electro-harmonix Q-TRON envelope filter
Analog Man Vintage guitar effects
Mike Matthews, founder of Electro-Harmonix, and Mike Biegel, designer
of the Mutron III, have together created the first
all-new Electro-Harmonix product in 15 years: The Q-Tron envelope
controlled filter.
This new effect uses the same opto-electronic design of the Mutron-III
and has an increased frequency response and an improved signal-to-noise ratio.
Has all Mutron-III features plus switchable Boost and Filter Mix mode.
There are seven onboard controls :
- Drive Switch (up/down) - selects direction of filter
sweep : up (wah) or down (ow).
- Range Switch (Hi/Low) - Emphasizes vowel like sounds
in low position, overtones in high position.
- Gain Control (0-11) - Functions as both a volume
control and a filter sensitivity control in boost mode. In normal
mode it acts only as a filter sensitivity control, unlike the
Mutron-III which also changes the unit's output volume.
- Boost Switch (Normal/Boost modes) - Normal mode
allows setting the Gain control without changing the output volume.
- Peak Control (0-11) - Determines frequency peak
of filter. Makes more "effected sound" when turned up more.
- Mode switch (LP, BP, HP, MIX) - Select the frequency
range for the filter to sweep. Low Pass is lows, Band Pass
is midrange, High Pass is treble. MIX mode (new feature not
on the Mutron-III) combines BP with dry unprocessed sound.
- Bypass switch (in/out) - Turns effect on and off.
Features
- Includes 24 volt AC adaptor (will not run on batteries).
- Comes in strong multi-ply wooden box
- POWER indicator LED
- 2 outputs - normal and effected outputs.
- True bypass DPDT switching.
Here is more info on the
Q-tron with sound samples on the Electro-Harmonix site.
Here's a great
article by Mike Biegel (Q-Tron designer) and Elliot Randall,
about envelope filters, from 1980.
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