MPCHunter |

“This is my Akai MFC42 Filter module, which I bought and used standalone (IE without an MPC) to filter and process samples.

It comes boxed, with manual on CD-R/DVD. It’s been used lightly in a non-smoking home studio, then stored for a couple of years.

I’ve tested it, and it sounds amazing: real, hardware filtering sounds like no software ever could. You get Mono 2-pole/4-pole/8-pole filtering in mono, and 2-pole or 4-pole filtering in stereo. Either can be set to Low-pass (filter the high-frequencies, leaving the bass), High-pass (filter out the bass, leave the treble), Band-pass (filter either side of the cutoff frequency, leaving a narrow band of frequencies) and notch (filter out a narrow band of frequencies, leaving the bass and treble either side).

What’s great about this unit is the resonance. Software filters aren’t built to scream like this: the hardware will produce huge, howling resonance before you even get to 75% res. What this means is that you can turn even feeble drum loops into booming, throbbing bass loops, or turn a sampled synth into the mightiest acid shriek you’ve ever heard. I found myself having to be very careful with the resonance setting, because it’s a beast. You can modulate cutoff and resonance with an inbuilt LFO, and an envelope, and the unit has MIDI In and Out for control via a sequencer.

It’s also got a crunchy-sounding EQ, distortion and phaser stage. It’s really a unique sound – I had a huge grin on my face while I was testing it, but I can’t justify my hardware habit any longer, so it’s got to go. Also, I don’t want to give the impression that it’s only for making huge, aggressive sounds – go gently on the settings and it’s just a lovely, fat-sounding hardware filter – it’s just got an enormous range, and will go further out there than the filters of any hardware synth I’ve owned (EG Moog Voyager, Roland Juno 106, Novation Bass Station…).” Link