Filter Review – 3Leaf Audio Groove Regulator

From the maker:

Welcome to 3Leaf Audio, home of the fattest, funkiest envelope filter ever created. Handmade in Seattle, Washington, the award-winning Groove Regulator is derived from the circuit of the legendary Lovetone Meatball and enhanced for extra funk. While many competitors are adopting a “more is better” mentality and cramming the most switches, knobs and jacks into their pedals as possible, the Groove Regulator represents the perfect blend of versatility and simplicity. It’s designed to sound good on any setting, without the hours of tweaking required from other pedals. It works with any instrument and is guaranteed to give you the most funk for your buck of any effects pedal out there.

Weight 14.3 oz (406 g)
Power Requirements 9v DC, 25mA max
Battery Life 15 – 20 hours
Jacks: Instrument in/out, FX Loop send/return
Controls: Sensitivity, Attack, Decay, Intensity, Range, Feedback, Sweep
Bypass: 3PDT True Bypass
Status Indicator: LED
Warranty: Lifetime warranty against defects
Price: $199

• Handbuilt in Seattle, Washington, USA
• 100% analog circuit
• Derived from the circuit of the Lovetone Meatball
• Freqency response that works on any instrument
• Durable 2mm-thick aluminum enclosure
• High-quality powdercoat finish

Manual (pdf)

Initial thoughts:

I first heard of this pedal before it was a pedal. Spencer, the brain behind the GR and 3Leaf audio was asking questions about what people wanted from a Meatball clone on talkbass. In my infinite wisdom, I suggested that the blend knob was “half the magic”, and why would you leave that off? I’ll say it now, and blaze it into the history of the interwebs…

I was wrong.

Someone take a picture of that and frame it. ;)

Video Overview

Picture Gallery

Construction and cosmetic concerns:

Using a standard sized hammond enclosure makes it more palatable for most people when compared to the size of the original Lovetone Meatball. That said, there is still a lot of magic packed into this box. The pedal is nicely powder-coated in black and silk screened with gold graphics and lettering. All the hardware is high quality and the inside of the box are extremely professional looking. This is not a fly-by-night product being crafted in the back of a garage, well if it is… it’s a damn nice garage. Shake test is a no brainier, silent. The only niggle I have is that the power connector is inset deeper than most, so using an angled power connector with a short barrel leaves the connection a little loose.

Conclusion:

I’m not a gusher, and I usually hedge my words of praise to help my opinions come off as more than a series of sound bites. In this particular case, screw that… this pedal kicks ass! I love it! It sounds fat and warm, or seriously quacky. While it doesn’t have a volume control it never explodes out of control like some filters. The feedback switch can be used to reel it in if it does start to get out of control on a particular setting. The filter is all sweet spot, where you can dial in the flavor that makes you happy without struggling through hundreds of useless settings. This pedal was here on loan, and I’ll be investing in one.

As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment or let me know Note: A rating of 5 = acceptable and should considered a good basic score