The Distiller CE (Combinator Edition) is a small, onboard variable low-pass filter from JTEX Electronics, announced on 23 July 2024 as a joint project with Combinator. It is not a pedal: it installs in the instrument itself, and it was announced as a modular and affordable onboard tone shaping solution for bassists and guitarists12.
What it does to your sound
A low-pass filter rolls off the top of the signal above a set point. What makes the Distiller CE unusual is how it applies that. Rather than acting as a full-range filter, JTEX describes it as operating more as a top-end "tuner" of pickups' resonant peaks12. Every pickup has a resonant peak somewhere in the upper range, and that peak is a large part of why two pickups with similar specs can sound so different. By filtering around that region, the Distiller CE shapes the character of the top end rather than simply darkening the whole signal.
The circuit is originally based on Alembic's famous and unique 12dB-per-octave filter12. Alembic's onboard filters have a long history in high-end bass design, and that 12dB-per-octave slope is the starting point for the Distiller circuit.
Controls
The Distiller CE keeps its control set simple, with two 3-way selections:
| Control | Settings | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Resonance | 3-way, custom tuned by Combinator | Sets how the filter behaves around the pickup's resonant peak1 |
| Boost | Flat/no boost, +5dB, +12dB | Three fixed levels of level lift1 |
Both the Distiller and the Distiller CE share the same 3-way selectable boost control12. The resonance control's three positions were custom tuned by Combinator, which is what distinguishes the Combinator Edition from the stock circuit1.
The Distiller CE versus the Distiller
The Distiller CE is offered as a revision of JTEX's stock Distiller circuit12. The two share the Alembic-based filter design and the same boost control. The CE's difference is the 3-way resonance control, custom tuned by Combinator, replacing whatever resonance arrangement the stock Distiller carries1. If you want the filter with Combinator's voicing choices, the CE is that version; the stock Distiller is the base circuit it revises.
Who uses it
Combinator, the bassist, vocalist and producer Sean Fairchild, uses the Distiller CE in place of a typical preamp's active treble or passive tone control1. That is a useful illustration of the design intent: rather than a broad treble cut, the filter is positioned as a more targeted way to shape the top end of an instrument's voice.
The Distiller CE is an onboard unit, so it lives in the instrument rather than on a pedalboard. Players comparing it with pedal-format filters should look at the filter pedals category for floor-based alternatives.
Videos
Combinator / Sean Fairchild
Questions
What is the JTEX Distiller CE?
The Distiller CE (Combinator Edition) is a small, onboard variable low-pass filter made by JTEX Electronics and custom tuned by Combinator. It is offered as a revision of JTEX's stock Distiller circuit, and it works more as a top-end tuner of a pickup's resonant peaks than as a full-range filter. It was announced in July 2024 as a modular, affordable onboard tone shaping solution for bassists and guitarists.
Is the Distiller CE a pedal or an onboard bass circuit?
It is an onboard circuit, not a pedal. The Distiller CE is described as a small, onboard LPF (low-pass filter) that installs in the instrument itself, announced as a modular and affordable onboard tone shaping solution. It sits in the bass or guitar rather than on a pedalboard.
What is the Alembic filter the Distiller CE is based on?
The Distiller circuit, of which the CE is a revision, was originally based on Alembic's famous and unique 12dB-per-octave filter. That filter design is the starting point for the Distiller CE's low-pass filtering.
What boost settings does the Distiller CE have?
Both the Distiller and the Distiller CE feature a 3-way selectable boost control, with settings for flat or no boost, +5dB, and +12dB. That gives three fixed levels of level lift alongside the filter's resonance control.
What is the difference between the Distiller and the Distiller CE?
The Distiller CE (Combinator Edition) is a revision of JTEX's stock Distiller circuit. The CE version adds a 3-way resonance control custom tuned by Combinator, the bassist, vocalist and producer Sean Fairchild, while both versions share the same 3-way selectable boost control and the same Alembic-based filter design.
Sources (2)
- New Bass Product, Bass Gear Magazine, 2024-07-23
- JTEX Electronics Unveils the Distiller CE (Combinator Edition) Onboard Low Pass Filter, Bass Magazine, 2024-07-23
