Pulsar Modular P915 Medusa by nichttuntun
Bob Moog's legacy in the hands of Pulsar Modular, what can go wrong? When I demoed the plugin (914 FFB) 2 years ago, I compared it to another software emulation and heard the quality difference immediately. PM craft masterful filters and they tune them musically – a vital requirement for making a software Fixed Filter Bank. They did everything right.
The 12 bandpass filters create wacky effects for synthesizers or add resonant sounds to all types of instruments. They feel analogue, transport weight and depth. It´s a piece of cake to use the LOW SHELF and its resonance controller to enrich bass instruments and kickdrums with punch that makes the walls shake; and all in the usual PM quality, that is, not smearing the low end but to improve it while respecting the original sound source. The tilt-shift filter topples the frequency spectrum towards its bright or dark sounding content, without changing the previously set bandpass filter positions. The DRIVE enriches the overall sound by adding harmonics and further dimension - it's a sonical joy combined with NOISE. Feature wise my highlight is the MORPH-circuit, with which I can smoothly transition between two fundamentally different plugin-settings. Automated by DAW = cream topping!
Eventually the free update, P915 Medusa, has been released. It enhances the plugin with great new features and a gorgeous GUI. New on board is the SUM circuit, which optionally allows me to add the wet signal on top of the full dry signal, what is perfect for mixing. The 2 rows of bandpass filters can be routed to the L+R channels and P915 enables to additionally delay both channels via independent DELAY-settings, what results in wide and unusual stereo effects including cool ghost notes rythms. The P915 Medusa is more than merely an effects processor. It's also perfectly suitable for mixing, especially if a sound needs more texture, depth, breadth and that special vibe which is not possible with other filters. I don’t want to miss the plugin anymore – its outstanding sound and its diversity have grown to my heart.
Despite the high price, I rated 5 stars for "bang for the bucks", as this plugin is a definite keeper. Enjoy!