Fabfilter Volcano 2 - best filter (for modulations) or other ones?

[e@rs]

I hope they update Volcano next, a little bit old now it needs up to date algorithms and bigger GUI.

+1

[2:43AM]

I know this is almost a year-old thread. A sale is going on right now, and I need to always check the forums to help stop the GAS! I agree with the posts above that say that FF needs to update Volcano 2. The modulations would be awesome if visible, a bigger GUI would be helpful, and some enhanced modes or sound-quality improvements would be sweet as well. After all, FF is a company that seems to CHARGE FOR UPDATES, so perhaps this isn't the right time to buy any of their older plugins.

I own and love Saturn and Pro-Q3. I also own Pro-C2, but it doesn't get as much use as I would like. Not sure why. I have been eyeballin' Volcano 2 for years, but I always shy away. Something tells me that I can just use Pro-Q3's filters, or even export sound out to my Virus Ti2 for filter action, or use Live's Auto-Filter (or EQ8's filters), or a dozen other filter options I can think of. The one thing I don't get with any of them is the easy-to-modulate options in Volcano 2. Is that worth $66? That, apparently, is the million dollar question...

[Razzia]

I own and love Saturn and Pro-Q3. I also own Pro-C2, but it doesn't get as much use as I would like. Not sure why. I have been eyeballin' Volcano 2 for years, but I always shy away. Something tells me that I can just use Pro-Q3's filters, or even export sound out to my Virus Ti2 for filter action, or use Live's Auto-Filter (or EQ8's filters), or a dozen other filter options I can think of. The one thing I don't get with any of them is the easy-to-modulate options in Volcano 2. Is that worth $66? That, apparently, is the million dollar question...

A couple thoughts here.. I've owned volcano for a long time. I don't know if I'd really call it easy to modulate. If I used it on an every day basis, I might understand the mod system like the back of my hand, but it feels like I have to re-learn it an awful lot. I mean, envelope generators/followers work like you'd expect them to, but editing the LFO shapes is kind of a pain IMO. Plus sometimes It just does things I don't expect. I tried to do a tremolo effect by modulating the output knob (and it changed the actual value of the output knob when I assigned the modulator = my poor ears) and even when I changed the mod depth to be really shallow I got really extreme results. It didn't take long for me to just go back to Ableton Auto Filter.

The one thing I really like Volcano for is when I want multiple band pass filters in parallel, which is a lot easier in volcano than most other plugins

I think if one were looking for a native filter plugin right now, The Drop is pretty much the standard to compare it against. I downloaded the Drop today because I wanted to A/B it against the UAD Moog Filter. The UAD distorts really, really nicely and probably has a bit of an edge over The Drop in that regard, but otherwise I gotta say I found the drop to be a lot more pleasant to work with and can barely be called a compromise in sound quality.

[2:43AM]

I own and love Saturn and Pro-Q3. I also own Pro-C2, but it doesn't get as much use as I would like. Not sure why. I have been eyeballin' Volcano 2 for years, but I always shy away. Something tells me that I can just use Pro-Q3's filters, or even export sound out to my Virus Ti2 for filter action, or use Live's Auto-Filter (or EQ8's filters), or a dozen other filter options I can think of. The one thing I don't get with any of them is the easy-to-modulate options in Volcano 2. Is that worth $66? That, apparently, is the million dollar question...

A couple thoughts here.. I've owned volcano for a long time. I don't know if I'd really call it easy to modulate. If I used it on an every day basis, I might understand the mod system like the back of my hand, but it feels like I have to re-learn it an awful lot. I mean, envelope generators/followers work like you'd expect them to, but editing the LFO shapes is kind of a pain IMO. Plus sometimes It just does things I don't expect. I tried to do a tremolo effect by modulating the output knob (and it changed the actual value of the output knob when I assigned the modulator = my poor ears) and even when I changed the mod depth to be really shallow I got really extreme results. It didn't take long for me to just go back to Ableton Auto Filter.

The one thing I really like Volcano for is when I want multiple band pass filters in parallel, which is a lot easier in volcano than most other plugins

I think if one were looking for a native filter plugin right now, The Drop is pretty much the standard to compare it against. I downloaded the Drop today because I wanted to A/B it against the UAD Moog Filter. The UAD distorts really, really nicely and probably has a bit of an edge over The Drop in that regard, but otherwise I gotta say I found the drop to be a lot more pleasant to work with and can barely be called a compromise in sound quality.

Thanks for the feedback and your input in regards to using Volcano. Overall, I think that if the modulations were visually displayed, i.e. the movement of the filter, etc., then tweaking would be easier...more of a "what you see is what you get" type of thing.

As far as multiple BP filters in parallel, Ableton Live has the Group function, where you can set up multiple parallel chains if needed. Sure it's not as easy and integrated as Volcano, but it could give a similar result.

I downloaded and tested The Drop (name makes no sense, IMO!) awhile back, but got lost in the interface. Like whut!?? Etch makes more sense than The Drop to me. Maybe it's worth a revisit...though it's $99 all the time, so...

[hivkorn]

I own volcano 2.it is pretty good but old now...the one i really like the most is filterfreak from soundtoys, it have something i never found in any other plugins....

[jens]

Filterfreak is even much older than Volcano 2 though, so age doesn't seem to be very relevant
according to your own taste.

[Fleer]

Yep, Volcano 2 is still among the very best.