Exp DSP Exp Filtertable for macOS and Windows lets you craft endless custom complex filter shapes using wavetables.
Filters are a staple in every effects arsenal, whether hardware or software. Emulations of classic synth filters like the Moog Ladder, Korg MS-20, and Korg Jupiter are particularly popular… There are other options.
Almost simultaneously, Kilohearts and Exp DSP released a filter plugin that extracts its filter curves from wavetable files. I hadn’t covered the latter because it was only available for Windows at the time. Now there’s news that Exp DSP has also released the Exp Filtertable for macOS.
Exp DSP Exp Filtertable
Exp Filtertable is an experimental, novel filter plugin for macOS and Windows that achieves complex filtering using a unique engine.
Exp DSP has created a core for Exp Filtertable based on a convolution-based approach similar to the commonly used linear-phase EQs.
It avoids the inconsistencies and response fluctuations caused by misaligned STFT blocks, ensuring a consistent, complete response and phase at all times, says the developers.
The plugin’s unique feature is the ability to design your filter. Everything starts with importing filter tables/wavetables. Directly out of the box, there are various filter tables available for experimenting.
You can also import your own. Alternatively, you can also import audio files and convert them into spectrograms or spectral envelopes.
Like in a wavetable synth, you can navigate through the table using the position parameter and modify it with other parameters. Then, it hosts frequency-specific parameters like scaling and shifting.
It becomes more exciting with the two frequency FX slots that host modifiers like a saw fold, asymmetric warp, and more, allowing you to create super unique filter types. The same feature set with two FX slots is available for the gain section of the generated filter.
Further, it has a crossover section with low and high options to protect sub-bass and treble frequencies. Additionally, it has a smoothing function to smooth the frequency response.
With the update 1.1.0 of Exp DSP Exp Filtertable, the developers also added an option to switch between linear and minimum phase. Not to forget, the interface is fully scalable and offers customizable fonts and color themes, including light and dark themes.
First Impression
Due to system constraints, I tried the demo of Kilohearts’ Filtertable plugin a year ago. It was a lot of fun. The fact that Exp Filtertable is now available for Mac is very positive.
In direct comparison, this wavetable filter plugin is significantly deeper and more versatile than the Swedish counterpart. And for all those who are just now learning about it, there is good news: there is a little Birthday discount on it.
Exp DSP Exp Filtertable is available now in a 1st anniversary sale for $36,75 instead of $49. It runs as a VST3, AU, and Clap plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows.
More information here: Exp DSP
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