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6. THE ANALOG FILTER
For most subtractive synthesizers, the
Voltage Controlled Filter
(VCF) is the heart of the
signal flow. In the days of early analog synths that had a fairly limited range of available
raw waveforms, sound designers relied on the VCF to alter the overall timbre over time. The
all-important VCF Cutoff knob is considered by many to be the most important control on a
synth's front panel... so much so that many synths make the knob a unique color or larger
in size, so you can find it quickly!
6.1. History: Signposts along the way
Every filter circuit has its own character, producing a sound that is distinctive, which in many
cases defines much of the sonic signature of a given synth.
Many companies are known for their filters' sound and capabilities, and for designs (and
happy accidents) that led to unmistakable tones:
• Many analog synths used
ladder filters
, a term used to describe a circuit with
multiple components arranged like the rungs on a ladder. However, doing this
with transistors was a method patented by Robert Moog, so other companies
made this with diode ladders instead, providing them with a unique sound of
their own.
• The Steiner-Parker Synthacon used a Sallen-Key filter circuit. This filter sounded
like no other: it distorted in a distinctively gritty way when overdriven, and unlike
most other filter designs, it didn't lose its low-end punch as the resonance was
turned up. After being nearly forgotten for decades, the circuit was rediscovered,
modified and updated with input from Nyle Steiner, the designer of the
Synthacon – and named the Arturia Brute filter, becoming a vital element of
every Arturia Brute synthesizer.
One famous filter design deserves a special mention: the resonant 12/dB multimode filter
used in the Oberheim Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM). Known for its smooth and rich
character, the SEM filter has inspired many new filters over the years since its invention...
including the Analog Filter in the MiniFreak.
Arturia - User Manual MiniFreak - The Analog Filter 40
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