Carl Martin Ottawa Vintage Optical Envelope Auto-Wah/Envelope Filter vs Electro-Harmonix Riddle Q Balls

The Carl Martin Ottawa Vintage Optical Envelope Auto-Wah/Envelope Filter and the Electro-Harmonix Riddle Q Balls are both pedals sharing dynamic. The Carl Martin Ottawa Vintage Optical Envelope Auto-Wah/Envelope Filter leans transparent and analog warmth. Current prices: $149.31 vs $155.13.

Similarity
citedBlended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.

59% moderately similar

Shared genres
citedGenres both listings are associated with.
  • Funk
  • Soul
Shared tone character
citedDerived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.
  • dynamic
Citation fame
citedCitation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.
0%
0%
Price

$149.31via Reverb

$155.13via Reverb

Description

The Carl Martin Ottawa is an analog optical envelope filter pedal delivering vintage auto-wah and filter sweep effects triggered by picking attack. Three selectable filter modes (High Pass, Band Pass, Low Pass) provide distinct frequency response characters. Q control shapes resonance, while Attack and Tone controls adjust filter timing and high-frequency content. Approximately 14mA current draw. Danish boutique analog construction. Produces classic funky envelope filter tones for guitar and bass without a treadle.

The Electro-Harmonix Riddle is a Q-Balls style guitar envelope filter pedal from Electro-Harmonix, delivering pick-attack-responsive auto-wah filter sweeps with Q, Range, Mix, and Drive controls. The Riddle produces funky, dynamic filter sweeps that follow playing dynamics with adjustable Q resonance for sharp filter peaks and Drive for adding harmonic content. Operates in both guitar and bass frequency ranges via Range control.

Tonal lean
  • transparent
  • analog warmth

Related searches

Carl Martin Ottawa Vintage Optical Envelope Auto-Wah/Envelope Filter vs Electro-Harmonix Riddle Q Balls — Shared Character & Differences — NodeTone