Snow White Auto Wah! proto impressions...

[Cobra]

Some time ago, I asked Bjorn to build me an envelope filter. After a few emails, the first BJFE VCF started it's journey to becoming a reality. Not long afterwards, BJFE VCF #1 arrived(a 3-knobber), & the testing began... More emails, testing, devlopment, & suggestions followed, so I have a unique and vested interest in the mighty MP SWAW. I have a proto here, & I've spent quite a bit of time with it the last few days, so here are my initial impressions...

First, the SWAW has a huge amount of range of textures available! Funk, Jerry, psuedophase, etc...
The SWAW is not a plug & play box! Must take time to explore & set it up properly, which rewards the time spent with stellar world class tones & adjustability in a small enclosure...
It is top shelf, nothing can can touch it, no joke! It's that good!
Res control sorta acts like a mix or clean blend control at lower settings, very useful for dialing in subtle(hardly there) vowel type stuff!
Turn bias & res up way too far together, dirty or loud, you get nasty painful feedback, worse with more volts! Watch out!
Remember!: Guitar volume knob & pickup strength have huge impact on range & tone! Makes sense, cuz they are user controlled voltage regulators!
Using a compressor before SWAW can tame range, especially @ higher volts, another useful tool, but can also limit filter sounds & make it sorta anemic, again, a comp is a user controlled votage regulator, so it has huge impact on the input of any envelope filter...
A comp after SWAW has less impact, but also very useful for enhancement, or smoothing sounds out...
Using an EQ after SWAW is a huge tone scalpel! Especially boosting & cutting in the midrange... Great for fine tuning or matching up to different dirtbox characteristics...

Regarding input voltage:
Big differences when you change input voltage...
I think it actually sounds best a 9vdc, easier to adjust & control, & no volume loss or gain when switching it off & on.
12vdc is only 3 extra, so not too much different than 9vdc, a smidge harder to adjust, more extreme sounds, slight volume bump when you switch it on, would work better for lower output pickups, or if you need the more extreme sounds, or a slight bump in output.
18vdc is almost too much, gets harder to find sweetspots in narrowing ranges, significant volume bump when switching it on, some truly whackjob novelty sounds available!

More testing to come with the SBOD in front of SWAW... Should be interesting!

Any questions, feel free to post them... I'll do my best!

[DocRock]

Nice review, thanks for that.

Doc

[emjee]

coool. Sounds like another home run! Cant WAIT!!!!

[Robapov]

I was lucky enough to score number 6 of 9 and i must confirm EVERYTHING Cobra said...this thing is a diamond indeed! My house mated and I are all filter maniacs and have aquired quite a few over the last year or so...we mainly use a vintage Mutron, Lovetone Meatball and a vintage EH Zipper...I was on the list for the VCF for quite some time...when Bjorn decided to make this a production model I was a little sad, however it is certainly worth every second I waited becuase this is THE filter...I have never played with a filter that I have has so much control over, the dynamics are unreal, it barely colors your sound and it quacks on comand...this is a reliable filter in which you know what sound your going to get before you hit the note...I already feel more confident busting out solos and funky grooves. combined with the folk fuzz and PGC I have had hours of fun...i could describe this pedal for days but sound clips are really what will make this shine...i shall do my best for the bjfe fans!

bottom line - Bjorn has done it yet again and although the mutron is not a paperweight yet it has been off the board for a record 5 days!

[zion]

Nothing of real revelatory value to add, but it's the best filter I've ever played.

[cabo]

wait until bass player find out how nice it is, keyboarders too,,this one will still be hard to come by,,but lets hope not.

another great thing is that since Ive had one,,Ive been very happy with it and I wasnt even using it as a typical autowah sound,,,I am kinda on a funkier kick now and seems 2 might be in order. cheers to the small box too.

Nothing of real revelatory value to add, but it's the best filter I've ever played.

that is true,, I was a big mutron(which I felt was the best) fan until the vcf

[Eskimo_Joe]

Hey guys, do you have any favorite settings to share?