Filter parameters

Volcano 2 contains up to four independent multi-mode filters. You control the parameters of the active filter with the following settings:

• Frequency
  The filter frequency is adjustable over the entire audio range. The Frequency controls the center or cut-off frequency of the active filter and can be controlled in real time, either manually or via external devices.

• Pan
  The Pan ring around the Frequency knob lets you filter the left and right channels differently. It works as a stereo balance setting for the center frequency of the filter. For example, when you turn the Pan knob to the left, the left channel will be filtered with a lower center frequency, and the right channel will be filtered with a higher center frequency. You can use this to create various stereo filtering effects, especially in combination with modulation.

• Peak
  The Peak knob adjusts the resonance of the active filter. A little resonance will cause the filter to create warmer and more characteristic tones. At maximum resonance, the filter will self-oscillator with most filter characteristics. (The Auto Mute Self-Osc option in the bottom bar will help to keep this manageable. See Output controls.)

• Characteristic
  

  FabFilter Volcano 2 lets you choose between 11 different filter characteristics:

  1. FabFilter One, the original filter characteristic taken from our award-winning FabFilter One synthesizer
  2. Smooth, like the cream in your coffee
  3. Raw, a filter with lots of overdrive and exhibits a character of its own. Great for distortion guitar sounds
  4. Hard, moderately distorting filter, with a nice clean whistle
  5. Hollow, juicy moderate distortion with fairly much low-end self-oscillation
  6. Extreme, for more wild sonic ideas
  7. Gentle, a more smooth and clean general purpose characteristic
  8. Tube, with a warmer sound and nice overdrive, great for synth sounds
  9. Metal, with a rough, sharper sound and distortion
  10. Easy Going, a softer version of the Tube filter
  11. Clean, linear behavior with no clipping distortion at all
• Response
  The response of each filter can be set to either Low Pass, High Pass, or Band Pass. In Low Pass mode, the filter will pass through frequencies lower than the center frequency. In High Pass mode, frequencies higher than the center frequency will be passed through. In Band Pass mode, only the frequencies around the cut-off frequency will be passed through.
• Slope
  The slope switch sets the steepness of the filter, which controls how aggressively the frequencies around the center frequency are filtered. You can choose between 12 dB/octave, 24 dB/octave or 48 dB/octave settings. For example, if the response is set to Low Pass, more high frequencies will be passed above the cutoff frequency using at 12 dB/octave than at 48 dB/octave. But let your ears decide! Just listen to the sound as you move the filter around and see if you like it...
• Delay
  

  Each filter has an delay function that will, well yes, delay the sound passing through. This feature will add some more wobblyness to your sounds! For example the creation of comb-filter effects (chorus/flanging). These effects occur when 2 or more signals are added together while the delay time is changing of at least 1 of the signals. You can set it up by using an XLFO sending a simple sine wave to modulate the delay time of a filter. Use slow XLFO rates to create the classic flanging effect. In this case the Stereo configuration works best.

  Or how about some crazy stereo effects using the "Haas" effect. Mr. Haas found out that time differences are very important for your stereo perception. So when the left channel is delayed we will hear it coming from the right speaker. More about this in this Wikipedia article .

  To set this up start with 2 filters and select the L/R configuration with the routing button. The schematic diagram will show us the filter 1 is used for the left channel and filter 2 is used for the right channel. If you raise the delay of filter 1 it will sound like the sound is panned to the right purely based on delay times, not volume. Now reset the delay time (both filters) to 0 and take a new XLFO to modulate the delay time of both filters and inverse 1 of the Modulation Slot. Now you will hear the stereo image move from left to right. Sweet innit! From here you can add more filters with different settings and pan them differently and it will create some truly blissful stereo effects.

  The delay offers so many extra sound design opportunities that we strongly suggest that you take some time to experiment with it.

Tip: When you make changes to filter parameters that are modulation targets (cut-off frequency, peak, pan and delay), the modulation slots that use that target are automatically shown. You can return to view all connections by using the Show All Slots button that appears on the left in the modulation slots bar.

Next: Interactive filter display

See Also
Filters
Modulation