Our version of the boxy, Blade Runner-sweet and Boomstar-brash dual mode CS80 filter, initially married to the Omega Series Synths, and then tucked-in the ‘Stars, now joins the Modstar Collective. We’ve twisted and turned the SE88 to unflatten the earth, so to speak; the original CS80 fed a HP filter into a LP filter, but with the SE88 your can select MODE 1‘s HP or BR to feed MODE 2‘s LP or BP, or patch it to reverse that pleasant path. The audio signal is completely controllable with input and output levels for each filter. Cherish and respect your filter’s input gain stages, for a smooth yet often brassy sound—shed your mercy to strike hard for boiling, snarling bite, even to the blackout/cutout point (see Greg St. Regis, Tim Caswell, and Marc St. Regis’ SEM filter commentary for a detailed diatribe on this “feature too far”); then and only then, uniquely blend mode settings for the filter family values you revere.

To get things merrily modulating, each filter employs attenuverters for frequency and resonance experimentation and decimation. While the SE88 does not self oscillate (Yamaha’s creation didn’t either), we did amp up the resonance level for full-throttle squelching. An additional master FM (frequency modulation) attenuverter-controlled level can feed both filters (when hungry enough) simultaneously, and tracking switches allow for individual keyboard response for each of the contrasting and complimentary filter modes.

Speaking of responses, the Boomstar SE80 – Dual Resonant Powerhouse, features the same core filter architecture, and is our current SoundCloud play king of the hill: soundcloud.com/studio-electronics/sets/the-se80s.

Two audio paths are involved if you are running the ’88 filter in series, so both input levels, and the seeded output level of the 1st stage have to be taken into consideration if a clean sound is desired—either that or keep your resonance setting below 3:00 to avoid the fireworks. This beast’s resonance is wide open, with no governor in place—hot-rodded—so expect voltaged chaos when you push it past its “yama-clone” comfort zone.