The typographic font used for the model name is pretty groovy too.
#Maxon auto filter series#
Like all Ibanez ‘0’ series pedals, the AF 201 is very robust with its solid, heavy die cast zinc casing.
#Maxon auto filter manual#
Sadly, there is no box or manual with this one. This particular 1981 vintage pedal with the black ‘Made in Japan’ label is in very impressive all‑original condition for its age and all the controls work perfectly. It is worth making an investment in time to explore the permutations available, as there are some great funky vowel‑like sounds to be discovered. Some combinations of settings are knockout while some permutations are subtle and much less effective. The downside of such flexibility is the need to familiarise oneself with the interdependent possibilities in order to be able dial in just that right tone to recreate a specific situation again and again. The analogue AF 201 provides guitarists and bass players alike with 5 controls comprising 2 sliders and 3 switches to fine tune the Auto Filter’s signature sounds and to access an almost unlimited range of convincing auto‑wah sounds. Wowee! Or should that be, whawee! Now this is one rare and highly collectable little beast and, take my word, it is well worth that expensive exclamation mark! This is a 1981 Ibanez AF 201 Auto Filter in a funky cool orange hue. To‑date, Ibanez has not sought to reissue the Auto Filter, making them quite pricey on the vintage market. The AF 201 was superseded by the Ibanez AF9 from c.1982 alongside a Maxon‑branded, AF‑9 version. Other than the company’s Graphic Equaliser pedals (GE 601/GE9), the AF 201 is unusual in the Ibanez line up in that there are no control knobs to play with, only sliders and switches.
The AF 201 is probably less familiar than competing models from Boss (Touch Wah/T Wah), Electro-Harmonix (Zipper/Doctor Q) and MXR (Envelope Filter). The auto‑generated wah‑type effects were popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly with funk and rhythm‑centric beats – it certainly produces very evocative sounds that are very much of its time. The AF 201 is an envelope filter producing various auto‑wah sounds loosely based on the pioneering Musitronics Mu‑Tron III. Its design belongs to the same relatively short‑lived ‘0’ series pedals as Ibanez’s most famous pedal, the TS‑808 Tube Screamer, characterised by the distinctive square footswitch. The AF 201 falls into ‘well-kept secret’ territory and is relatively hard to find on the vintage market. Please note: A power supply is not included.The Ibanez AF 201 Auto Filter is a relatively scarce effect pedal from Japanese giant Ibanez and manufactured by their business partner, Maxon.Since the AF-9 can switch between three filters (high pass, band pass and low pass), it's compatible with almost all instruments and works especially well with a bass guitar to bring Bootsy Collins-style funk to the stage. In Down mode, the sound is best described as a traditional 'wah', while in Up mode, the effect is reversed and sounds like a wah-wah pedal being moved upwards. The filter can work both ways and drive the sound up or down. Using the Sensitivity control, you can decide how hard you need to strike a note before the filter responds, while the Peak control is used to boost the frequency range set using the Range switch and emphasizes the 'quack' effect of the filter - similar to the resonance parameter of a filter pedal or synth. Next to the Range switch to determine the frequency range for the effect, the AF-9 features sensitivity and peak parameters that are tweaked via two dedicated controls. The AF-9 Auto Filter is Maxon's take on the legendary Mutron III envelope filter and, we have to admit, its organic wah-sounds live and breathe Seventies funk and soul and have a vocal-like quality.
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