DESCRIPTION:
Read the rest of the review: http://bit.ly/BeigelTruTron3xReview

Stompbox history is populated by crackpots and geniuses. But few pedal builders are as fit for inclusion in the latter category as Mike Beigel. In the early ’70s Beigel co-founded Musitronics, which built some of the most coveted and colorful effects ever conceived: the Mu-Tron Bi-Phase, the Mu-Tron Flanger and Phasor, the Vol-Wah, and the Mu-Tron III.

When Mu-Tron bit the dust (after acquisition by ARP in 1979) Beigel took his curiosity and engineering chops elsewhere—helping develop, among other things, miniscule radio-frequency ID chips to track animals. But like many instrument developers, Beigel found it hard to stay away from the biz. He marks his return with the Mu-FX Tru-Tron 3X, an enhanced version of the Mu-Tron III envelope filter.

Even some seasoned players struggle to define the function of an envelope filter (also known as an auto-wah). Basically, it uses a voltage controlled frequency peak filter to emphasize a selectable frequency range. Meanwhile, an envelope follower triggers the effect in response to your playing dynamics.

Most players know the sound when they hear it—think Jerry Garcia’s bubbling mid-’70s leads, Bootsy Collins’ vocalic bass bombs, and Stevie Wonder’s funky clavinet on “Higher Ground.” All were created with an original Musitronics Mu-Tron III.

The optical filter control circuitry and control set of the Mu-Tron III is at the foundation of the Tru-Tron 3X. And though the Tru-Tron eschews the elegant and colorful look of the original in favor of a more contemporary, industrial appearance, the controls (if not the layout) will be familiar to anyone who’s used an original.

There are two mini-toggles for envelope drive and filter range. The envelope drive switch selects between rising (updrive) and dipping (down drive) voltage controlled frequency peak frequency sweep. (These simulate heel-to-toe and toe-to-heel wah action, respectively, only without the rocker pedal.) The filter range control shifts the filter drive range to high-frequency or low-frequency input. The mu control (labeled gain on the original) sets the gain level of the signal to the envelope follower and filter, determining the effect’s dynamic response. The peak knob the filter Q or emphasis of the frequency sweep, while the mode knob selects between low-, high-, and band-pass filters, plus a useful new mix mode that blends dry and filtered signal.

Read the rest of the review: http://bit.ly/BeigelTruTron3xReview