Andy's Vintage Picks Video: The 1976 MXR Envelope Filter

So far already, Andy has highlighted a couple of his favorite vintage stompboxes, like the '83 Boss BF-2 Flanger and the '88 ProCo Rat 2. Today, he's back to highlight another of his favorite oldies: the 1976 MXR Envelope Filter.

The pedal's configuration is super simple, only featuring and off/on footswitch and two knobs—one for setting the threshold (which has a really wide range for playing guitar, bass, or keys) and the other for setting the attack time. The attack time can be set to feel more relaxed, like a wah effect, or you can set it to really grasp onto each note and chord you play.

The pedal's tone is round and bubbly overall—in contrast to other filters, with their more laser-like resonance—and Andy suggests setting the threshold to match your guitar's output for the best-sounding performance from the pedal. Be sure to check out the rest of the video in full to hear more of what this vintage classic can do, and click here to buy your own on Reverb right now.