Filter Class Enhancement Suggestion

[dmbaer]

When building presets for MXXX, I came upon a roadblock when trying to modulate a target with multiple modulators - this has been discussed here. However, the only time I felt this lack was when filter cutoff was the modulation target.

Not only does FabFilter's Volcano effect have a pan modulation option (raises cutoff on one side while lowering on the other), I noticed that Omnisphere also provides this capability as well. It really is quite useful and immensely cool in action.

So, how about just adding a pan control to your filter that could be modulated separately from cutoff? Your filter is immensely powerful in so many other ways. This would truly frost the cake - and, oh yeah, it would probably stop me from being annoying about the difficulties of multiple modulators for a single target.

[MeldaProduction]

I'm not really sure it will be possible, anyway could you please elaborate about it more? I just don't really remember what it was and how it should work.

[jmg8]

It raises cutoff value for left channel and lowers it for right channel. The more you turn the pan control the bigger the difference between the cutoff values. Turning the pan control in the opposite direction inverts the values.

[MeldaProduction]

You mean frequency right? (cutoff isn't general term, it is applicable only for "pass" filters)

[jmg8]

Yes, frequency, sorry.

[jmg8]

It will work particularly well with the formant and comb.

[MeldaProduction]

Added to to-do list, we'll see .

[dmbaer]

Added to to-do list

Alright!

[dmbaer]

It raises cutoff value for left channel and lowers it for right channel.

Assuming you are panning to the right. It lowers the frequency when panning in that direction. Of course, that's kind of arbitrary, but I believe that's how both Volcano and Omnisphere work in this regard.

[ZentralmassivSound]

Hm but you could just use two filters on L and R separately, couldn't you?

[jmg8]

Yes, that is true. However sometimes it's easier to have a control for it. For example why bother having a ping pong setting on delay when you could just do it manually?

[ZentralmassivSound]

Yes, that is true. However sometimes it's easier to have a control for it. For example why bother having a ping pong setting on delay when you could just do it manually?

true as well

[MeldaProduction]

Ok, so I finally checked and there isn't exactly a pan control, but you can actually do it and it's pretty simple!
Basically in the Filter FX in MXXX (or MPS) you simply disable Link channels, so that each channel starts responding to some other signal. The you for example use LFO FX and use the Phase difference between channels.

MXXX00.png

MXXX01.png

And of course then you can separate LR->L&R and process each side anyhow you want if you need even more flexibility... Does that solve it?

[dmbaer]

Does that solve it?

Not really. Let's say you want to use an LFO for simple cutoff mod ... ahem, I mean frequency mod ... doing a simple triangle wave LFO modulation. But you also want a Volcano-like pan modulation. We're back to square one - a single target with more than one modulator - very difficult to impossible. By the way, this example isn't some weird never-needed-in-the-real-world situation. Volcano has a killer slow stereo morph preset that uses this precise technique and it's marvelous for pad sounds - absolutely dreamy and etherial.

Furthermore, although the LR to L&R trick is available, it really is a lot of work to do something that's so simple in Volcano and Omnisphere. I did this exact thing with some of my MXXX presets, but I was really longing for a pad control in the filter that would have made it all *so* much easier.

[MeldaProduction]

Aaaaha ok then... I'll check.