SourceAudio debuts Bass Envelope Filter
(Dave Molter | Posted 2010-10-25)
In July 2010 I reviewed SourceAudio's Soundblox Pro Bass Distortion pedal, so I was very happy to hear that the company had debuted the Soundblox Bass Envelope Filter at Bass Player Live in Hollywood, CA on October 23. Judging from the well-thought-out features, intuitiveness and great sounds of the Bass Distortion and demo clips available on Youtube, I expect the BEF to be a big hit with low-enders looking to funkasize their pedalboards.
And, Mike Gordon of Phish, Kevin Walker of Prince/Justin Timberlake, and Jai Dillon of Jason Mraz all have chosen early models of the BEF for their touring setups.
"I've had a eureka experience with the Bass Envelope Filter. It is the first unit with enough control to preserve the low-end without sacrificing clarity." says Mike Gordon who added the Soundblox Bass Envelope Filter to his set-up in addition to the Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion for Phish's 2010 Summer Tour. His use of both pedals can be heard on performances from the tour found on LivePhish.com.
"Source Audio has revolutionized the bass envelope filter as we know it today and resurrected the bass guitar." adds Kevin Walker. "What I once needed keyboard for, I can now do with my bass".
Although the entry-level BEF doesn't have the ability to save user presets the way the Pro Distortion does, SourceAudio still has provides some very thoughtful and features in the BEF, including 21 different filter sounds including Two Pole Filters, Four Pole Filters, Single Peak Filters, Triple Peak Filters, Peak & Notch Filters, and Phasers that can all be modulated through either watery positive filter sweeps or punchy negative/reverse filter sweeps. In addition, the interface allows the user to select the frequency range of the filter sweeps as well as the attack and decay speeds of each effect. Like all Soundblox pedals, the BEF can be optionally controlled by a Hot Hand motion-sensing ring. Placing the ring on the player's hand or anywhere on the instrument allows the movement of the player to modulate the filter sweeps of the pedal. SourceAudio has indicated that if sales of the BEF are good, they will consider a pro model with user presets and other features.
Street Price for the Soundblox Bass Envelope Filter is $119 and it's available now. For a limited time only, a wired Hot Hand controller will be included. For more about the Soundblox effects pedals and to view video demos, visit www.sourceaudio.net and check out Will Cady's 8-minute BEF demo video as well as interviews with SourceAudio engineers.
From a press release and information on the SourceAudio website. Dave Molter ("Laklander") is MGR's Managing Editor and Bass Guitars Editor.
