Frostwave Resonator
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The Resonator is a clone of the famous filter section in the Korg MS20 analog dream machine. It consists of a high and low pass filter in series, with resonance and cutoff controls for each, plus a balance control and bypass switch.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $143.55
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User Reviews of the Frostwave Resonator
- Submitted by Anthony from Melbourne (66 points) on Nov 8, 2008
- Ahh the resonator. Ok its a very good filter. and its a clone of the 2nd version of the MS20 filter(I confirmed this with Paul Perry after doing some research). The main difference between the 2 versions of the filter is where the CLIPPING DIODES are in the signal chain. In the Korg35 chip version the DIODE section is before the filter and in the LM13600 chip version the DIODE section is after the filter. Does this matter? The answer is yes. I have on hand a Korg 35 MS10 and the Resonator. When comparing the low pass filter against each other the Pre Filter clipping sounds far gutsier as your signal distors then is filtered. What you get with the frostwave is a filtered signal then distortion. Not that this is a bad thing they just sound different to each other. While the frostwave has provision for the original 6 diode ring, Paul felt that he liked using just 2 LED's for the distortion. I chose to mod mine to use 1n34a Germanium diodes in the original korg layout. The germanium clips at a much lower signal level and changed the character of the filter somewhat. The resonance sounds different and while it can't compare to the original Korg35 version its actually closer to the MS20v2 character. Either way the filter is very useful for creating interesting textures and noise all by itself. Modding the LED to show on/off is a piece of cake as the switch is 3dpt check tonepad.com for a circuit diagram for that type of switch. The Korg35 and LM13600 chips are for controlling CV only and do not affect the filter type. I don't know why korg went and revised the signal path when they ran out of their custom chips.
- Good Points: Solid build. Sounds good. Has room for mods. Easy to work with and sounds great out of the box
- Bad Points: The option to switch the clipping stage either side of the filter would make it even more versatile.
- Price Paid: US$300.00
- Purchased At: music swop shop
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- Submitted by Chris from Spring, TX (8 points) on Nov 19, 2007
- This filter has broadened my understanding of synthesis and noise. I chose it over the Moogerfooger Lowpass filter. The Moog LP is classic, but having something that can work as an LP, BP, and HP makes the substitution worthwhile. The Resonator can be a total twist fest for harsh dive bombs or cougar snarls. Max out the rez for delicious FM-type noises and ear splitting self-oscillation. CV control basically turns it into an analog synth. You really want something to control this, otherwise it will walk all over you with its omnipresence. It demands your attention for precision control. I use it for everything - turning my bass into a buzz saw nightmare, dropping my pedal chain into explosion, and making crappy softsynths sound palatable.
- Good Points: This is the all-purpose filter to get in its price range. Automated CV control (or brilliant, quick hands) will saddle it to your precise will.
- Bad Points: The bypass switch is in an awkward place for me. I've considered sateliting it off of the module so that I don't hit the LP Freq knob when I stomp down. Usually I just remove The LP Freq knob cover so that it doesn't accidentally get turned. Def not a deal breakerr.
- Price Paid: US$325.00
- Purchased At: Frostwave
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- Submitted by christopher from cebu city (80 points) on May 2, 2006
- A clone of the filters of the legendary MS20..and in the period I've been using it; makes me wonder what it would be like to use the real thing. This is one mighty set of filters!..Anything you feed into this will eventually come out better and more useful in the other end..It has a very wide sweep of the spectrum and gives signals an undeniable analogue quality..Sounds after it posess an almost tangible physicality..and a presence in the mix that you really can't ignore..It can dominate the overall color of your sound if you want to;..effortlessly. In noisemaking,a set of filters as powerful as these can only be nothing but useful. I have mine at the end of the chain before some amp/cabs sims from a multi-effects..and I could easily tell when it's bypassed; because there is these huge sonic vacuum left in the signal..Once you've tried it, you're more likely be using it everytime you are processing sounds..even in more conventional ways and forms. In an ideal world, every noisician would probably have an MS20 in their set-up..but back on earth, they pitch prices like 1000+ on ebay..and rather beyond the reach of ordinary mortals!..so owning one of these, although still at your average boutique and handmade prices, is much more realistic than trying to acquire the real thing..for in a proper set-up, this unit is more than capable to supply you with an incredible array of sonic textures..from heavy thick throbbing lows to painful vomit-inducing glassy highs..and other caustic aural offerings in between. A very useful,indispensable device for serious sound production and very much at home with any genre,. and that includes extreme music and noise.. with the extra provision that it is built like it is guaranteed to outlast its user.
- Good Points: -very well built; solid feel -gives an unmistakable analogue tone/texture to sounds -cheaper/closest access to the legendary MS20 filters
- Bad Points: -no bypass indicators -rather pricey but very much worth it!! -I only have one..(for now...)
- Price Paid: US$275.00
- Purchased At: Frostwave / Australia
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- Submitted by Brandon from Collinsville, IL (104 points) on Aug 23, 2004
- I've sunk more hours into fiddling with this sexy sexy toy than any other efx unit I've yet come across. Allows you to bring the pain in the way of screeeeeeeeching fuckin highs, and some nice rumbly lows that can work as an ex-lax alternative with the right amp. Yet another sweet device to go apeshit on the knobs with. More often than not can invoke some strange behaviour from the devices following it in the chain, yet it still manages to play well with others. Well worth the price tag
- Good Points: Maniacal sonic fluctuations can be achieved with ease. Sturdy Incredibly fun to horse around with
- Bad Points: Bad points? Beyond the price tag, perish the thought
- Price Paid: US$0.00
- Purchased At: frostwave's site
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- Submitted by Bob from San Francisco, CA (34 points) on Nov 11, 2003
- Well, I finally broke down and got one of these. I must say that after fiddling with it for just a hour, it's now officially my favorite pedal!! Tweaking the high pass and low pass knobs give a wide range of sweeping sounds from painfully high to pounding lows. You can adjust the amount of wet to dry signal on each the HP filter and the LP filter and make it so that it self-oscillates. This machine is the total schnitz!!
- Good Points: Control voltage (I've only just experimented with that feature), very intuative yet oh so versitile!
- Bad Points: nada!!
- Price Paid: US$240.00
- Purchased At: Frostwave
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- Submitted by gr-eh? from Detroit, MI (402 points) on Jul 6, 2002
- cool pedal, it is pretty much a clone of the ms20 resonant filter.. then again, that's all it is. if you want to add heavy resonance to any sound, go for it. level and mix knobs make it easy to adjust the effect, and the resonance settings and frequencies can be tweaked to great effect. it sounds nice, but as i recently scooped an ms20, it doesn't fit in my setup. i could control it from my ms20 which is pretty badass, all pedals should take cv if possible, and send some too!
- Good Points: cv, nasty nasty nasal resonant sound, self-oscillates, rugged construction.
- Bad Points: none for the price. expect a resonant filter. lfo would be sexy.
- Price Paid: US$0.00
- Purchased At: ebay
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- Submitted by matt from Billings, MT (126 points) on Apr 24, 2002
- just got this in the mail today at work. luckily i work at a music store, so i unpacked it and plugged it in to an amp we had. from the first twist of the knobs i was hooked and unfortunately i didn't get to play with it that much at work so i thought about playing it all day. this thing is amazing. a noisicain's wet dream. from high-pitched squills to deep rumbling bass. and everything in between. you can get infinite sounds out of this thing and when you plug it into effects. oh man, look out. the sounds can get crazy. plus you can run other sound sources through it and affect their sound. so self-oscillating and as a effect pedal. amazing. you can control all parameters with cv controlers, which i haven't tried but hopefully will soon. one thing i noticed which i guess is natural for analog filters is that it cuts out when you turn the knobs to certain positions. so time and practice will help you understand how this thing works but that is whats so great about it, you're constantly finding new sounds.
- Good Points: infinite possibilities, sturdy casing, sounds great by itself or with effects pedals.
- Bad Points: none so far. but need light or something to show you when its enabled.
- Price Paid: US$240.00
- Purchased At: frostwave
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- Submitted by r.domain from Adelaide (16 points) on Aug 16, 2001
- This unit is the shit. (thats a good thing :-) Pure analogue filter madness. This beast sings and screams. And thats before ya plug anything into it. YES, this thing self-oscilates with itself!! Cool or what. There's no safety features on this unit eg. limited filter range. So if you want to shred eardrums or boom subsonically until you vomit, this is the toy for you. I use it on my bass when I play and I utilize the CV controller inputs which comes as standard with a custom modded foot CV controller. If you know how to use a REAL filter, it's fairly easy to use. If you have no idea though; it is actually possible to set it so no sound will actually get through. Experiment enough with and you will be rewarded. To hear what it sounds like when self-oscillating with itself, check out http://rdomain.iuma.com and listen to Ditch E Maria. The only fx used on the recording was delay and a slight comb filter.
- Good Points: Built like a russian tank. True analogue filter with NO limits on filter and resonance frequencies. Can create warm tones or total extreme noise terror. CV control. It's Australian made :-) Great customer support.
- Bad Points: Stereo inputs would be nice. No light to know when the pedal is engaged.
- Price Paid: US$0.00
- Purchased At:
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