DOD FX25 Envelope Filter

two knobs..."range" and sensitivity." If you know what it's limitations are it's ez. If you're expecting a decent EV filter or Mutron III then you'll end up pulling your hair out and regretting it; it won't do that.

Depends on what you want it for....

A little iffy...when I first got it the switch was intermittant and the sound seemed to crap out on occasion. I did the "guy" thing and took it all apart and put it back together w/o really fixing anything, maybe just tightening a few things here and there. Works great now.

Their website has downloadable manuals which is very commendable but only for new products. Anything older than a year and you're outta luck...no info...no support..nothing.

So here's the scoop. I bought this box solely based on the fact that Doug Wimbish had one so I had to get one too. I know, I'm a chump. I tried my darndest to get it sounding good as a decent EV follower but I am sorry guys..this thing was a lemon. there are so many decent Mutron-esque boxes out there these days that this just even isn't worth considering. Way too trebly on one end then a violent speaker ripping sweep to the way too bassy other end. So I sold it. Then I read something I that immediately made me regret my decision. instead of trying to make it do something it wouldn't (sound like a wicked EV filter) what dub-reggae folks like Bill Laswell do is to set the filter so that it DOESN'T OPEN. What you end up with is a phenomenally sub-harmonic synth tone. I play a ton of jah Wobble/Laswell "free-dub" now so I went on Ebay and bought another (like I said..I'm a chump,ok?) I LOVE THIS BOX. It is so cool to kick in when playing some deep dub vibe...HUGE deep tone and if you dig in hard enough that little bit o' sweep can be very cool. It's all about working within your limitations I guess. this box has totally inspired me and helped our set tremendously. Laswell in a box.

well,from a personal standpoint,it's super easy to use.If this is yr 1st envelope filter,it mat take some getting used to as it's a pick-attack based effect.To clarify,this is the 2 nobber.I give it an 8.

I love this thing.Very synth-like.I don't know of anyone famous that uses these nor do I give a shit.I play an Epiphone SG and use a Peavey amp.My favorite pedals to use this with are the french toast octave-fuzz from danelectro,the DOD gonkulator,Boss pitch shifter delay and the tuna melt tremolo from danelectro.Oh yeah and the Big Muff.though I'm getting the MXR blue box in about 5 days and can't wait to hear this with that one.With the french toast,the green box is god!Also eager to hear this with the Grilled cheese I'm getting fer my birthday.I've heard the Qtron,the musitronics,the guyatone thingies and various filters.And really I like this one a little better because it sounds weirder.I also like to use this with my Bassballs-a trio of dynamic filters!WEE so the double-Fonzie a 10

shit yeah I can count on it! another 10

never spoke to beavis,don't know.Hey harmony central,I'm printing out the scores fer this thing because the category ratings are a little messed up-what gives???????????????

I make neat noise with a sense of songsmanshipin the tradition of noone.Highly exploratory,sometimes dynamicly huge and others sublo-fi.Been doin so fer 15 years.If lost or stolen,I'd get another one but the 2 knob version.I hate the 3 knobbed one.I'm still awaiting 265 extra$ to spend on the Big briar low-pass filter and the Robotalk Oberheim VCF clone but I'll always love this thing and would never abandone it.I like it better than my girlfriend.so a 10

There's only two knobs -- Range and Sensitivity, so that's no problem. In fact, the Range knob doesn't do too much. It controls how wide the sweep of the wah sound is, but I think it sounds best just about anywhere on the upper half of the knob travel. The sensitivty knob controls over what range of guitar "volume" the pedal is responsive. What I mean is, depending on how "hard" you play and what volume setting your guitar is on will determine the position of the sensitvity knob in order to get a uniform wah sound. The reason why I only rate this pedal 6 on ease is because it's hard to leave sensitivity knob in the same position throughout an entire passge. The response of your pickups varies with where on the guitar you are playing, and this can translate into a huge effect on the wah sound -- a very low and muffled sound if sensitivty drops too low, and an ear splitting trebly sound if sensitivty is too high. At the extremes, the auto wah doesnt wah at all and sounds like an EQ turned all the way towards treble or all the way towards bass.

If you can tweak the knobs just right, the sound out of this box is incredible. You have to modulate your playing a little bit in order to keep the wah response it range, but it's not hard to do. I'm a new guitarist with an American Series Tele plugged into my BXR 60 (this is my bass amp), and it sounds great. It's an auto wah, so it can be dangerous to play on a solo when your tone can just totally dip towards one extreme or the other, but if you learn the unit, that won't happen. You can get that great pedal wah sound of this unit, and if you put some overdrive on before the fx25, such as the dod 250, it can sound like Hendrix. I always thought that you should use overdrive after the wah, but it just sounds like total crap, try putting your distortion in front of the wah

It's made out of metal. You can't break it. The jacks are sturdy and the knobs are sturdy. Bring an extra battery because this unit sounds god awful on a low battery, but i'd gig without a backup, it's not gonna break.

No idea. If you lsoe the manual, you can download one from the website, but the manual's useless, so it doesnt matter. Just use your ears.

This pedal is awesome. They're all over used on ebay, so if you find one for $25 or $30, it's a great value. The sounds you get out of this unit, when adjusted right, can pass for a true pedal wah. Fool around with it, because it's a lot of fun to play with this thing. Great value, Rock solid pedal

There's 3 knobs, it doesn't get much easier than that. The manual is kind of useless, the only reason I give it a 9 instead of 10. It has 3 suggested configurations for the pedal and explains what each knob controls, good enough.

I use a Squire standard Strat into a Crate GX15 and a crybaby wah and a Boss Metal Zone and this thing gives me some crazy sounds that kick ass. I also use it with my Epiphone Explorer bass into a Peavy Deltabass head and Crate 2x15 cab with a Boss Bass Overdrive pedal. If you want funky bass lines, than get this pedal now. It also makes sort of a sweeping effect that doesnt sound like wah, but is damn cool. It replicates the beginning riff from Metallica's Outlaw Torn perfectly.

It's fucking metal for christ's sake. Ive used it in a few gigs, and nothing has gone wrong. It takes very few batteries for what it does. Maybe 3 batteries a month, a lot better than any Boss pedal I've had.

Never had to deal with them.

For what you pay (as opposed to other auto wah pedals) you get fuck-load of pedal. Take your time and tweak your settings to get the sound you like, don't expect a perfect sound out of the box. Once you get the right settings, I swear you will never turn it off.

There are two knobs on this Envelope Filter (or Auto Wah)Range and Sensitivity.Range decides which frequences are emphasized. With the range at its lowest the bassier side of the wah comes out-just right for funky bass lines or fuzzed up guitar lines. Sensitivity decides when the wah comes into action. With the sens.control at its lowest value only a Pete Townshend-esque gitar battering will bring out the effect enabling lead without wah but a cutting wah rythm - cool. I found that the sens. control needed to be set at its most for a good sound though. The manual is the bare bones with little info on the effect and no user settings. A tad dissapointing as I like some extra literature. My pedal is one of the mid ninties issue so the manual may have been reviewed and upgraded.

I normally use my Telecaster into my monster pedal board into two hundred watt Carlsboro amps through a Groove Tubes cabinet. The envelope filter sits near the start of my chain.I employ a Boss gate sometimes but for the Dod pedal its not nescesary this a very quiet pedal. The basic wah on a clean channel is brilliant for Nile Rogers (chic)impersonators. Goose up the gain (via a Fuzz Face)and you can coax a Jimi Hendrix at woodstock tone that will have you ripping out those psychodelic blues licks all night long. This is all with the DOD before the distortion section in my chain. Swap this around however and with a little gain yoo can recreate the much celebrated Paranoid Android outro courtesy of the mercurial Jonny Greenwood(RADIOHEAD),a must for effects wackos like myself.Turn all the knobs up full and add a tremelo pedal and you get a chopped up synth tone perfect for dance style cuts ,another top sound which is not dissimilar to the BOSS "SLICER" effect on their multi effects units. The sound quality on this product is top notch.

I must say that the sound is rather unpredictable so using it to recreate a wah solo done originally on a pedal wah eg.Sweet child o'mine,Voodoo Chile, is a questionable exercise but for freak outs its the ticket.The build quality is very good with metal casing and a secure battery pod. The jacks feel safe in the sockets and I am yet to experience adaptor fall out mid tune and I've had this pedal for months. I would gig without back up with a clear mind .

N/A

As a collector of all things strange in the world of pedals this was a fine addition to my rig. The styles of music it can be applied to is endless and the tones are all useable. Okay its not as phat or flexible as a vintage MU-TRON III and the Q tron probably has the beating of it....just ,but for the cash it is essential. I would get one again if stolen or lost. I do wish there was a speed control for the envelpe or a direction switch but corners need to be cut some where. Overall it is very impressive.

Bought used, no manual. Simple to experiment with and responsive.
I had to experiment with the overall range of volume on my clavinet, before playing on the touch sensitive keyboard.

Used with a torqued out Garnet BTO tube amp with tremelo. Does a decent Stevie Wonder Superstion/Higher Ground. A basic pedal but easier on batteries than my old Muron III and musically less out of control than a Mutron III. I like the limitations of the pedal, less time spent fussing and the filter is as good as an analog synth. Cleaner tone than a Korg MS-20 w/envelope follower, more ARP than Moog. I've heard lots of analog filters, this $40Us pedal is bargain.

Yes.

who cares

Excellent accessory for a clavinet if you want that funky sound.
Perfectly fine for a fast funky Bohannon guitar/wah wah watson etc.
Bargain, simple, no bells and whistles, clean and reliable, speaking as someone who knows first hand that a Mutron III left plugged in will eat 2 9v batteries every day.

I find fairly easy to use. As everybody else has said, there only two knobs on the thing. The tough part is setting the sensitivity to jibe with my playing style. After that, just gotta figure out how deep a wah you want.

I use this pedal with my (Super Cheap-style) bass mainly, playing into my big ol' Peavey combo. Only experimented a couple of times with my Dano U2, mostly so I could bang a couple 9th chords and say to my friends, "Look how funky I am!" I, for one, am absolutely smitten with the sound of this thing. But then, I mainly use it to make strange sounds and not necessarily "musical" ones. For instance, I like to turn on the envelope filter and ram the strings of my bass against the poles of the pickup. Your mileage may vary if you're trying to get more conventional sounds out of it.

I've never actually used this thing at a gig. I still have the battery cover though, despite it being a DOD. (And used, at that.)

I've never dealt with DOD. I've never, in fact, dealt with any guitar/equipment manufacturer.

My band generally plays 60's/70's style rock, blended with experimental/free jazz stuff and the occasional burst of pure noise. This thing, of course, fits right in. I'm not really an effects guy, mind you, I only have three pedals and only use two. This is one of the two I use. I don't have anything bad to say about my FX25 and I think I already made my feelings about it clear. If I were somehow to be deprived of it, I would consider buying another one, but it's not really an integral part of my sound. Overall, I would say that if you want to make odd noises, you should go ahead and buy one (especially if you can get it cheap), but if you're looking to be a little more musical with it, you'll want to play with one first.

This pedal sounds great, BUT you must understand how envelope filters work and know how to send your guitar's signal to it to get really good sounds. There are only two knobs -- Range & Sensitivity, simple enough, but that's only half the story, you must know what level and tone parameters to send it in order for it to react and respond decently. I give it a "6" here because the manual does not point out how critical the level and/or tone of the signal you feed it is.

I just had to write this review since the previous reviewer uses the same rig that I do and hates it. I'd hate this pedal too if I hadn't spent the time experimenting with different volume, tone, and pickup selections on my Les Paul. First, you must understand that on more elaborate envelope filters there is a input level knob and usually an overload indicator (as on the "Q-Tron"), and, on these fancier units there is some sort of tone control, either varible or filter selection. The FX25 is just a bare-bones unit, SO... you must control whether or not you overload the signal by using your guitar's volume control and you must also control the tonal range of your wah effect by using your guitar's tone knob in conjunction with which pickups you select.

For me, my favorite setting for my rig (Les Paul into a Marshall JCM 900) is to select the neck pickup (a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover) and set the guitar's volume to 7.5 and the tone to 7.5., and on the FX25, Range at 10:00 o'clock and Sensitivity at 2:30

This yeilds a very middy sounding and quacky wah -- very funky indeed! This is pretty much the only type of wah you can get from it. I say this because, the more elaborate units such as the Mutron and Q-Tron can give you Ouw and Wow sounds (like Garcia's Estimated Prophet or Shake Down Street).
If you're after Garcia's sound, do not get this pedal, for that, you'll have to save your money and get a Mutron. This pedal excels in giving you wonderful funk, disco, and reggae sounds (I use it mostly for the songs we do with a reggae beat)

I bought this pedal three years ago and it is the old DOD style with the small foot pedal pad and the non-hinged battery cover -- never any problems. I think these older style pedals are a little more sturdy than the newer ones -- the large plastic pedal pad on the newer ones seems like it could be the most vulnerable spot; however, I must admit that I have some of the new pedals and have never had any problems with them either -- time will tell.

Like I stated above, this pedal is a bare-bones envelope filter, but when you consider it's low price (compared to the $150 -- $300 you'd have to spend on a Q-Tron or Mutron) it is an excellent value. BUT, in order to get successful sounds with this pedal you must understand that all auto-wah's sound crappy when overloaded, so remember to adjust the signal you feed it via your guitar's volume knob. And the tonal range is controled by what pickup you select and your guitar's tone knob. For a definite WAH sound with lots of quack and funk, this is the box.

P.S.: I tried the new FX25B at the store the other day because I was curious and wasn't impressed -- it just doesn't have the character or 'in your face' emphasis that the original has.

Two knobs- pretty simple. No instruction manual needed. For me, I like the concept of fewer controls with more effectiveness, as opposed to more knobs that are used for mild tweaking.

This is a monster- and not in the good sense. I run a Les Paul into a JCM-900, and with the pedal on, it sounded like my amp went from "balls" to "pussy"! I used a crapload of effects, and depend on them for my sound. Being bigtime into guitarist that use effects (Dave Navarro, Jeff Beck, Rage ATM, etc) this pedal just blew! Bearing in mind I finally did away with rackmount gear, I wanted to return to the rawer, more in-your-face effect- and direct floor effects are the only ticket for that. I've really dug all the BOSS pedals so far, and didn't think DOD would be too far off the mark. However, once I plugged this in, I remembered why years ago I disliked DOD. The bottom end-- GONE! The high end-- SICKENING! The unit was bigtime noisy, and was more of an earsore than anything. Even with the unit off, it seemed to suck tone out of my guitar. I really don't know what application this pedal has since the sound out of it was pure garbage!

Sure- it's metal, solid, and dependable. I'd gladly throw it out of a plane, and sadly it would probably still deliver the same, crappy sound.

Don't know. Don't care!

If your looking for an in-your-face, dynamic sound that will ooh-ah folks, don't waste your time. However, if your looking for a fantastic doorstop or bookstop, this pedal is for you!

Well, as you've probably gathered it has only two knobs , range and sensitivity ,though its pretty hard to set the thing up 'perfectly' and i don't consider it really worth it when it is

I've used this pedal through various guitar and bass heads , and i cant get any particuly great sounds from it, it can be pretty cool to mess about with but it hasnt really had any other use. Its certainly not noisy , rather it seems to cut out a lot of the input ,treble and bass which is part of its downfall perhaps. Playing it through guitar cuts out too much signal to be usefull , and with bass (Active and Passive) It takes away alot of the lower frequencies.A s said before, how Flea got that sound out of this i dont know. Maybe it would be ok if put through a compressor and EQ.

built like a tank.. just make sure you tape the battery cover on with some gaffa tape

I play alot of styles of music , from industrial to funk to acoustic and i havent found a practical use for it anywhere, it does make quite a solid doorstop however.