Flame - Black Filterbank

Black Filterbank by Flame - 12-Band Analog Filterbank Sequencer & resonant slicer.

The Flame Black Filterbank is a compelling analogue resonant filterbank with an included sequencer that allows you to dissect your audio into 12 separate frequency bands. As a slimmer version of Flame's previous Curves module, it retains the core functionality while reducing its size from 31HP to 22HP. What's more, this new version also introduces some notable improvements over its predecessor, featuring an additional analogue stereo overdrive circuit (with germanium diodes) that can even be used as a standalone stereo distortion unit. Unlike the Curves module, it also boasts a true stereo dry-wet signal path.

You may be asking yourself, "What makes a filterbank different from the typical graphic EQ I used to use as a live engineer? Glad you asked - one aspect is its tuning to musically pleasing intervals and its highly resonant bandpass filters. A filter bank also tends to cut out a band completely when you turn its slider to 0, whereas a graphic EQ boosts or lowers a frequency band by a certain amount of decibels.

The sequencer section of the module is one of its standout features, offering an internal pattern sequencer that is programmable via software which, thankfully, runs on both Mac and Windows. The sequencer can store up to 99 patterns and can be viewed via the display and selected with the buttons just below it. Note that it needs a clock input to work!

In sequencer mode, you can control AR envelopes with the Envelope knob, add randomness to velocity and release with the Variation knob, and adjust overall channel levels with the Fill knob.

Manual mode offers a selection of filter types, don't worry - the usual suspects are all there: lowpass, bandpass, highpass and even allpass. In this mode, the Fill knob is used to sweep through the twelve bands, and the Envelope knob now acts as a sort of 'smooth operator', activating a second band next to the selected filter band to ensure that your sweeps remain uninterrupted and hiccup-free. If you wish, you can also trigger each of the individual bands via MIDI, with velocity also being taken into account. The Black Filterbank has CV inputs for envelope, variation, fill and pattern number, extending your possibilities to almost infinite pattern variations.

Although it lacks the individual frequency-band outputs of its predecessor, the Black Filterbank retains all its essential features, but now in a new, slimmer format. To sum it up — this is a very capable tool for frequency manipulation and rhythmic filtering!

Features:

• Twelve-channel analog resonance filterbank
• Compact format based on Flame Curves
• Pattern sequencer programmable via software
• Requires clock input for pattern-mode
• Reset input to start sequence from the beginning
• Stores up to 99 patterns
• Display and buttons for pattern selection
• AR envelope control in sequencer mode
• Manual mode with various filter types
• Bands playable via MIDI
• CV inputs for envelope, variation, fill, sequence, clock and reset
• Analog stereo overdrive with germanium diodes
• True stereo dry-wet signal path