REQ: Eftilo Cratere
A new plugin from Eftilo,
Phaserama
I’ve always been fascinated by phasers, both analog and digital ones. Perhaps it’s because, even after years of working with audio, I never had the chance to really study one. Or maybe just because phasers sound pretty cool.
Cratere is the phaser I always wanted, and more. A highly versatile, distorting and easy to use dynamic phaser that can easily go from a classic orange phaser pedal to wild envelope-controlled stretched resonant notches.
But Cratere is not just that. It’s a stage-mixing phaser. Let me explain.
INFO :
Cratere models three distinct phaser circuits, each with a different number of stages. Unlike common phasers that only use the output of the final stage, Cratere combines multiple stage outputs, much like multimode pole-mixing filters. Each model and stage combination has a distinct character, especially when the feedback is cranked up, unlocking unique notch shapes and frequency profiles.
Each stage in Cratere adds a subtle (but also not) distortion to your sound. The distortion is tuned to preserve the depth of the notches, but becomes noticeable when the plugin is driven with loud inputs.
The POLARITY parameter adjusts the mix and polarity of the stages, while the STAGES control lets you select different stage combinations.
The FREQUENCY parameter sets the center position of the notches, while FEEDBACK controls the intensity and polarity of the feedback in the simulated circuits. Unlike common phaser emulations that apply separate feedback to each notch, Cratere models a feedback path around all stages, just like an analog phaser.
The phaser engine in Cratere is modulated by two sources: LFO and RND.
The first, LFO, applies a periodic modulation to the phaser frequency. Controls for SPEED, wave SHAPE and stereo WIDTH are available, with the option to sync to DAW tempo for added precision.
The second, RND, introduces an unpredictable modulation to the phaser frequency. The SPEED control determines how quickly a new random value is generated, while SHAPE smooths the erratic signal for more subtle modulations. The SPEED control can also be synced to the DAW.
Cratere also features an envelope follower (ENV) that extracts the input signal’s amplitude profile, making the RND module even more unpredictable. Using the ENV TO control, the input envelope can influence the RND module’s SPEED and amount. Alternatively, the input envelope can directly modulate the phaser’s center frequency, creating auto-phaser and envelope-filter effects. Controls for the envelope SPEED and SENSITIVITY allow dialing in the perfect dynamic response.
Cratere also features a HIDDEN PANEL with additional settings for the modulation sources, controls for the INPUT and OUTPUT levels, and secondary options for even more unique sounds.
Additionally, Cratere includes a built-in preset manager, allowing you to save and recall your favorite settings.