SoundToys Filter Freak (Mac)

May 1, 2004 12:00 PM, By Nick Peck

Overall EM Rating (1 through 5): 4.5

SoundToys (formerly Wave Mechanics) has released FilterFreak ($249), an analog-style multimode filtering plug-in for Mac-based Pro Tools systems. It features one or two bands of filtering, a master section, and an extensive modulation section. Its architecture is clear and consistent, and its suitably high-tech retro graphics provide a snappy oscilloscope-like display. FilterFreak's capabilities are quite deep, but you can easily produce interesting musical results within minutes. Hundreds of factory patches show off the plug-in's varied capabilities and make good starting points for experimentation.

FilterFreak ships with RTAS, AudioSuite, and HTDM versions for Mac OS 9 and OS X, and it requires an iLok hardware key for copy protection. The plug-in is host based, running on the CPU even on TDM systems. It can be processor intensive, particularly when analog-saturation modeling is switched on. I tested FilterFreak using a dual-processor Mac G4/867 MHz, Pro Tools TDM 6.2.2 software, and Pro Tools|HD 3 Accel hardware. The plug-in was stable; however, I encountered some graphical anomalies when Pro Tools automation was engaged.

Section Selection

FilterFreak's two filter bands can be routed in parallel or in series at the click of a switch. When you engage the Link switch, the second filter tracks any movements you make on the first filter's knobs. Each band has a Shape knob for choosing whether its filter type is lowpass, bandpass, highpass, or band-reject. The Poles knob selects the slope of the filter curve, from a gradual 2-pole to a razor-sharp 8-pole configuration. The Frequency knob specifies the center point or cutoff frequency, depending on the filter type. The Gain knob allows 24 dB of boost or of cut, and the Resonance knob adjusts the boost at the filter frequency. With the resonance turned up, FilterFreak's filters sound appropriately fat and rich. High resonance settings drive them into self-oscillation that sounds authentically analog.

The master section contains knobs for wet/dry mix, modulation amount, and input and output gain. You can overdrive the signal before or after filtering (or both) by adjusting the Input and Output knobs. Clicking on the Analog Mode saturation-modeling switch reveals a variety of distortion and compression settings: Clean, Fat, Squash, Dirt, Crunch, Shred, and Pump. As their names imply, they range from warm and friendly to hard and nasty. Although saturation modeling adds considerably to the processor load, it is responsible for much of FilterFreak's character.

FilterFreak's well-designed modulation section offers six modulation modes that modify filter frequency, resonance, output level, or any two of those in combination. Switching modes changes the controls that appear in this section. In most modes, the LFOs can lock to MIDI Clock or tap tempo.

In addition to providing standard LFO shapes, LFO mode allows you to draw your own shapes and save them as presets. Rhythm mode plays a series of complex filter-modulation patterns that you create using the Rhythm Editor, which displays a drum-machine-style metrical grid. Envelope mode produces a classic amplitude-triggered envelope-follower effect. Sample-and-Hold mode generates random modulation levels that can sync to your session's tempo. Random Step mode combines Sample-and-Hold with Envelope mode to create a triggered random-level generator. And ADSR mode generates a synthlike filter envelope that can be triggered by threshold level, by MIDI notes, or by pressing the plug-in's trigger button. With so many modulation choices, you'll probably be finding new uses for FilterFreak for some time to come.

Fashionably Freak

I was quite impressed with FilterFreak's sound quality and versatility. The plug-in imparted a variety of interesting effects to whatever I threw at it. I spiced up an analog-synth drone by modulating a lowpass filter with sample and hold. A pair of LFO-modulated bandpass filters created a new take on the telephone-EQ vocal effect heard frequently in electronic music. But my favorite effect was mangling drum tracks by processing them through heavy saturation and a filter pattern I drew in the Rhythm Editor. The flexibility of FilterFreak's filters surpasses anything I've heard on a hardware-based synthesizer.

FilterFreak is a gem. Its selection of filter effects, its clear and simple user interface, and its extensive modulation capabilities combine to make a plug-in that sounds great and is fun to play with. If you are a Mac-based Pro Tools user looking for a solid new tool for your arsenal of effects, FilterFreak is worth a good listen. You can download a demo at the SoundToys Web site.

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