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loudfunk « A Moogerfooger as a plug-in »
Published on 02/28/12 at 23:04U-Audio perfection!
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
Nothing bad can be said about U-Audio on any of this.
OVERALL OPINION
If UA were able to conceive a product with Moog, what would it be? The answer is revealed in the new UAD Moog Multimode Filter, which delivers the first truly analog-sounding VCF (voltage controlled filter) emulation made for mixing, performing, creating, or destroying. The Moog Multimode Filter is a ‘digital-only’ tabletop filter set that combines the best of Bob Moog’s classic designs with select features from his final Voyager instrument. UA modeled the analog behavior of the historical 4-pole ladder filter conceived by the world’s most recognizable electronic instrument maker right down to the self-oscillation, saturation and non-linearities of its analog counterpart. As the name suggests, the heart of the Moog Multimode Filter is the switchable Low- pass, Highpass and Bandpass filter that allows Moog’s signature self-oscilla- tion and extreme resonance in any of the three modes, bringing a new level of sophistication to Moog filter designs of the past.
The Moog Filter is true stereo, with separate filters for the left and right chan- nels. The dual filters share the same controls. The only time the left and right filters diverge is when Filter Spacing or LFO Offset are not zero.
Drive controls the amount of saturation gain before the filter. Drive is where much of the sonic “juice” in the UAD Moog Fil- ter originates. Drive can change the signal from clean to slightly overdriven to extremely distorted, particularly when used in conjunction with the Boost switch
The non-linear modeling of Drive characteristics is extremely DSP-intensive. For this reason, Drive is not available on the SE version of UAD Moog Filter. In UAD Moog Filter SE, the parameter is named Gain instead of Drive, and is a straight (non-modeled) input gain control.
The range of Drive/Gain is 0 to +40 dB of gain. Drive/Gain affects both the wet and dry signals (the control is heard when Mix is zero and/or when Bypass is engaged). This gain range closely mimics the external input section of the Minimoog.
The Envelope controls (Envelope knob, Smooth/Fast switch) closely mimic the controls of the MF-101 Moogerfooger. However, UA has broadened the sonic palette with a negative range allowing unique negative envelope effects.
The cutoff frequency of UAD Moog Filter can be modulated by the amplitude of the signal coming into the plug-in. This function is typically called an “en- velope follower” or “auto wah” because the cutoff frequency “follows” the signal input level. The amount and speed of the envelope response can be ad- justed.
The envelope knob determines how much the filter cutoff frequency is affected by the signal input level. Positive and negative values are possible. Positive values increase the filter cutoff as the input amplitude increases (the filter opens as the signal gets louder). Negative values decrease the filter cutoff as input amplitude increases (the filter closes as the signal gets louder).
The greater the value (either positive or negative), the greater the amount of filter modulation (the cutoff frequency range is increased with greater values).
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
Nothing bad can be said about U-Audio on any of this.
OVERALL OPINION
If UA were able to conceive a product with Moog, what would it be? The answer is revealed in the new UAD Moog Multimode Filter, which delivers the first truly analog-sounding VCF (voltage controlled filter) emulation made for mixing, performing, creating, or destroying. The Moog Multimode Filter is a ‘digital-only’ tabletop filter set that combines the best of Bob Moog’s classic designs with select features from his final Voyager instrument. UA modeled the analog behavior of the historical 4-pole ladder filter conceived by the world’s most recognizable electronic instrument maker right down to the self-oscillation, saturation and non-linearities of its analog counterpart. As the name suggests, the heart of the Moog Multimode Filter is the switchable Low- pass, Highpass and Bandpass filter that allows Moog’s signature self-oscilla- tion and extreme resonance in any of the three modes, bringing a new level of sophistication to Moog filter designs of the past.
The Moog Filter is true stereo, with separate filters for the left and right chan- nels. The dual filters share the same controls. The only time the left and right filters diverge is when Filter Spacing or LFO Offset are not zero.
Drive controls the amount of saturation gain before the filter. Drive is where much of the sonic “juice” in the UAD Moog Fil- ter originates. Drive can change the signal from clean to slightly overdriven to extremely distorted, particularly when used in conjunction with the Boost switch
The non-linear modeling of Drive characteristics is extremely DSP-intensive. For this reason, Drive is not available on the SE version of UAD Moog Filter. In UAD Moog Filter SE, the parameter is named Gain instead of Drive, and is a straight (non-modeled) input gain control.
The range of Drive/Gain is 0 to +40 dB of gain. Drive/Gain affects both the wet and dry signals (the control is heard when Mix is zero and/or when Bypass is engaged). This gain range closely mimics the external input section of the Minimoog.
The Envelope controls (Envelope knob, Smooth/Fast switch) closely mimic the controls of the MF-101 Moogerfooger. However, UA has broadened the sonic palette with a negative range allowing unique negative envelope effects.
The cutoff frequency of UAD Moog Filter can be modulated by the amplitude of the signal coming into the plug-in. This function is typically called an “en- velope follower” or “auto wah” because the cutoff frequency “follows” the signal input level. The amount and speed of the envelope response can be ad- justed.
The envelope knob determines how much the filter cutoff frequency is affected by the signal input level. Positive and negative values are possible. Positive values increase the filter cutoff as the input amplitude increases (the filter opens as the signal gets louder). Negative values decrease the filter cutoff as input amplitude increases (the filter closes as the signal gets louder).
The greater the value (either positive or negative), the greater the amount of filter modulation (the cutoff frequency range is increased with greater values).