From shojo@pln.comMon Mar 20 13:15:53 1995
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 95 03:37:37 
From: Robert Schmeltzer <shojo@pln.com>
To: analogue@hyperreal.com
Subject: Mutron Trivia

Mutron made other things besides the Bi-Phase. I sold my 
Mutron II Phaser a few months ago, but still have my 
Mutron III (not selling it). The Bi-Phase is about the size of 
two phone books put side to side, has switchable 
waveforms and various input-output selections, kind of 
blue and purple color scheme. If you see one, get it, you 
will love it. The Mutron II Phaser is about the size of two 
regular stomp boxes. It has controls for rate, depth and 
amount (going from memory), orange and red colors. If you 
see one for less than $30, it's worth it, but otherwise it is the 
worst phaser I've heard. It is certainly not worth $100-$150 
as I have seen them advertised for. I have seen but not 
heard a Mutron Octave divider, green colors. I've saved the 
Mutron III for last, because it is amazing. I've heard 
envelope followers before, but none can compare to the 
Mutron III.  I got mine almost ten years ago at a swap meet 
because it looked funny and kind of lame.  Boy what a 
great find. It does standard wah type sounds, sort of 
inverse-wah and many indescribable variations. It also can 
add a fuzz type distortion, but the amount is controllable. 
I've heard the Mutron III is selling for $200-$300 which is 
kind of shocking in the same way that TB-303s sell for 
anything more than $50-$100. The controls on the Mutron 
III are: "Mode", a three position rotary switch to switch 
between "LP, BP, HP" which I assume is Low Pass, etc. 
judging from the sound; "Peak" and "Gain" are both rotary 
pots;  "Range" a two position rocker switch with 'low' and 
'high';  "Drive" a two position rocker switch with 'down' and 
'up', "Power" a two position rocker switch with 'off' and 'on'. 
And lastly the button you stomp on to switch the effect on 
and off. It sucks up two 9-volt batteries at a time and has a 
very strange jack on the back for a power adaptor. All the 
Mutrons come in cases that are thick steel; these pedals 
could be dropped out of airplanes and live. The PCB inside 
is mounted very solidly. Black and blue colored. If you want 
to hear what it sounds like, find some Bootsy Collins. I 
enjoy pumping drum machines or my CZ-101 through it. 
Everyone that's ever played with my Mutron, regardless of 
their musical tastes, always says "Wow, that's a pretty wild 
sound."
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\\\Robert Schmeltzer\\\\\\\\\"I listen to a solo and I think of a duet"\\\\\\\
\\\\\shojo@pln.com\\\\\\\\\\\\\Fabio, from his CD, "After Dark"\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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