One Control Butter Yellow Auto Quack - Demo By Hans Johansson

https://www.one-control.com/pedal/but...

Björn’s Take:

The Butter Yellow Auto Quack is an envelope-controlled filter. This type of filter is controlled by the dynamics of playing. BYAQ is a resonant filter, the center frequency of which moves upward as you strike a note harder. The filter takes the initial transient of a plucked note and then follows the decay of the note so that filter’s center frequency moves up at the peak and then falls by the ratio of the decay.


Since envelope filters are controlled by strength of input signal, historically famous users of envelope filters have connected the control input directly to guitar or bass pick up and others used compressors or volume control on instrument to equalize the value of notes throughout the fretboard. Envelope filters are also common in analog synths.

Historically, most envelope filters were designed for keyboards to cover the complete range of the keyboard. BYAQ is adapted to the range of electric guitar and electric bass and has a narrower range. The heart of this pedal is a resonant filter similar to a wah; however, the BYAQ has a Mellow/Bright switch that sets the range of the filter.

There are a number of problems with use of envelope filters on guitar and bass which the BYAQ attempts to solve: partly, the filter range is often too wide and therefore BYAQ has a range switch; filters often rest at very low frequency and the BYAQ is made to rest at about transparent level: this allows having BYAQ on for a “see-through” effect until a transient triggers the filter to move. The starting frequency can be set with Bias control so that even small “mini-wahs” can be created on each plucked note.

The sounds:
BYAQ can be used to make wah sounds easily controlled by the musician, and it triggers swiftly enough for fast rhythmic sequences as well as making low strings mellow and high strings bright. In addition, BYAQ can be used to make smaller or larger sweeps of the filter to create timbral movement on chords.


The Controls:
The BIAS control sets the starting point of the filter, and can be used to sweep through the entire filter range.

The MELLOW/BRIGHT switch sets the filter range from low and narrow to high and wide.

The SENSITIVITY control sets the level where notes trigger the filter to open (wah pedal down).

The DECAY control sets the rate it takes from notes moving filter to close (wah pedal up).

Sensitivity is set for medium output pickups, and a tip is to use a Pale Blue Compressor set with Blend to allow transients to equal sensitivity throughout fretboard, to equal sensitivity between pickups on your instrument, and to compensate between different instruments

When using envelope-controlled effects without the aid of a compressor, it is often helpful to set sensitivity at highest level required and to “ride” the volume control on instrument to equalize

Though envelope filters are often used on clean sounds, the BYAQ can also be used ahead of distortion to make a hand controlled wah.

I hope you shall have much fun and enjoy our new Butter Yellow Auto Quack.

Björn Juhl
Designer