Poison Noises The Postman Envelope Filter V2 is an envelope filter pedal, the kind of effect that opens and closes a filter based on how hard you pick rather than on a timer or a footpedal. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it at its August 2022 release, describes it as bringing "a wide range of filtered, auto-wah sounds to the table," and sums it up as "a versatile and easy to dial in envelope filter"1.
What it does to your sound
Because the filter follows your playing dynamics, the same knob settings give different results at different attack levels. Pedal of the Day describes the range this way: "Open it up for an aggressively sharp sweep, or dial it back for a softer bubbly swell"1. Players who know wah-wah pedals can think of The Postman as the touch-driven cousin: no rocking motion needed, just pick harder or softer.
The controls
The pedal's six controls carry a postal theme, and each maps to a familiar envelope filter function1:
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Send | Volume |
| Deliver | Sensitivity |
| Lick | Range |
| Stamp | Attack |
| Swing | Switch for a reverse envelope sound |
| Bias (Forward) | Dial in your forward voltage |
Send, Deliver, Lick and Stamp are the core four: "Send (volume), Deliver (sensitivity), Lick (range) and Stamp (attack) let you control the funk," as Pedal of the Day puts it1. Deliver sets how strongly the pedal reacts to your input, Lick sets how far the filter travels, and Stamp shapes the attack of the sweep.
The V2 adds the Bias control, labeled Forward. "Now with an added Bias control (Forward), you can really dial in your forward voltage," the review notes, a change that came with Poison Noises releasing new versions of its entire lineup of effects pedals in 20221.
The Swing switch reverses the envelope's direction. Pedal of the Day describes flipping it as giving "a reverse envelope sound unlike anything you've ever heard"1.
Background
The Postman V2 arrived in August 2022 as part of an overhauled Poison Noises lineup, joining the maker's newly released versions of its whole range of pedals1.
Videos
Poison Noises
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What does the Swing switch do on The Postman?
The Swing switch flips the envelope so the filter moves in reverse. Pedal of the Day describes flipping it as giving a reverse envelope sound, which puts the sweep in the opposite direction from a normal envelope filter and opens up sounds outside the usual auto-wah territory.
Is The Postman an auto-wah?
It is an envelope filter, which is the circuit family the auto-wah belongs to. Pedal of the Day describes it as bringing a wide range of filtered, auto-wah sounds, driven by how hard you play rather than by a footpedal like a wah-wah.
What does the Bias control do on The Postman V2?
Bias, labeled Forward, is new to the V2. It lets you dial in your forward voltage, which changes the character of the filter's response. Pedal of the Day notes it was added to the original design when Poison Noises refreshed its lineup in 2022.
What does the Lick knob control?
Lick is the range control. Together with Send (volume), Deliver (sensitivity) and Stamp (attack), it sets how far the filter sweeps, letting you go from an aggressively sharp sweep to a softer bubbly swell.
Sources (1)
- Poison Noises The Postman Envelope Filter V2, Pedal of the Day, 2022-08-12