DOD FX25-B Envelope Filter

Not terribly hard to get your sound out of...2 1/2 knobs...the half is the sensitivity, it's pretty useless to me under 12 o'clock...maybe it's because I have a pretty light touch and passive pickups? The manual, like most DOD, manuals is a joke....3 settings suggestions. Other than that it's easy...how hard is it to twiddle 3 knobs?

Okay, this is the most subjective rating...I think it sounds decent for the moolah I paid and for what I need it to do. No..it's not a lovetone meatball, or a q-tron+, or a moogerfooger murf....but I got it for $27.50, instead of $200+....It gets pretty trebly, so be prepared to tweak your e.q. settings..there is, as mentioned in other reviews, a noticable volume drop when engaged, but keep in mind that it's basically pronouncing your mid/highs, and cutting your bass..that's the nature of envelope filters. It mixes well with my OD (danelectro Daddy-o) and my delay (danelectro Danecho). I can get a nice Ween-esque envelope weirdness out of it, and it does usable dub reggae and funk sounds when used with stacatto chords and delay. Is it the best ever envelope filter, no, is it usable and a value for the dollars, sure.

Never had any problems with DOD in the past, except I hate their cheapo little plastic battery covers, and the switches always seem to be a little sensitive.

Never dealt with them.

I think a lot of people in the same boat as myself, i.e. gigging guy in a local band, think that buying boutique gear is going to give them the sound of whoever they want to emulate. Me, I buy cheap pedals and use them as tools to get an approximate sound or to add a little texture to songs....I think with some experimentation you can get usable tones out of just about anything. So as far as bang for the buck goes, I'm happy with this little stompbox.

Terrible.Aweful pedal to use. Lets be honest!

Alot of hard work getting this pedal to sound , and harder work to get it to sound Right. When you do figure out how to jump start it by what ever method available(eg trying to play football with it) you can get a decent sound, that is until to walk into a shop and buy a better envelope/auto wah (boss aw-3, meetball etc) pedal that just gives you a decent sound! What were they smoking when they made this piece of crap?
possibly they were thinking 'lets do another envelope filter like the dod440 which is just as hard to use , cheaper , and is missing some of the vital chips that make it a classic pedal,and while were at it we will change the name to 25fxb and everyone will love it'!!

It sounds like its already broke, so who cares?

Its unlikley Dod will read this review , there heads are too far up there own arses . Try and get a dod 440 on ebay or set up a partition to re-issie it.

It's a foot pedal... very easy to use. No trouble straight forward

It play ok with other pedals. On it's own is best with phase and delay you can get a Reggae - G. Dead type of sound. If you are lookin for that Dead sound this pedal needs a lot of assistance from other effects but gets the job done about 75% satisfied.
>>>>>>>WARNING<<<<<< If you play a guitar with a hot signal like active EMG's or any guitar with built in electronics ie.. preamp in guitar ie.. guitar runs with a 9volt batt. watch out. The signal really sucks. One of my guitars is a hot Les Paul and the signal is worthless. >>>>> Plays fine thru strats pauls etc.... with no active electronics

DOD is cheap and durable.... you can depend on it.
Yes I would gig with it faithfully. Most of the DOD line is built to withstand abuse.

The only reason I posted this at all is to warn anyone who may use a hot signal guitar of my situation. If your guitar has no on board electronics you will be fine. I bought the pedal to try out the auto wah sound with the intention of a high dollar upgrade in the near future. Very retro sound works better for ryth than for lead. Musicians Friend is sellen em @ 29.00 cant go wrong. Overall the pedal meets my expectations due to price. If you want a killer auto wah you are gonna spend $150.00 and up for sure

Simple, out of the box and into heaven. The manual was a little odd, as most DOD manuals seem to me, but hell. Only thing easier was my ex. The only trouble I had was caused by the thing being a volume sponge, if they fix that, I'll buy 10.

I use a BC Rich Ironbird Bass & a Fretless 1/2 Jazz Bass and I run most everything either through my Drive 30B practice amp or my sterio/computer setup (250 watts). Either way it sounds awesome, I usually put a Arion Bass Chorus before it, just for a little more volume and a DOD Stereo Phaser after it, cause I like dizzying music. I alternate where I put the distortion, depending on what I want it to sound like. I put if before for an "Angry Synth" or after for, what could best be described as a moose being killed by vomit.

That thing has been used and abused and it better than before, maybe it was that deal with the devil, or DOD just makes the best damn pedals.

Never had to bug em.

Mixed with the DOD Stereo Phaser, best damn pedal under the sun.

I pulled this out of the box and plugged it right into my rig. I used the recommended settings in the manual and found out quickly that the sensitivity knob was nearly useless. I crancked it up to get the pedal to react. Obviously with only three knobs were not talking much difficulty here but it took some messing with before I could get the fat funk out of it.

As a bassist I am always annoyed by how much "noise" I get out of effects pedals but I have to give props to this little box. When you by pass it, it is as quiet as can be. When you activate it I find it tends to lose a bit more volume than I would care to but this can be delt with and the quality of the effected tone is amazing for a pedal I bought for under $30! I am primarily using this effect with a MM Stingray and a Wishnevsky 5-string fretless into a 400 watt Carvin head and then into a Carvin 4x10 Cab. I have this pedal as the first in my effects board which includes a collection of BOSS effects (bass overdrive, Metal Zone Guitar Distortion, Flanger, Stereo Chorus)the Envelope/Filter is alot of fun when mixed with the Metal Zone which I use with the distortion mostly down and the volume way up for a volume boost this combo seems to resolve the volume concern the EF seems to have.

Nothing is perfect, but I have it now as a staple in my gig set-up and I wouldn't take it out. I can't say I am impressed with the stomp switch which I find hard to activate - I like the BOSS style better you KNOW when you hit those - but 10 gigs now and climbing and the little guy has yet to fail me. I take pretty good care of my equipment though so I expect to keep it around for the next few years.

Thankfully I haven't had to deal with them and at $29 or less I'd probably would just buy another if the thing broke.

I play a Punk, Rock, Jazz, Funk, Rap, Reggae and Techno (it's different)in a variety of live and studio settings with several different groups. I use this pedal with ALL of the groups I play with and have found it very helpful in creating new sounds and new ideas. I have been a gigging bassist now for 16 years and studio bassist for 12 years. If I lost this little gem or some toolbox walked off with it I would order another that night!The way I look at music in general is that different is always good. After 16 years of playing you have to try something new or else you'll get way bored, this effect is different enough to me that it will keep me entertained for years to come and that is a great thing. I wish it had a VOLUME knob though seems to me that the engineering wizards at DOD could have taken the 20 seconds and 4 brain cells it would take to figure out that the pedal sucks up some volume and throw in a volume knob to help the cause (maybe that is coming in the next version?!?!) If you play only one style of music it probably isn't worth the 10 minutes to figure out the pedal controls but if you have some diversity in your band or projects grab one, it is way cheap and loads of fun.

Very easy to use as far as envelope filters go. It has three knobs and theyre all very self explanitory. This unit is really easy to get some great sounds out of.

I usually use this with a '92 Gibson Les Paul Studio and a bunch of different effects that I change in and out of my pedalboard depending on my mood or who I am playing guitar with that day. Then they go into a THD Univalve head with and el84 in the power section that is used to power my Marshall 1960A cabinet. The sounds that you get out this are really great for what you'll pay for it. Some settings suck a lot of volume, especially when youre playing without any distortion. This sounds better than most of the envelope filters out there that cost a lot more than you'll pay for this unit. I also own a Guyatone Wah Rocker, EH Q-tron, and a Mutron III, and this one is my 2nd favorite right behind the Mutron.

I don't know how reliable this (or any of the newer DOD pedals with the plastic switch) can be, but for $30....whatever. The rest of it is made out of metal and seems to be built sturdy enough. I hate to dwell on the switch, but It just seems like if anything is gonna go on this unit, it will be the switch. I've owned and used the pedal on a regular basis for the last few months and haven't had a problem with it yet, so I'm gonna give it a 7.

Never dealt with them, so I don't know how they are.

Overall, this is one of my favorite effects. It can give you a pretty wide variety of filter sounds for not a lot of money. It can give you funky 70's porno music type sounds, or make some crazy sounds with lots of distortion if thats what youre into. If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely buy another one.

Got A half decent sound straight away, 5 mins later had an exact sound i wanted. 3 knobs, 9v DC blah blah

I must admit i'm not a gearophile like some people, but its fine, far as i can see. i've got a Epi Jack Casady bass thru a Trace 7210, i've got an old shredmaster i sometimes use too. the pedal works best on its own. would be cool with an echo or delay i'd imagine. i bought it because of the envelope filter on Blurs 'Think Tank', and even though thats a 300 quid lovetone meatball, you get comparable sounds out of this one. fair enough if you can get EMI to fork out the money, but if you're a normal person, thats stupid money to be spending on a pedal. it can sound a bit thin and weak if the sensitivity is too high. Common sense should come in here.

its a metal case, so fine. the actual pedal switch looks like the weak link, its doesn't seem as sturdy as the old jap dods, even though i've had no probs with it. battery compartment cover is crappy, but who cares...you're using DC adaptors, right?

N/A

perfect if you're not a wanker about kit. good fun. maybe its a little overpriced still, but i'm a tightass. fine for americans with disposable incomes.

It's kinda hard to find the right sound. There's three settings in the manual, all of them are cool. I just goofed around with the knobs and got my own sound in about 10 minutes. The manual is nice. The only reason I give it a nine is because it takes a while to find the right sound. Here's some suggestions: All knobs at five; blend: 4 sensitivity: 4 range: 9; blend:3 sensitivity:7 range:9.

I just got this yesterday, so I haven't tried it with the rest of my rig. This pedal is awesome!!! It's never really noisy. It's quiet, but if it were too loud you'd have to turn your guitar or amp down on a lower volume. It works good with my Marshall MG10CD amp. This effect is AWESOME!!! Except sometimes you have to play harder on the strings to get the right sound and since my strings have really thick gauges (10,13,17,36,52,60) It's hard sometimes. Overall, this pedal ROCKS!

It's kinda hard to turn on and off, but I can depend on it. I would use it at a gig without a backup.

Never needed them.

I play anything from calssical to heavy metal. But my music usually turns out to be HEAVY ROCK (REALLY HEAVY.) This pedal works good for that. I've been playing for about 3 years and I also play bass. If it were stolen or lost I might look into the bassballs or the digitech envelope filters, But this pedal is awesome!!! It does help me make music. THIS PEDAL IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Bassplayer here )
FX25B, 2nd version. 3 knobs. The new blend feature is the best by far. It reserves your lows. That?s a good reason to choose a FX25b over a FX25. The sensitivity is all about settings from 8 to 10. Too bad, if they made that 4 to 6 it would have been a lot better for lower output passive basses or guitars. The range is useful, but also with this; I don?t see why anyone wants to dial in settings from 1 to 5. And I miss the output volume because there is a noticeable volume drop. Still I give it a 7 because it?s able to do what it needs to. I?d kill for a more sensitive version with an output volume (HINT!!!). BTW. Browsing trhough these reviews is better than read the manual.

Once you found the sweet spot you?re in funk heaven! Aggressive, fo? sizzle! Can?t be compared to a wah pedal. It has an unique sound. Low sens. settings will give you a perfect Reggae sound. Nothing but honking lows? Sensitivity full open (with a hot input) you?ll get a low cut, turn blend counter-clockwise after taste and there is your nice sound for slap and pop.
I?m also very satisfied over the sound the FX25b DOESN?T give me. I mean, in bypass mode it?s silent and isn?t a tone sucker. Perfect 10!

http://www.geocities.com/basseffects/dod.html

The box:
I have it now for a few weeks. This one is about 4 years old and still looks good. I like the construction of this pedal. Very low and metal all around the unit. It loses points on the plastic battery cover. The pot meters feel very sturdy. Although the activation button is made of plastic I?d rate it higher than a Boss pedal. And it?s easier to activate than my Boss and Ibanez pedals too!

No sir!

I bought the FX25b without really knowing what it sounds with my setup. I heard Flea uses the previous model and I saw a second hand for sale on a site of a music shop. I listened some recorded samples I found on the internet but never tried it before buying. I can?t say I regretted that, but I?m still busy getting the maximum out this pedal. I KNOW that there is more! I put my Korg multi-effect before it to solve the noticeable volume drop and give it a bit hotter signal. Perfect! This unit seems to like compressed signals too. If you have an Ibanez PD7 you can use the clean signal boost. Or try the overdrive on 12 o?clock, boost the high frequencies, then lead it to the DOD and it nails Red Hot Chilli Peppers ?Sir Psycho Sexy?. I use 2 active Ibanez basses, but I can imagine that a passive Jazz bass with dead strings can?t trigger the Wah effect. The green box hungers for signal, a drawback if you don?t have a hot signal and other pedals to make up for that like I have.

I?ll tell a bit about myself:
I?m 21 and I play bass for 2 years now. This is my 5th effect pedal, my first Envelope filter. I wanted something funky and I got what I paid for. I play in a Death Metal band where I won?t use this pedal. Well, maybe I will, for some crazy shit? I?m learning how to slap and this pedal really inspires me. So does my Ibanez ATK300 (a versatile EB Musicman like bass). I have an Ampeg SVT200T (100% solid state) head with 3 cabinets to choose from. As an extra pre amp I use the SansAmp Bass Driver DI. I put the other effects in the effect loop of the Boss LS-2 Line Selector to avoid hum, hiss and tone-sucking.

If the negative things I mentioned before were solved, this auto-wah would be one of the best in the world. Mainly for it?s sound. Now it?s a decent pedal, but you can really make it shine if you try. It?s like a pet; if you want it to do tricks, feed it what it likes. That?s why I think there are some unnecessary negative reviews here. It?s a bit harder to use than it looks like. Even DOD itself is clueless where to put a device like this in the effect chain. In the manual they made a list in what order effects should be, and envelope filters are mentioned twice. (?!?!) It really depends on what other gear you have. AND, of course, on your playing style and technique. This pedal can?t be compared with Q-trons and Mutrons, because those are in a totally different price range. I don?t know if it?s comparable to the Bassballs but I bet that their bypass isn?t as good as this DOD. Still then,.. This pedal sounds unique!

Feel free to e-mail me. And remember: Effected low frequencies rule the world!
Greetings from Holland!

At first I too was troubled that I had to crank the Sensitivity up to like 9.5 to get the effect to trigger with my strat. But then I got to thinking, what the heck does it matter? The effect triggers for my guitar at 9.5. So what? Do I need it to trigger somehow more? Do I want it to not trigger at all? I'm never going to adjust that knob again.

Otherwise, everything else was fairly straightforward. It took some messing around to find some useable sounds in there. At first, I feared this thing was a one-trick-pony but eventually found different cool flavors.

Setup is a strat with Seymour Duncan lipstick tube pickups or a tele with Kinman avn62's into the DOD, then a Fulltone Fulldrive, then my Roland JC120 amp.

I initially had trouble with volume drops and general crappiness of tone. But I was using the battery the thing came with. A new, decent quality battery cleared all that up and I think it sounds great.

People comparing this to the Qtron are missing the point. The point is: this thing is like 1/4 the price of a Qtron. It's like bitching that your Honda isn't as good as a BMW. To my ears, having borrowed a Mini Qtron from a friend for a while to compare, this thing is real close. The superior quality of the Qtron isn't dramatic enough to justify another $100 or so.

So far so good. I think the construction is fine. For a $40 pedal, it's built well. Never had trouble with DOD products before.

N/A

I play all original comedic music with a band called Mr. Thingee. We're more about making people laugh with silly songs than anything else. I keep my setup minimal. I want the gear I use to be reliable above all else. This pedal is intended for some over-the-top 70s funk parodies. It fits the bill to a T. And it was only $40! Find me a better bang for the buck, I challenge you.