you mean like a wah?

Not quite, wahs are generally band pass filters, not low pass filters, and have a pretty different character than the synthy sweeps I am looking for

 

[Paradox916]

Not quite, wahs are generally band pass filters, not low pass filters, and have a pretty different character than the synthy sweeps I am looking for

Gotcha I know nothing about synth stuff, what you were describing sounded exactly like a wah to me.

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

Curse you Sir!

Right? Now I need to look for ANOTHER cheap dead crybaby?? Sigh...

 

[Diynot]

Right? Now I need to look for ANOTHER cheap dead crybaby?? Sigh...

I dunno man, the wiring and enclosure prep on that thing might just be enough to dissuade me…..for awhile anyways

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

I dunno man, the wiring and enclosure prep on that thing might just be enough to dissuade me…..for awhile anyways

There ain't nothing wrong with a little bump n grind.