Xhun Audio FilterCult: Moog ladder filter emulation with virtual rack modules
The Moog ladder filter in its many hardware and plug-in incarnations is a go-to when it comes to filtering and analog coloration. It’s a classic invention that’s been used to death but hardly fails to get the job done. Developer Xhun Audio is paying homage to the relic with a deep software emulation that adds lots of features on top of a meticulous filter model.
Xhun Audio FilterCult
FilterCult is a full-fledged virtual rack plug-in centered around the Moog ladder filter. Recreated in its entirety, the filter model includes touch-ups like multi-node output (4-pole, 3-pole, 2-pole, 1-pole), high-pass mode, extended cutoff frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz), and self-oscillation (in 1-pole mode as well).
The fun doesn’t stop here. The plug-in also lets you tweak the device-level feedback path, apply simulated circuit bending, and add transistor or tube saturation before and after the filter. Furthermore, a voltage control circuit in the form of an auto-stabilizer safety switch tames the filter when you push the component values or dial in extreme modulation and parameter settings.
There’s even more where that came from. A modulation module offers an envelope follower with sensitivity control for the input signal, multi-waveform LFO generator, an envelope generator with attack and decay controls, and a noise generator. The modulators can be applied to the filter’s cutoff and emphasis parameters, and it’s also possible to reverse channel polarity. The final touch is the preamp / mixer module with a multi-mode input signal router, gain and blend controls for the virtual preamp, and an output volume control.
All in all, FilterCult is a capable filter plug-in with a simple and accessible user interface. Xhun’s effort to bring the ladder filter to digital life is very respectable.
Price and availability
Xhun Audio FilterCult is sold at an introductory price of EUR 29.90, down from the regular price of EUR 59. The plug-in is available in VST, VST3, and AU formats for 32 and 64-bit Windows and Mac computers (Macs 64-bit only). A demo version with 60-second sound interrupts and disabled preamp input routing can be downloaded as well. The delivery includes 20 presets and a user manual.
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