Mutron
Encyclopedia
Musitronics, often shortened to Mu-tron, was a manufacturer of electronic musical effects active in the 1970s. Their product line focused on filtering and processing effects derived from synthesizer components. Among their most well-known products were the Mu-tron III envelope filter, and the Bi-phase.
Company History=
The Musitronics Corporation of Rosemont, New Jersey was formed in 1972 in an attempt to salvage an aborted synthesizer project. Founder Mike Beigel had initially been tapped to design a synthesizer for Guild Guitars. After Guild President Alfred Dronge was killed in a plane crash in 1970, the company made the decision to shut down their electronic division to focus strictly on guitars, abruptly pulling the plug on Beigel’s synthesizer. Subsequently, Beigel teamed up with Guild’s former chief engineer, Aaron Newman, to form Musitronics. They decided to extract sections from the synthesizer and see if they could make a new stand-alone audio effect out of it. The result was first called the Auto Wah, and then marketed as the Mu-tron III. Synthesizer inventor Bob Moog's affidavit helped get the patent. The Mu-tron III became quite popular thanks in part to Stevie Wonder
's use and endorsement of the pedal.
The company offered traditional effects such as simple phase shifters, flangers, and foot-operated wah pedals as well.
In 1978 Musitronics was sold to ARP (a synthesizer company that was in the process of imploding financially with a guitar synth called the Avatar) on a royalty basis, but they folded before the original owners of Musitronics could ever collect any money. Musitronics became Gizmo Incorporated and continued to try their hand at products, but it ended when Aaron Newman suffered a heart attack.
The Mu-tron III was an instant success, earning endorsements from jazz/fusion guitarist Larry Coryell, as well as Stevie Wonder, who used it on his Clavinet for the song “Higher Ground.” The pedal found favor with an eclectic variety of musicians playing in many diverse genres. Bootsy Collins used the Mu-tron III on his bass with Parliament/Funkadelic and Jerry Garcia made the Mu-tron III part of his signature lead guitar sound with the Grateful Dead.
Beigel was successfully granted a patent for the circuitry of the Mu-tron III. Musitronics licensed the Mu-tron III circuitry to a few different companies in the seventies – the Univox Funky Filter and Monacor Effectmatic are notable examples.
The original Mu-tron III ran on 18V, using two 9V batteries; this gave it a wider dynamic range and more headroom. There was also the optional PS-1 power supply, with later versions featuring built-in AC power supplies. The Mu-tron III also used opto-isolators to control the filter, which was novel for the time. This same method would also be used for the Mu-tron Phasor II and Bi-Phase. The state variable filter in the Mu-tron III allowed for low-pass, bandpass, and high-pass filter response, which could be triggered from low to high or vice versa. When ARP Instruments bought Musitronics in ‘79, they made the Mu-tron line for about a year before going out of business, and the Mu-tron III was no more. With the advent of the stompbox revival of the nineties, the Mu-tron III became one of the big-ticket items for collectors and players alike. There was a reissue of sorts – the HAZ Mu-tron III+, but inventor Mike Beigel says this is not an authorized version and the circuit is not exactly the same.
In early 1995, however, Beigel did lend his expertise to Electro-Harmonix
, creating an update of his original design, the Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron. Three other pedals, the Mini Q-Tron, Micro Q-Tron and Q-Tron+, are available from EHX as well, who now also offer the Bi-Filter, a modern version of Beigel Sound Lab's Envelope Controlled Filter, made in 1979.
effects were common in the 1970s, but the Mu-tron Biphase combined two phase shifting circuits to create, according to the company, "super-deep phasing, or stereo phasing, or synchronized phasing of separate instruments." The unit could be connected to an optional rocking foot pedal so that the effect could be operated in the manner of a Wah-wah pedal
. Lee "Scratch" Perry used a prototype Bi-phase unit in his dub
productions. The effect can be heard in the intro to Porno Creep on Korn
's album Life is Peachy
.
amplifiers. These included the Green Ringer, an octave effect, the Yellow Humper, a frequency booster designed for bass guitar
, the Purple Peaker, a similar boost effect for electric guitar, and the Orange Squeezer, a signal compressor.
The Gizmo
An effects device developed by Lol Creme
and Kevin Godley
of 10cc
, manufactured by an offshoot of Musitronics called Gizmotronics. The device used motor-driven plastic wheels to produce infinitely sustained notes on a guitar. The device was problematic, and Gizmotronics entered bankruptcy before very many had been produced.
External links=
Company History=
The Musitronics Corporation of Rosemont, New Jersey was formed in 1972 in an attempt to salvage an aborted synthesizer project. Founder Mike Beigel had initially been tapped to design a synthesizer for Guild Guitars. After Guild President Alfred Dronge was killed in a plane crash in 1970, the company made the decision to shut down their electronic division to focus strictly on guitars, abruptly pulling the plug on Beigel’s synthesizer. Subsequently, Beigel teamed up with Guild’s former chief engineer, Aaron Newman, to form Musitronics. They decided to extract sections from the synthesizer and see if they could make a new stand-alone audio effect out of it. The result was first called the Auto Wah, and then marketed as the Mu-tron III. Synthesizer inventor Bob Moog's affidavit helped get the patent. The Mu-tron III became quite popular thanks in part to Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's use and endorsement of the pedal.
The company offered traditional effects such as simple phase shifters, flangers, and foot-operated wah pedals as well.
In 1978 Musitronics was sold to ARP (a synthesizer company that was in the process of imploding financially with a guitar synth called the Avatar) on a royalty basis, but they folded before the original owners of Musitronics could ever collect any money. Musitronics became Gizmo Incorporated and continued to try their hand at products, but it ended when Aaron Newman suffered a heart attack.
Mu-tron III
Aaron Newman had approached Mike Beigel with the idea of developing a product based on the synthesizer project. So Beigel began working on the idea of making a product to generate synthesizer-like sounds without actually using a synthesizer. Extracting elements from one of his Guild prototypes called the Timbre Generator, Beigel came up with the Mu-tron III, the first stand-alone envelope-controlled filter that could be used for any number of electric instruments. Beigel said he chose the envelope-controlled filter over other synthesizer elements, such as ring modulation, because it sounded more musical; it was a more general effect that would lend itself to a variety of applications, and it was easy to use.The Mu-tron III was an instant success, earning endorsements from jazz/fusion guitarist Larry Coryell, as well as Stevie Wonder, who used it on his Clavinet for the song “Higher Ground.” The pedal found favor with an eclectic variety of musicians playing in many diverse genres. Bootsy Collins used the Mu-tron III on his bass with Parliament/Funkadelic and Jerry Garcia made the Mu-tron III part of his signature lead guitar sound with the Grateful Dead.
Beigel was successfully granted a patent for the circuitry of the Mu-tron III. Musitronics licensed the Mu-tron III circuitry to a few different companies in the seventies – the Univox Funky Filter and Monacor Effectmatic are notable examples.
The original Mu-tron III ran on 18V, using two 9V batteries; this gave it a wider dynamic range and more headroom. There was also the optional PS-1 power supply, with later versions featuring built-in AC power supplies. The Mu-tron III also used opto-isolators to control the filter, which was novel for the time. This same method would also be used for the Mu-tron Phasor II and Bi-Phase. The state variable filter in the Mu-tron III allowed for low-pass, bandpass, and high-pass filter response, which could be triggered from low to high or vice versa. When ARP Instruments bought Musitronics in ‘79, they made the Mu-tron line for about a year before going out of business, and the Mu-tron III was no more. With the advent of the stompbox revival of the nineties, the Mu-tron III became one of the big-ticket items for collectors and players alike. There was a reissue of sorts – the HAZ Mu-tron III+, but inventor Mike Beigel says this is not an authorized version and the circuit is not exactly the same.
In early 1995, however, Beigel did lend his expertise to Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix is a New York-based company that makes high-end electronic audio processors. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. They are most famous for a series of popular guitar effects pedals introduced in the 1970s and 1990s....
, creating an update of his original design, the Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron. Three other pedals, the Mini Q-Tron, Micro Q-Tron and Q-Tron+, are available from EHX as well, who now also offer the Bi-Filter, a modern version of Beigel Sound Lab's Envelope Controlled Filter, made in 1979.
Mu-tron Bi-phase
PhaserPhaser (effect)
A phaser is an audio signal processing technique used to filter a signal by creating a series of peaks and troughs in the frequency spectrum. The position of the peaks and troughs is typically modulated so that they vary over time, creating a sweeping effect...
effects were common in the 1970s, but the Mu-tron Biphase combined two phase shifting circuits to create, according to the company, "super-deep phasing, or stereo phasing, or synchronized phasing of separate instruments." The unit could be connected to an optional rocking foot pedal so that the effect could be operated in the manner of a Wah-wah pedal
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
. Lee "Scratch" Perry used a prototype Bi-phase unit in his dub
Dub
Dub or dubbing may refer to:* Accolade, the conferring of knighthood-Arts and entertainment:* Dubbing , the copying of audio recordings from one medium to another...
productions. The effect can be heard in the intro to Porno Creep on Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
's album Life is Peachy
Life Is Peachy
Life Is Peachy is the second studio album by the American nu metal band Korn, released on October 15, 1996 through Immortal/Epic Records. Following the success of their 1994 self-titled debut, Korn earned a second double platinum album in the United States, certified by the Recording Industry...
.
Mu-tron Phasor
Mu-tron's original phasor using transconductance amps. A simpler design than the Bi-phase, it included only rate and depth controls. The Phasor II introduced additional functionality brought over from the Bi-phase.Dan Armstrong effects
Between 1976-1978 Musitronics manufactured a series of modular, plug-in effects for Dan ArmstrongDan Armstrong
Dan Armstrong was a guitarist, luthier, and session musician.-Biography:Dan Kent Armstrong was born on October 7, 1934 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He started playing the guitar at age 11, and moved to New York in the early 1960s in order to work as a studio musician and guitar repairman...
amplifiers. These included the Green Ringer, an octave effect, the Yellow Humper, a frequency booster designed for bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, the Purple Peaker, a similar boost effect for electric guitar, and the Orange Squeezer, a signal compressor.
Mu-tron Octave Divider
Produced an octave above and below the input signal. Utitlized the same circuit as the "Green Ringer".Mu-tron Flanger
A "bucket brigade" flanger which offered extensive control of effect parameters.The GizmoThe GizmoThe Gizmo was an effects device for the electric guitar, invented ca. 1973 by the English rock musicians Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, whilst they were members of the British rock group 10cc....
An effects device developed by Lol CremeLol Crème
Lol Creme is an English musician and music video director, best known for his work in 10cc. He sings, plays guitar and keyboards.-Biography:...
and Kevin Godley
Kevin Godley
Kevin Godley is a British musician and music video director.He was born in a family of Jewish descent, and went to North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham....
of 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
, manufactured by an offshoot of Musitronics called Gizmotronics. The device used motor-driven plastic wheels to produce infinitely sustained notes on a guitar. The device was problematic, and Gizmotronics entered bankruptcy before very many had been produced.
External links=
- http://www.mu-tron.org/
- http://www.beitec.com/stomp.htm
- http://www.ehx.com/browse/envelope-filters