FabFilter Volcano 3 is a powerful and versatile filter plugin that builds upon the legacy of its predecessors. This third iteration brings a completely redesigned interface, new filter shapes, and enhanced modulation capabilities to the table. At its heart, Volcano 3 offers four analog-style filters with flexible routing options, each providing a wide array of filter shapes including non-linear bell and shelf filters. The plugin’s strength lies in its ability to deliver vintage-inspired, gritty, and creamy filter sounds reminiscent of classic hardware units. With the introduction of new EQ-type filter shapes such as bell, low/high shelf, notch, and all-pass, Volcano 3 expands its sonic palette significantly. The redesigned interface not only improves workflow efficiency but also provides a more intuitive and visually appealing experience for users. The modulation section has been enhanced, offering an extensive array of sources including XLFOs, envelope generators, envelope followers, and MIDI sources, all easily accessible through a drag-and-drop interface. Volcano 3 also introduces a High Quality mode for maximum internal oversampling, ensuring the best possible sound quality in critical applications.
Pros:
• Intuitive, redesigned interface with improved workflow
• Expanded filter shapes including non-linear EQ-type filters
• Extensive modulation options with easy drag-and-drop implementation
• High Quality mode for superior sound quality
• Flexible filter routing with per-channel and mid/side options
Cons:
• Steep learning curve for users new to advanced modulation concepts
Volcano 3’s feature set is both comprehensive and innovative. The plugin’s four filters can be routed in various configurations, including serial, parallel, per-channel, and mid/side modes, offering unparalleled flexibility in sound shaping. Each filter now includes a Drive setting, allowing users to adjust internal filter saturation for a wider range of tonal characteristics, from smooth to gritty. The addition of Level/Pan controls per filter further enhances the plugin’s utility, especially when using parallel filter routings.
The modulation capabilities in Volcano 3 are truly impressive. The 16-step XLFOs provide complex, evolving modulation patterns, while the XY controllers offer intuitive control over multiple parameters simultaneously. Envelope generators now feature a curve slope setting for their attack, decay, and release stages, enabling a vast array of shapes from snappy and aggressive to gentle and smooth. The introduction of a Transient mode for envelope followers effectively turns them into transient detectors, opening up new creative possibilities for dynamic processing.
Volcano 3’s filter display has been vastly improved, now including a spectrum analyzer and an optional piano display. This enhancement allows for more intuitive filter curve adjustments, with the ability to select and modify multiple filter curves simultaneously. The live modulation visualization for both targets and sources provides immediate feedback on the complex interactions within a patch.
The plugin now supports various interface sizes and a full-screen mode, catering to different workflow preferences and screen setups. The carefully curated factory presets showcase the plugin’s capabilities while providing excellent starting points for sound design. Volcano 3 also maintains backwards compatibility, supporting presets from earlier versions.
Additional features include MIDI Learn for easy hardware integration, Smart Parameter Interpolation for smooth parameter transitions, and an extensive help file with interactive help hints. The plugin is available in VST, VST3, Audio Units, AAX Native, and AudioSuite formats, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of digital audio workstations. While the learning curve may be steep for newcomers to advanced modulation concepts, the payoff in terms of creative potential is substantial. The High Quality mode ensures that the plugin can deliver pristine results in critical applications, while the various filter saturation options allow for the introduction of pleasing harmonics and analog-style warmth when desired.
When compared to other filter plugins on the market, FabFilter Volcano 3 stands out for its combination of sound quality, flexibility, and ease of use. While plugins like Soundtoys FilterFreak offer a more vintage-focused approach with simpler controls, Volcano 3 provides a broader palette of sounds and more extensive modulation options. Native Instruments’ Form offers similarly complex modulation capabilities but focuses more on additive synthesis and sample manipulation rather than pure filtering. Cytomic’s The Drop is perhaps the closest competitor in terms of filter quality and modulation depth, but Volcano 3’s interface is generally considered more intuitive and visually appealing. U-he’s Filterscape is another plugin that offers deep modulation options, but it lacks the non-linear filter shapes and the sleek, modern interface of Volcano 3.
This plugin is best for:
• Sound designers seeking a versatile and high-quality filter for creative effects
• Electronic music producers looking for complex, evolving filter modulations
• Mix engineers requiring precise and musical EQ-style filtering with character
• Musicians and producers who value intuitive interfaces and workflow efficiency
• Anyone looking to add analog-style warmth and grit to digital productions
FabFilter Volcano 3 represents a significant evolution in the realm of software filters. Its redesigned interface strikes a balance between power and usability, making complex sound shaping more accessible than ever before. The expanded set of filter shapes, including the new non-linear EQ-type filters, provides an incredibly versatile toolkit for sound design and mixing. The enhanced modulation system, with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and live visualization, encourages experimentation and enables the creation of dynamic, evolving sounds that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional hardware. Volcano 3’s flexibility makes it equally at home in electronic music production, sound design for film and games, and traditional mixing scenarios. Its ability to function as both a creative effect and a precise mixing tool sets it apart from many of its competitors. For those willing to invest the time to explore its depths, FabFilter Volcano 3 offers a nearly limitless palette of filtering possibilities, from subtle tonal shaping to wild, experimental sound mangling.