Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 13:12:32 -0800
From: Chris Meyer <cybchris@cybmotion.com>
To: analogue@hyperreal.org
Subject: Re:[AH] Electrix effects

At 8:39 PM +0000 11/12/99, analogue wrote:
>...Electrix...filter bank...

>(I seem to
>recall someone on this list did a filter review recently... was this
>one included? I'd be curious to see how it stacks up against e.g. a
>Sherman.)

There are a lot of plusses and minuses with this unit.

If you are doing rhythmic or live stuff, you'll like it; a lot of things
like LFOs syncing to MIDI clocks, buttons to momentarily gate effects in
and out, etc.

The filter is of a certain flavor that will appeal to some, and not to
others. It leans towards the thin/hard sound, ala' more Korg MS than Moog.
It goes into resonance REALLY EASILY - esp. in 4-pole mode (which are a
pair of 2 poles each resonanting in series). Yeah for sample & hold. Boo
for no real envelope - just a triggered single-shot LFO. Overdrive is very
"electronic" sounding, like a hi-fi in massive overload - "pealing" rather
than shredding guitar or tubelike distortion.

It differs from the Sherman in that the Sherman has real envelopes but does
not have triggered LFOs. Although the Sherman's filters are a little on the
"thin" side too, it is in a different way - the Sherman is a bit more
squishy. The Sherman's envelope follower is more flexible, as is its voice
structure (i.e. you can have two entirely different filter chains, in
parallel or series; the Sherman also has forms of AM and FM). The Electrix,
OTOH, makes stereo dead simple - one set of knobs for everything. The
Sherman's overdrive is more shredding in nature. The Electrix is quieter
overall.

As noted by Blandon, the Sherman overall is indeed the most "sound
shredding" oriented of the filterbanks. I think the Electrix is really
aimed at DJs. The Electrix is very cost-effective and slick, although I
couldn't help but to think it was the first "disposable" filterbank I had
seen - the others are more like analog synths you'll have for a few years,
than a multifx unit which might get superceded in a year or so.

>Anyway, although I liked the filter

I _almost_ got one as well - I honestly wasn't all that fond of its filter
characteristics (I'm one in the apparent minority who _doesn't_ like the
Korg MS filters <g> - ah, I grew up a Moog man <gg>) - but its live
performance capabilities were very nearly enough to get me over that, since
predictable, fast live performance performance (if you get my meaning) is
my #1 need.

BTW, Recording keeps promising my filterbank article (very long and
detailed, although maybe aimed a bit lower than the typical AH'ers
experience level) will be out at NAMM, in the Feb 2000 issue.

BTW2, Electrix is an offshot if IVL - the company that had done pitch
followers and pitch shifter under their own name and others for many, many
years. A relatively small company in their own right.

 - CM

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