Synth HP/LP Filters for Mixing, vol.1

Product Description

This library is available in 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96khz sample rates (you get all 4 sample rates when purchasing).

This release contains programs for Nebula which were sampled from three very different Eurorack synth filter modules. These programs can’t be used for filter sweeps, or high resonance, but instead were made and optimized for use in typical mixing or sound design applications that require the use of high pass or low pass filters. They were also built to have the filtering, and sampled dynamics and harmonics, all contained in the same program.

The filters do not offer fully variable adjustment of the cutoff frequency, but allow switching between many fixed positions which are fairly close together, ensuring that you should always be able to get a setting that fits what you need. All but one of the 10 filters here does have a fully variable/adjustable ‘width’ control. You can look at the graphs in the manual here to see all of the positions that were sampled for all of the programs, as well as the range of the width control, and more information about each sampled module and the programs themselves.

There are programs for both HP and LP filter types from all three modules, as well as a band-pass from two of them, and a notch from the other. I actually sampled two differently shaped LP filters from one of the modules, so in total there are 10 unique filters here. For each of those 10 filters, there is a ‘clean’ version which uses less resources, and a ‘full’ version which adds dynamics and in all but one case also adds harmonics.

In my opinion, the best filter of the 3 is the one I call the “S-Slope”. It was sampled from a licensed remake of a filter from a well known line of modules from the 1970s (often associated with so-called “west coast” synthesis techniques). I’ve sampled an LP, HP, and band-pass filter from this module, for use here. This filter module’s main attraction is its “slope” control, which allows you to vary the slope of the filtering from very gentle to sharp. I’ve sampled that range, and also allowed you to get a small resonant ‘bump’ at the cutoff point, of around 2.5-3dB. The resulting program allows for very precise filtering with lots of adjustment. The many cutoff positions available, together with the slope control, ensure that you will be able to dial in exactly the filtering you need.

I call the programs I made from the next module “AST”, and it includes an HP, two LP filters (one is ‘leaky’ and lets more of the filtered signal through), and a BP. Although they lack the adjustable slope of the “S-Slope” programs, the width control still adjusts through a nice range. These filters definitely sound different from the others, and you should find them very useful.

“Stinger” is what I call the programs from the last module, which is a clone of the filter section of the 1970s Wasp synthesizer. The circuit uses a unique method to achieve the filtering, and results in an equally unique sound. There are HP, LP, and notch filters on offer from this one. There is always a small resonant hump with the HP/LP programs here, even when you turn the ‘width’ control all the way down, but the unique sound of this one should find its uses in your arsenal.

These are high quality filter programs and I’ve put more work into these than any of my Nebula filters. I used a very nice in/out module allowing me to interface to the modular environment as transparently as possible. It’s called the ACL Audio Interface, and unless you overdrive it, it provides a flat frequency response through the audible range with no harmonics showing up under analysis. Using this as my interface allowed me to produce programs that only sound like the filters I sampled, with the best quality possible.

Check the manual to see these graphs for every filter, but here’s an example graph showing every sampled freq position for the S-Slope LP:

Here’s a graph showing the range of the ‘width’ control in the S-Slope LP. Notice how much this control alters the shape and allows for emphasis of a few dB at max setting:

Finally, below are some videos I made showing off the filters and Max’s GUI. The first one is for the HP filters, and goes through every freq position with width at 0% (providing the most gentle slope), then with width at 100%, which always adds a resonant hump emphasizing the cut-off freqs. First I demonstrate them all using the ‘clean’ versions which have no sampled dynamics or harmonics, then towards the end I switch to the ‘full’ versions to show the difference the harmonics can make. They’re usually subtle, but become more noticeable as I use the ‘trim’ control to drive the programs very close to 0dBFS (watch the peak hold meter/readout). This often results in the infamous ‘chirps’ or other ear-splitting results in other Nebula programs, but not here.

This next video is the same thing but with the LP filters. Notice how I switch between the ‘AST’ LP1 and LP2 filters to demonstrate how the LP2 filter does sound different. It allows some of the filtered audio through which is why I call it ‘leaky’. You can see the difference in shape in the graphs shown in the manual.

This final video shows both of the BP filters and the Notch.

Max has done another great skin for this one, which allows you to switch between all of the available programs to audition them all, quickly and easily. Check out his patreon.