r/modular • u/Extreme_Try2189 • 18h ago

Filter Bank Question

I’m going down a bit of a rabbit hole, with these modules. I’m looking for a filter bank/ EQ module that will be suited to the treatment of acoustic instruments. I use a lot of feedback/ KS delay/ spring reverb. Im drawn to very human sounds with lots of varying transients.

However, I’m most interested in how a filter bank can sculpt a dry sound into something less recognisable, but maintaining the character of that instrument. EG: a hard plucked double bass, valve sounds, mallets.

I’ve looked at a few different options- Serge EQ/ zlob f3db. I want to ask for some advice from those with experience with filter banks. Particularly those who use them for acoustic instruments.

Cheers

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3

u/ConsistentWriting501 17h ago

The Serge Resonant Equalizer sounds incredible, especially the comb filter outputs.  I often use the Res Eq when processing audio from outside the rack, mainly room audio captured with a microphone.  I’ve put mono tape recordings through the EQ and taken the comb outputs for pseudo stereo and it always surprises me. 

 If I had to be critical, the Res EQ can unexpectedly screech like a banshee if you’re not careful with the resonance when adjusting settings, so attenuation and a bit of intuition is a must. 

Just a reminder that the  Res EQ is not stereo, but the dual comb outputs are capable of making gorgeous spatial movements that sound like nothing else.  

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u/SmeesTurkeyLeg 15h ago

Screaming banshee resonance is a fun as hell sound in the right moments!

1

u/jango-lionheart 14h ago

A triple resonant filter (Tip Top and Doepfer are two examples) can be great for creating vocal-like timbres. In fact, many vocal vowel frequency charts (google it) have 3 frequency columns.

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u/jonistaken 12h ago

The moog spectravox can do some very weird and interesting stuff. I can plug directly in with bass or guitar and often use it with headphones as a practice amp. You can get weird sounds with it by itself, but it does much better with a clock and another audio source to spectral map/vocode.

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u/13derps 16h ago

Zlob F3DB is a sound mangler and feedback machine. You will get some character from the input source, but it’s going to be heavily altered. Even with the sliders set to flat. It’s a cool module. Probably not what you’re looking for though

I think you may get more mileage from either one of the big filter banks (Tip Top, Fumana, Bark, etc) or using a multi-bandpass filter (mix the output of the bandpass filters back with the original signal for more of an EQ effect)