Filter not filtering much

[Airlane1979]

I'm a new user. I can't get the filter to act on the oscillators like I'd expect. For example on the 'Breathy Voice' preset, I turned up the Master Gain VCF to max and switched the Resonators to Low Pass. The VCF Frequency slider doesn't have much effect. At its minimum most of the high frequencies are still audible. Does the Polymode filter control just have a very narrow range of action? On every other synth with a low-pass filter, it's possible to remove all frequencies entirely. I'm confused.

[utdgrant]

The signal routing in Polymode can be quite confusing for a beginner. Here is a diagram from the manual:

ugPolymodeVST_SignalFlow3.jpg (39.53 KiB) Viewed 273 times

In order to hear the VCF in isolation, you need to set the "DIR", "MODE" and "RES" sliders to 0 and "VCF" to 10 in the Master Gain Mixer:

ugPolymodeVST_mastGain.jpg (23.57 KiB) Viewed 273 times

Note that the Resonator filter settings will have no effect, as setting the "RES" slider to 0 takes it out of the equation.

Instead, use the "FREQ" slider in the VCF section to control cutoff.

ugPolymodeVST_VCF-1610755815.jpg (29.74 KiB) Viewed 273 times

[utdgrant]

I'm a new user.

Welcome aboard the forum!

I'm guessing from your user name that one of the first Polymode presets you tried was "Vox Humana - Direct".

[Airlane1979]

I'm a new user.

Welcome aboard the forum!

I'm guessing from your user name that one of the first Polymode presets you tried was "Vox Humana - Direct".

Well, yes, exactly. My only previous experience with this unusual synth was encountering one in a music store maybe twenty years ago where the kind shop assistants permitted me a few minutes playing Are 'Friends' Electric, Cars, Metal, Airlane and so on... Your advice solved the problem, I understand the signal flow rather better now. Thank you!

[utdgrant]

My only previous experience with this unusual synth was encountering one in a music store maybe twenty years ago where the kind shop assistants permitted me a few minutes playing Are 'Friends' Electric, Cars, Metal, Airlane and so on...

Funnily enough, I used the "Airlane" intro to do a Vox Humana shootout video a couple of years ago.

I also used it to demo the "Aeromint" preset on the Stringer Seventy Six bundle for Voltage Modular.