Highest quality euro rack filters? Spring Reverbs

nadafarms · Post by **nadafarms** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:52 pm

I was going to go with a motm system but I'm back paddling and just bought my first eurorack module so the flood gates have been broken.

I'm curious what people think are some of the highest quality eurorack filters on the market?

I haven't vibed with the cwejman and the doepfer stuff seems like a bargain but I want really high quality. Maybe the macbeth but ouch on the price and I don't think the macbeth filter is out there yet.

I'm also gonna probably pickup a doefer spring reverb but I'm still wondering if there are any other cool reverbs besides the doepfer and neural agonizer?

Thanks!

dkcg · Post by **dkcg** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:55 pm

Malekko is coming out with a euro reverb, I think same circuitry as the Spring Chicken, the Borg and Boogie filters sound pretty nice as far as filters go too.

REwire · Post by **REwire** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:05 pm

The Doepfer Reverb can turn into something great by changing the tank to a bigger one. No other real spring offerings. If not that, go for an external like Vermona or a vintage Roland RE201-501. The Doepfer doesn't have anything to CV control so could just as easy be external.

The best filters I've had so far are the STG Arp LP, TipTop LPF, Borg, Boogie, Polivoks, Frequensteiner and Doepfer A-106-6 Xpander. The vintage no longer available Plan-B Model 12 was always my fav BP sound.

Dan

wetterberg · Post by **wetterberg** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:06 pm

I've heard a lot of filters, and my fave still has to be:

MakeNoise QMMG. Close runner-up is the TipTopAudio z2040, but that's not really a fair comparison.

Also, we're getting into difficult territory with "high quality" here. A guy's busted up old moog would mean nothing to me, but he might love it to bits - In fact I've seen that scenario many times.

nadafarms · Post by **nadafarms** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:10 pm

appreciate this, yeah I have a ton of outboard spring reverbs but was actually pretty blown away when I heard the feedback on the doepfer and they are so cheap so I think I'll just get one.

Will look into these other filters, and in terms of high quality I think I should have said "musical"

qu.one · Post by **qu.one** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:11 pm

Frequensteiner is great, QMMG is such a great all around module that its become a must in euro. i also really like the very inexpensive and raw Plague Bearer...

dkcg · Post by **dkcg** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:19 pm

nadafarms wrote:appreciate this, yeah I have a ton of outboard spring reverbs but was actually pretty blown away when I heard the feedback on the doepfer and they are so cheap so I think I'll just get one.

Will look into these other filters, and in terms of high quality I think I should have said "musical"

You don't like the Cwejman MMF-1? I like the MMF-1 a bit more than the dual filter (forget the name now).

The PlanB Model 12 is one of my favorites for the BP as well.

nadafarms · Post by **nadafarms** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:28 pm

well I just owned a cwejman s1 and really didn't like it, but i haven't tried the mmf-1

I'll have to see if I can track down a Plan B model 12

attacksustain · Post by **attacksustain** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:36 pm

nadafarms wrote:well I just owned a cwejman s1 and really didn't like it, but i haven't tried the mmf-1

I'll have to see if I can track down a Plan B model 12

One showed up on ebay today.

I've seen those stickers before. Might be another wiggler.

Soundwave · Post by **Soundwave** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:47 pm

i love the Cwejman MMF-1, also like the QMMG, they are really different and for different purposes...

i think the macbeth is gonna be a moogish 24db

i also hear lot of god things of the polivoks, malekko borg and boogie, tip top audio prophet5 filter, planb lpg, doepfer wasp etc. and i like the frequensteiner
basicly there is just a big choice of many good and different filters in eurorackland

Nelson Baboon · Post by **Nelson Baboon** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:50 pm

nadafarms wrote:appreciate this, yeah I have a ton of outboard spring reverbs but was actually pretty blown away when I heard the feedback on the doepfer and they are so cheap so I think I'll just get one.

Will look into these other filters, and in terms of high quality I think I should have said "musical"

Well, that's true. 'high quality' is subjective, but 'musical' is quite objective. You will not get varying opinions on this....

it's really just going to come down to what you like. Several of the ones mentioned sound really nice to me, others didn't quite excite me. I'm sure, as far as vintage character, the Macbeth will excel, but that's probably simply because Ken MacBeth is clinically insane. But you used the m5, so you probably have some idea.

While it doesn't sound like a traditional filter, I'm very fond of the plague bearer - 2 seems to be the magic number. In sequence they sound fucking amazing, or really bad in a good way. Modulation works well. More than 2 I've found gives you diminishing returns - maybe because I gave up too soon...

I just picked up a bubblesound SEM, but haven't tried it yet. You'll find some good opinions on it though....

Then there is the new z-dsp with the filter card. No, I haven't used and why exactly do I want a digital filter in an analog modular? But you'd get the delay card which is quite nice, and who knows - I'm sure it's quite different. And for $65 I'll probably overcome my skepticism.

Whatever you buy - if you don't like it, someone here will be stupid enough to buy it, so you won't have lost much.

Nelson Baboon · Post by **Nelson Baboon** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:53 pm

Flight of Harmony is one manufacturer who if he released a module called X, and didn't tell anyone what it did, and charged $300, would get my money without hesitation.

I really like the qmmg, and will probably get a second, but as a pure filter, I don't like it as much as some others.

qu.one wrote:Frequensteiner is great, QMMG is such a great all around module that its become a must in euro. i also really like the very inexpensive and raw Plague Bearer...

Nelson Baboon · Post by **Nelson Baboon** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:04 pm

Will comment that I'm trying out the bubblesound, and I really like its character. Nothing I have sounds remotely like it....

I'll also comment on the Cwejman sound. I really like it. I'm a fan. But my attitude has been, because the Cwejman sound is so precise and of its own character - I have a Cwejman section of the modular that is growing. I prefer not to dilute that sound - there is something about it that I really like. It excuses my selling of the s1m2 I think - I pretty much have that covered at this point, and will be going well beyond it soon.

Nelson Baboon · Post by **Nelson Baboon** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:08 pm

oh yeah - and I generally am very quick to turn to the stg post lawsuit.

kidtesla · Post by **kidtesla** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:10 pm

To me,the "most" "musical" filters (currently 8_) ) in euro are...
STG P-L/LPF ...low pass filter (VERY musical self oscillation):
http://www.analoguehaven.com/stgsoundla ... assfilter/
livewire frequenSteiner ...multimode filter(the bp and hp modes scream!!):
http://www.analoguehaven.com/livewire/frequensteiner/
bubblesound sem20 v|s|f ...variable state filter (imo,one of the most underrated filters in euro) :
http://www.analoguehaven.com/bubblesound/sem20vsf/

opsysbug · Post by **opsysbug** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:53 pm

Polyvox!

dkcg · Post by **dkcg** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:15 pm

I forgot about all the Analogue Systems filters. I only have the comb filter which is more of a BBD device than a filter, but whenever I've played with the ASys lowpass (no idea about the model number) I think, "I should get one of these." I have the RS-500 Synthi filter, very colorful, no idea if it's close to a real synthi, but it pairs nicely with the trapazoid generator. I wouldn't reccomend it as a go to main filter, but I've gotten some nice flute sounds with it.

One more thing about the Malekko (and I assume Wiard made) Boogie that's cool is that there are jumpers to invert some of the outputs so you can mix up your own custom filter. Again, I don't have one, but like how they sound every time I hear one. Two Borgs together can be a neat way to make your own bandpass with a MS-20 type patch.

QMMG, I love as a LPG, but the filter sound never really struck a chord with me.

Polivoks sounds great, but the self oscillation is far from useable as a tonal musical filter, it's a loose cannon at high resonance, in a good way.

I didn't realize Nadafarms was looking for a spring reverb, doh.
I got a Fender reissue reverb tank, pain in the ass to use with the modular. Have you tried the Vermona spring reverbs?

dougcl · Post by **dougcl** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:17 pm

I'm standing by the M12. The other sound shapers of interest are the VCEQ-3 and A-137-1. But I digress.

dkcg · Post by **dkcg** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:26 pm

dougcl wrote:I'm standing by the M12. The other sound shapers of interest are the VCEQ-3 and A-137-1. But I digress.

I was just giving some options, but of the filters I have, the M12 is indeed my favorite, the borg and mmf-1 are neck n neck for second.

The M12 sounds fantastic after a LPG with a little FM.

ndkent · Post by **ndkent** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:32 pm

As for filters, it's not so much quality in terms of high quality or low quality but the quality it imparts when it alters what goes into it, it's tone color, it's resonant character, the sound when it's overdriven or not. No matter how high quality a filter you go for, no filter will do everything for everyone and people have very different goals in using a filter.

To me a spring is something that's convenient to stuff into a modular but it's an effect doesn't really integrate with voltage control (other than VC mix), if you know what I mean.

Generally I'd say the spring tank being used will have the most effect other than something obvious as getting the gain correct. Some I guess have some simple tone control built in though with a modular, unless you are strapped for filters you could probably pre and post filter with more precision. It's worth noting that some of the better results are obtained by getting the spring physically entirely out of the modular.

wetterberg · Post by **wetterberg** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 5:39 am

ndkent wrote:To me a spring is something that's convenient to stuff into a modular but it's an effect doesn't really integrate with voltage control (other than VC mix), if you know what I mean.

the Doepfer one is flexible enough in that it has a patchable feedback circuit - that means I can stick VCAs and filters in there and control the howl quite precisely... that's where all that lovely doom and gloom comes into play.

Nelson Baboon · Post by **Nelson Baboon** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 11:51 pm

What must be realized is that in essence, what you're really doing is modulating your fucking brain. All of this talk of musical this and musical that - I mean all we're really doing here is trying to excite vibrations that make our brains respond in ways that we interpret as favorable.

No matter what i say about this filter or that filter, or this spring reverb or that - someone else will react differently, and they aren't wrong (although, objectively, I'm always right).

You can get into the science of sound all you want, and the detailed functionality of this module vs that all you want - but ultimately what really works for you, with whatever level of inbreeding your family has experienced that may affect your experiential minutia in ways we do not understand - is so subjective. Hail satan.

MindMachine · Post by **MindMachine** » Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:40 am

Well okay then...

Happy New Year Everyone... you too drool

bryan · Post by **bryan** » Fri Jan 01, 2010 2:44 am

attacksustain wrote:
nadafarms wrote:well I just owned a cwejman s1 and really didn't like it, but i haven't tried the mmf-1

I'll have to see if I can track down a Plan B model 12
One showed up on ebay today.

I've seen those stickers before. Might be another wiggler.

That's me. Thanks for the plug, guys. 8_)

It is a great filter indeed but I am going filterless now. Hope it finds a good home.

nadafarms · Post by **nadafarms** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:26 pm

thanks again everybody... I won bryan's model 12!

after listening to the demos on the plan b site I was pretty blown away.

anybody want to help me make sense of what a vactrol is?

MUFF WIGGLER

MUFF WIGGLER

Highest quality euro rack filters? Spring Reverbs

Highest quality euro rack filters? Spring Reverbs