2000-A Synth Odyssey Part 2-Fabfilter One: Tweak my filter madam, it’s so squelchy!

The next synthesizer in our series is the ever so blue One from top Dutch developer Fabfilter.

It really is a marvel of simplicity, with its single analogue modeled oscillator (choice of square, triangle, saw and noise on the menu), ADSR, LFO with selectable waveforms (for some Oizo action), a couple of envelope/modulation generators, pulse width, and – the piece de resistance– a filter that is simply fahbulous darling. They don’t call themselves Fabfilter for nothin’ sistah…

It’s the 12 db/octave variety, and watch out boys cuz she’s a screamer!

Dry saw/square with filter. Nice!

One takes its inspiration from the Korg MS10, a modular beast that, among other things, could be used to make trunk calls to Burma.

I got this synth free off the Computer Music cover CD a few years ago, and quickly realized that it was no mere toy but a sonic blue blessing. Even though the CM version is monophonic, it has a raw sound to it; the square wave in particular is a great choice for bass/lead sounds. Even on its own, baby packs much back.

Electro cliche. Lots of low end (hello dolly) for a single oscillator. Dry synth+some drums.

It also has, in my never so humble opinion, a feature that has become essential in modern Electro production. No, not a DeadMole preset, but one of the best implementations of portamento to date in a virtual synthesizer.

Ain’t it bendy, Wendy? Interestingly enough, the portamento takes effect even when the notes do not overlap. That’s just fab (filter)!

Things got a whole lot more interesting with the version 3 update, which added polyphony and opened this baby up to the exciting world of chords. I knew I had to get me the ‘full’ version. Even with the single oscillator, One has some nice shimmery effervescent chords. Great for Nu Disco-ey stuff. That filter really adds some fizz to the top end. Like a bottle of Perrier. Just Dutch instead of French.

With some delay, delay, delay…

So what we have here is an extremely high quality, low CPU, easy to use synth that gets the job done with minimum fuss and then gets out of the way. It handles most of your electronic staple sounds in style, as well as a few more ‘unique’ ones (thanks to that waveform selecta). I use it like Tabasco, all over the place. Just doesn’t burn as much in the mornin…

So, are you Fab?

Join us next time, when we take a trip to the Bass Station…

Thanks for reading!

(c) All sounds lazy-programmed and sequenced by P Brown.

Check out last week’s feature on the Muon Tau

And the introduction to the series

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