Official Workspace Manual

ONE_Filter8

This version is designed to feel like a proper product document, not just notes. It walks through every main section of the plugin, uses beginner-friendly language, and keeps the most important ideas easy to spot first.

Start With The Basics Jump To Full Catalogue

The core idea

ONE_Filter8 is built around one central idea: shape a filter sound, then make it move in a musical way. You choose filter models, decide how many slots are active, and then use modulators and the matrix to create motion.

The most important beginner note: in this build, Z-Plane is a 2-filter mode. The 8-filter view is for the big XYZ morph cube. You do not need 8 filters to use Z-Plane.

Best habits when starting

Best for beginners Use 2 filters first. It is easier to hear what is happening.

Best for movement Use LFO 1 into Morph X, then keep the amount small.

Best safety habit Keep SAFE on while exploring resonance and drive.

Document Map

What this manual covers

If you only want the practical parts first, read Quick Start, Filter / Morph, Modulators, and Matrix.

1. Quick Start How to get a moving sound fast without getting lost. 2. Signal Flow What order the audio moves through the plugin. 3. Filter / Morph 2, 4, and 8 filters, routing, Z-Plane, Legacy, and Retro. 4. Modulators LFOs, envelopes, follower, trigger, BUS, PROC, scenes, and MIDI. 5. Matrix How modulation is routed from source to destination. 6. Macros Simple performance controls that can move many things at once. 7. Sonic Control Low end, stereo, drive, and side/chain shaping. 8. Gain / Output Input, output, loudness match, stereo width, and SAFE. 9. Settings Display, latency, help level, licensing, and monitoring. 10. References PROC table, matrix lists, preset summary, and full 93-model catalogue.

Quick Start

The easiest beginner setup

Start here if the full interface feels big. This gets you a moving sound in a safe way.

5-minute first patch

Set Morph Count to 2.
Pick two clearly different filter models for Slot 1 and Slot 2.
Set Routing to Parallel.
Keep SAFE on.
Open Modulators and set up LFO 1.
Open Matrix and route LFO1 -> Morph X.
Start with a small amount, around 10% to 25%.
Use Cutoff and Resonance to shape the sound.

Beginner rules that help

Use 2 filters before 4 or 8. It is much easier to understand.
Keep modulation amounts small until you know what each one is doing.
Use one modulator first, not three at the same time.
If a sound gets too wild, lower Drive, lower Resonance, or increase SAFE protection.
If you cannot hear the modulation clearly, slow the LFO down and reduce the patch complexity.

Signal Flow

What the audio passes through

Think of this like a chain. What happens earlier changes what the next section receives.

1. Input TrimSet the level going into the engine.

2. DriveAdd saturation before the filter stage.

3. Filter / MorphShape the tone and move between filter states.

4. MixBlend dry and filtered sound.

5. Output TrimSet the final level after processing.

6. Loudness MatchKeep level changes easier to judge while editing.

7. Stereo WidthChange low-band and high-band width separately.

8. SAFECatch dangerous peaks at the end.

In simple terms: if you boost Input Trim or Drive first, the filter reacts to a stronger signal. If you change Mix, you are blending the sound after the filter stage, not before it.

Filter / Morph

The main sound-shaping page

This is the heart of the plugin. It decides how many filters you are using, which models are loaded, and how the movement works.

What the page does

Chooses the number of active slots: 2, 4, or 8
Chooses the routing style: Parallel, Serial, Split, or Mid/Side
Chooses the morph engine behavior: Legacy or Z-Plane
Lets you set Morph X, Y, and Z
Lets you set Morph Curve, Morph Intensity, and Morph Time
Lets you pick the filter model in each slot

What the morph axes mean

Axis	Simple meaning
Morph X	Move left to right between filters. In 2-filter mode, this is the main blend control.
Morph Y	Move across the second direction in 4-filter and 8-filter layouts.
Morph Z	Move through the front/back depth layer in 8-filter mode.

2-filter morph view — **2 filters** Best starting point. Simple A/B movement. This is also the only mode where true Z-Plane can become active.

4-filter morph view — **4 filters** Adds XY movement. Great when you want more range but still want to understand the patch easily.

8-filter morph view — **8 filters** Full XYZ morph cube. Best for large evolving patches and scene-based movement.

**Z-Plane controls** Use this when you want smoother pairwise movement between two compatible filter models.

Custom curve editor — **Custom curve drawing** You can draw your own filter shape, which is useful when the factory models do not match the response you want.

2, 4, and 8 filters in plain English

Mode	What it is for
2 filters	Direct blend between two filter personalities. Fast to learn, easy to hear, best for first patches.
4 filters	A square of four filter states. More motion, more tonal travel, still fairly manageable.
8 filters	A full morph cube. Best when you want complex sound design and broad performance movement.

Why use 8 filters?

Use 8 filters when you want more places for the sound to travel. Think of it as giving the patch more "corners" and "layers" to move between.

Important: 8 filters are for the big XYZ morph space. They are not how you unlock Z-Plane in this build.

Good for evolving pads and long automation.
Good for live macros that move through several tonal states.
Good for scene morphing, because each corner can feel like a different version of the patch.

Legacy

Legacy blends the outputs of active slots. It works with 2, 4, and 8 filters and supports the full model catalogue.

Best for the full morph cube
Best when you want every model type available
Can sound more like a crossfade between filter results

Z-Plane

Z-Plane interpolates the filter structure between two compatible models. This usually sounds smoother and more continuous.

Only works in 2-filter mode
Needs compatible model types
Good for smoother resonance and fewer blend artifacts

Retro

Retro is a punchier 2-filter legacy behavior. It feels more abrupt, more immediate, and more aggressive.

Only available in 2-filter mode
Good for sharper rhythmic motion
Great when you want a more old-school, direct feel

Simple beginner recommendation: start with 2 filters, Parallel routing, EqualPower morph curve, and SAFE on. Then decide whether you prefer the feel of Legacy, Z-Plane, or Retro.

Modulators

The movement section

If Filter / Morph gives the plugin its sound, Modulators give it life. This is where motion, reaction, and performance control come from.

LFO modulators — **LFOs** Repeating movement. Best for sweeps, wobble, and steady motion.

Envelope modulators — **Envelopes** Triggered shapes. Best for plucks, attacks, and note-like movement.

Follow and trigger modulators — **Follower / Trigger** Audio-reactive movement that follows loudness or reacts to hits.

Modulation processors — **BUS and PROC** Reusable signal lanes and math tools for building more advanced modulation systems.

LFO 1, LFO 2, LFO 3

LFO means low frequency oscillator. In simple terms, it is a repeating movement shape.

Rate controls speed.
Depth controls how strong the movement is.
Delay waits before the movement starts.
Start sets the starting point in the cycle.
Sync locks the speed to song tempo.
Invert flips the movement upside down.

Beginner tip: start with a slow sine LFO. It is the easiest shape to hear and understand.

ENV 1, ENV 2, ENV 3

An envelope is a shape that happens over time after a trigger. It is great for movements that feel more like a note or a hit.

Attack is how fast it rises.
Decay is how fast it drops after the attack.
Sustain is the level it holds.
Release is how fast it fades out.
Trigger Mode decides what starts it: clock, MIDI, sidechain, or main input.

Follow / Trig

This is the "listen and react" section.

Follower tracks how loud the signal is.
Trigger reacts to hits and edges.
HP / LP tell the detector which frequencies to pay attention to.

Great for sidechain-style movement and transient-based patches.

BUS 1-4

A BUS is a spare modulation cable you can reuse. Send signals into it once, then use it in many places.

Good for building layers
Good for keeping patches tidy
Each bus can have lag, which smooths it

Scenes and Macro Tools

Scene A, B, and C store patch states. Macro tools set safe ranges and MIDI control.

Use scenes for verse / chorus / breakdown style changes
Use macro min/max to stop a control from going too far
Use MIDI learn to map hardware quickly

PROC 1, PROC 2, PROC 3, PROC 4 in simple terms

PROC does not process audio. It processes modulation. Think of each PROC as a little helper that can add, multiply, switch, smooth, or step modulation signals.

PROC Type	Simple meaning	Typical use
Switch	Only lets a signal through when another signal passes a threshold.	Turn movement on only during hits or notes.
Sum	Add two modulation signals together.	Combine an envelope and an LFO.
Multiply	Use one signal to scale another.	Make an envelope control the strength of an LFO.
Min	Take the lower value.	Stop one motion from going too far.
Max	Take the higher value.	Make the stronger signal win.
Abs	Turn negative movement into positive movement.	Make a bipolar source always push upward.
Diode	Keep only the positive half.	Create half-wave style motion.
FlipFlop	Toggle between two states each time it is triggered.	Alternate behavior every hit.
Gain	Boost or trim a modulation signal.	Make a weak source stronger.
Quantizer	Turn smooth motion into steps.	Create stepped filter motion.
Lag	Smooth out fast or jumpy movement.	Make automation or stepped sources glide.

Matrix

How movement gets connected

The matrix is where you decide what controls what. It is the routing center of the plugin.

Matrix routing page — **Matrix page** Every row is one route. It answers one question: "Which source is moving which destination, and how strongly?"

What each row means

Control	Simple meaning
Source	The thing that moves.
Via	A second source that scales the movement.
Destination	The thing being moved.
Amount	How much movement gets through.
Mode	Positive, negative, or bipolar behavior.
Slew	Extra smoothing.
Curve	How the movement is shaped.
Min / Max	Safe limits for the final result.
Order	When this row happens compared to the others.

The easiest way to understand "Via"

Think of Source as the movement and Via as the gate or volume knob for that movement.

LFO1 via ENV1 -> Cutoff means the LFO moves the cutoff, but the envelope decides how much of the LFO is allowed through.
Macro1 via Mod Wheel -> Morph X means the macro is ready, but the wheel controls how active it is.

Beginner tip: ignore Via at first. Learn Source, Destination, and Amount first. Add Via later when you want more advanced control.

The most useful beginner routes

LFO1 -> Morph X for constant motion
ENV1 -> Cutoff for pluck or attack shape
Follower -> Drive for audio-reactive saturation
Macro1 -> Mix for one-knob wet/dry control
Macro1 -> Drive and Macro1 -> Cutoff together for performance control

Macros

The simple performance controls

Macros are the easiest way to make a complex patch playable. One macro can move several things at once.

Macro assignment page — **Macros page** Each macro has a value control and up to four target assignments. This makes it easy to create one-knob transitions.

What macros are good for

Live performance
Easy DAW automation
Turning a complex patch into something simple to play
Moving several sound changes at the same time

Easy macro ideas

Macro 1: brightness and movement
Macro 2: aggression and drive
Macro 3: stereo and width
Macro 4: special effect or scene change

Sonic Control

Mix-focused shaping tools

This page goes beyond the main filter. It helps shape low end, stereo spread, drive character, and sidechain behavior.

Low end controls — **Low End / Focus** Control ducking, target range, detector behavior, and bass focus.

Stereo controls — **Stereo** Adjust low-band and high-band width separately, then control auto-narrowing.

Drive controls — **Drive** Shape main drive, low-band drive, high-band drive, and bass enhancement.

Low End / Focus

This section helps you decide what frequency area gets ducked and how strongly.

Bottom End is for bass-heavy control.
Mid Band targets a chosen focus area.
Overall Focus follows the strongest area more automatically.

Stereo

Stereo width is split into low and high sections so you can keep bass tighter while widening the upper range.

Use lower width on bass for more stability.
Use higher width on mids/highs for space.
Use Auto Narrow when a patch gets too wide.

Drive

The Sonic Control Drive page gives you more detailed drive shaping than the main drive knob alone.

Main Drive affects the whole sound.
Low Drive pushes the low band more.
Mid/High Drive pushes the upper range more.
Bass Enhance adds psychoacoustic bass weight.

Side/Chain Compressor in plain English

This section ducks the sound based on another signal. In Full mode it ducks the whole thing. In Split mode it can duck low and high ranges differently.

Threshold decides when ducking starts.
Ratio decides how hard it ducks.
Attack decides how quickly it reacts.
Release decides how quickly it lets go.
Mix blends dry and ducked sound.
Auto Duck tries to focus ducking around dominant frequencies automatically.

Gain Stage and Output

Level control and final safety

This page helps stop level problems and gives you a safer place to finish the patch.

Main controls

Input Trim changes what level hits the engine.
Output Trim changes the final output level.
Loudness Match makes comparison easier while editing.
SAFE catches dangerous peaks.
SAFE Ceiling sets how strict the final limiter is.

Why SAFE matters

Resonant filters, aggressive drive, and fast modulation can create sudden peaks. SAFE is there so one experiment does not become a speaker problem.

Best habit: leave SAFE on while designing, especially when Resonance or Drive is high.

Settings

Behavior, display, and help level

The Settings page controls what you see, how much inline help you get, and how the plugin behaves in lighter or faster modes.

Display

Render Visualizer
Visualizer Mode
Clear Morph Trail

Performance

Ultra Low Latency
CPU Load readout
Memory readout
Current Latency readout

Guidance

Show Tooltips
LED Help Detail
Licensing and update status

Reference

Detailed lookup sections

These sections are here when you want the exact feature list, but they are tucked away so the manual stays readable.

How Legacy, Z-Plane, and Retro differ

Mode	What it really does	Best use
Legacy	Blends the outputs of the active filter slots by weight.	Use this for all 2, 4, and 8 filter work and for the full model catalogue.
Z-Plane	Interpolates the filter structure between two compatible models.	Use this for the smoothest 2-filter morphs.
Retro	Forces immediate, punchier 2-filter legacy behavior with a more abrupt feel.	Use this when you want sharper, more direct movement.

A simple history of Z-Plane in this manual: the idea comes from digital filter design, where a filter can be described by its internal shape and behavior, not just by how loud or soft its output is. Over time, developers used that idea to make filter movement feel more natural by changing the filter structure itself instead of only crossfading between two finished sounds.

In plain English: Z-Plane changes the shape of the filter as it moves. That is why it often sounds smoother than a normal blend. Instead of hearing "one filter fades out while another fades in," you hear one filter turn into another more gradually.

Real-life way to picture it: imagine you are walking down a road past a sound source. At one point the sound feels bright and open, then as you move it becomes softer, narrower, and more focused. In real life, the sound does not usually jump from one fixed state to another. It changes shape continuously as your position changes. Z-Plane aims to create that kind of smoother change inside the filter movement.

All matrix sources and destinations

Matrix sources

Sources: None, LFO1, LFO2, LFO3, ENV1, ENV2, ENV3, Sidechain Follower, Macro1, Macro2, Macro3, Macro4, BUS1, BUS2, BUS3, BUS4, Cutoff (Pre), Cutoff (Post), Resonance (Pre), Resonance (Post), Proc1, Proc2, Proc3, Proc4, MIDI Gate, MIDI Velocity, MIDI Key, MIDI Pitch Bend, MIDI Mod Wheel, MIDI Aftertouch, MIDI Sustain.

Matrix destinations

Destinations: None, Morph X, Morph Y, Morph Z, Cutoff, Resonance, Drive, Mix, Track, Transform, BUS1, BUS2, BUS3, BUS4, Amount 1-24, Macro 1, Macro 2, Macro 3, Macro 4.

Factory preset summary

The current source tree defines 34 factory presets.

16 Retro-oriented 2-filter presets
10 XY 4-filter presets
8 XYZ 8-filter presets

That preset layout mirrors the three main workflow styles in the plugin: focused 2-filter work, XY morphing, and full XYZ morphing.

ONE_Filter8

The core idea

Best habits when starting

What this manual covers

The easiest beginner setup

5-minute first patch

Beginner rules that help

What the audio passes through

The main sound-shaping page

What the page does

What the morph axes mean

2, 4, and 8 filters in plain English

Why use 8 filters?

Legacy

Z-Plane

Retro

The movement section

LFO 1, LFO 2, LFO 3

ENV 1, ENV 2, ENV 3

Follow / Trig

BUS 1-4

Scenes and Macro Tools

PROC 1, PROC 2, PROC 3, PROC 4 in simple terms

How movement gets connected

What each row means

The easiest way to understand "Via"

The most useful beginner routes

The simple performance controls

What macros are good for

Easy macro ideas

Mix-focused shaping tools

Low End / Focus

Stereo

Drive

Side/Chain Compressor in plain English

Level control and final safety

Main controls

Why SAFE matters

Behavior, display, and help level

Display

Performance

Guidance

Detailed lookup sections

Matrix sources

Matrix destinations

Core / EQ Filters / Legacy

Core / EQ Filters / Modern

Analog / Character Models

Creative / Modulation Filters

Dynamic / Utility Filters

Content-Focused Macros

Creative / Legacy Extras

Custom