What is FilterShaper XL?

FilterShaper XL takes a giant leap into unconventional sound design with two powerful filters, multistage drive, and an immensely flexible modulation framework.

Turn synths into twisted mutations that leap from the speakers. Transform basslines into bubbling, pulsing patterns. Morph drums into exciting filtered rhythms and bizarre modular-style FX. Go from subtle nuances and precise tweaks to powerful sweeps, stepped resonances and giant wobbles.

Awesomely analogue: It all starts with a pair of powerful Cableguys filters. Go from classic vintage warmth to audio-rate modulation and screaming self-oscillation – all with an amazingly analogue sound.

Massively modulatable: Next, set things in motion with two combinable LFOs and an envelope follower for every modulatable parameter. Dedicated LFOs for Speed and Amount allow incredible, evolving, complex interactions.

Endlessly flexible: Create any filter movement you can imagine with Cableguys’ easy LFO drawing tools. Draw curves, steps, ramps – any shape at all – in seconds, bringing new rhythmic life to your tracks.

Features

Sounds like analogue

Just like a high-quality analogue filter, FilterShaper XL always sounds great – even with the hardest, fastest modulation settings. It’s all possible due to Cableguys’ best-ever filter DSP, with zero-delay feedback (ZDF) algorithms, resonance compensation, internal saturation, and oversampling of the entire signal path.

20 colorful filter types

Discover 20 powerful, punchy filter types for juiced-up basslines, sweeping synths, modulated percussion, explosive FX, and more.Choose Warm filters that are fat and driven, inspired by the Sallen-Key filters of a legendary semimodular synthesizer. Need modern precision? Go for Cableguys’ crisp and clear Clean filters instead.

Advanced resonance control

Cranking the resonance might be the most fun you can have with a filter – but with strong resonance comes squealing feedback and high volume levels! FilterShaper XL gets it all under control with a Safe mode that limits resonance to stable levels. Advanced users can switch it off to unleash the full fury of a self-oscillating filter.

Want more? Cableguys’ Warm filters have added Resonance Drive inside the resonance circuit, emulating a real analogue filter pushed to the limit. Crank it up to get gritty textures and velvet-smooth resonant peaks. Hard mode gives you a further edgy sonic flavour.

Dual drive stages

Distortion brings filters to life – and with a punchy Drive section on each filter stage, that power is in your hands. Go from subtle saturation to flat-out distortion. Switch it pre- or post-filter for drastically different textures.

60 LFOs and 50 Envelopes

With two filters, 60 LFOs and 50 envelope followers, you have a detailed, interconnected toolbox for shaping your sound. Just click a parameter – Cutoff, Resonance, Volume or Pan – and start editing the main LFO and Envelope Follower.

Then use LFO 2 to shift your shapes up and down over time. Control the depth of modulation itself with a dedicated Amount LFO. And use the Speed LFO to rhythmically speed up and slow down your patterns.

Easy LFO editing

Cableguys’ easiest ever LFO-editing tools make it simple to draw the exact filter movements you want to hear. Design flowing cutoff patterns and juicy resonance sweeps – any shape you can imagine, just clicks away. It’s easy, fast and fun.

Flexible Envelope Followers

Use Envelope Followers to dynamically filter synths, basslines, drums, melodies – anything. Increase Cutoff as synths get louder – or boost Resonance as volume decays.

Tons of presets

Find your sound in a few clicks with more 500 cleverly categorized presets. Browse by category, save your faves, and find your custom presets.

FAQ: Is FilterShaper XL part of ShaperBox?

FilterShaper XL is a completely separate plugin from ShaperBox, focused on advanced dual filtering and deep, complex, interconnected modulation.

ShaperBox 3 instead gives you 9 varied multiband effects with a streamlined modulation system for fast, inspiring results, with filtering handled by its own single-filter module, called FilterShaper Core.

FilterShaper XL gives you dual filters in series or parallel, each with a pre/post drive stage and internal resonance drive too. For all 10 of its modulatable parameters, you get a dual LFO and Envelope – and each LFO has its own LFO/Envelope for Amount and Speed! This enables an incredible variety of modulation expression.

ShaperBox’s FilterShaper Core instead has one filter and 2 parameters, Cutoff and Resonance, each with just one LFO/Envelope. This means the LFO graph always maps directly to the full 20Hz-21kHz range of the filter. So what you see is always what you get in ShaperBox, making it instantly easy to understand and use.

So for instant inspiration across 9 varied multiband effects, ShaperBox is your go-to, while FilterShaper XL should be your choice for highly modulated advanced filtering.