WOW2 is an updated version of the highly acclaimed WOW filter by Sugar Bytes. Building upon the great functionality of its predecessor, WOW2 features the same easy workflow and slick interface while adding new filter types and introducing some advanced modulation features.
There’s a total of 21 different filter types to choose from, including the standard set of HP/LP/BP filters which are available in several different flavors (Moog, MS-20, etc.), as well as the somewhat more exotic comb and vowel filters. If you’re into those currently popular mid-range heavy bass sounds, you’ll know that using a vowel filter is all the rage at the moment. Pairing this one up with WOW2′s built-in Wobble Generator makes it ridiculously easy to experiment with those sort of sounds, but more on that later.
The available filters sound very well to my ears and provide a neat little toolbox of all the filter types you may need for hours and hours of sound mangling and experimentation. I can’t compare the included Moog and MS-20 models to the real thing (unfortunately!), but they do sound both warm and pleasing, and offer just enough variation to let you choose exactly the right type of filter you’d need for your effects chain.
Besides its vast array of filters, WOW2 offers seven different distortion types. You can choose between various analog overdrive or digital distortion flavors, all of which can be applied before or after the filter. Adding some analog drive before your signal hits the filter can seriously beef up the sound while preserving the original character, and I really like what Sugar Bytes have done with their analog distortion models in this context. Of course, if subtlety is not your thing, you can choose one of the digital distortion types and give your audio a harsh edge before it hits the filter (or just before it hits the output, if you prefer).
As always, modulation is where the fun really begins. Or not, if you’re a regular person instead of an audio geek such as you and me. Either way, you can modulate the filter using the built-in step filter, the good old LFO module, or the curiously named Wobble Generator which was mentioned earlier. The Wobble Generator was first introduced in Sugar Bytes’ Cyclop synthesizer and is basically an advanced LFO module which was designed as a dedicated tool for creating wobble bass sounds.
Patching up the provided modulation sources is a very simple process and you’ll be automating your filter module of choice in no time. Creating trance pads, wobble basses, evolving soundscapes and other sounds alike is a breeze with WOW2.
The interface is a treat to look at and to play around with. Beautiful and slick, yet very functional and intuitive. All frequently used parameters are easily accessible on the main screen, while some more advanced features are placed under the hood, though still quite easy to reach. I’ve had zero problems while testing WOW2 and reading the manual wasn’t at all necessary to get the plugin under control. Still, as the ancient Greeks used to say, RTFM FTW (διαβ?στε το εγχειρ?διο και να κερδ?σει).
Original Source - Bedroom Producer Blog
