Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter vs Subdecay Proteus MKII Sample

The Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter and the Subdecay Proteus MKII Sample are both pedals. The Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter leans analog warmth and dynamic. The Subdecay Proteus MKII Sample leans modulated and mid-forward.

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.

48% somewhat different

Shared genres
citedGenres both listings are associated with.
  • Funk
Citation fame
citedCitation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.
0%
0%
Price

$270via Reverb

Description

The Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter is an analog envelope filter that opens and closes an optical photocoupler filter in response to pick attack, producing the warm, vowel-like, liquid and shimmering sweep associated with vintage units like the Mu-Tron III. It offers low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass filter modes with switchable direction, plus threshold and peak controls that shape how quickly and how far the filter sweeps. Two selectable frequency ranges let it track both guitar and bass cleanly. It is closely associated with funk and soul playing, where its liquid, three-dimensional quacking response reacts directly to how hard notes are picked, and it remains a favored alternative to pricier vintage envelope filters for players chasing that vowel-like auto-wah character.

The Subdecay Proteus MKII is an envelope and sample/hold filter pedal from Subdecay of Oregon, built around an all-analogue OTA filter core similar to vintage Maestro units with digital control for tap tempo and mode switching. In envelope mode it tracks pick attack for classic vocal, quacking auto-wah sweeps; in sample/hold mode it steps the filter to random pitches for stuttering, bubbling, unpredictable synth-like textures locked to tap tempo. The resonance control moves the voice from subtle and rounded through to greasy, gritty, sharply peaked synth tones, and an external switch selects low-pass for a fat, sweeping character or band-pass for a thinner, more vocal and nasal response. It suits players after funk-flavoured filter movement as well as generative, rhythmic and experimental modulation textures.

Genres
citedGenres this gear is documented as being used in.
  • Alternative Rock
  • Metal
  • Soul
  • Experimental
Tonal lean
  • analog warmth
  • dynamic
  • modulated
  • mid-forward

Related searches

Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter vs Subdecay Proteus MKII Sample — Shared Character & Differences — NodeTone