The Elta Music Polivoks Filter 2 is a desktop filter pedal built around the classic Soviet Polivoks filter chip. Elta Music says the design "utilizes the classic Soviet filter chip for a unique and iconic filter tone"1. Unlike a conventional stompbox, it is switched on with a switch rather than a stomp button, which Elta Music says caters towards use as a desktop filter1. That makes it a natural fit for players who treat filters as a studio or tabletop tool rather than something on the floor, though it sits alongside the wider world of filter pedals.
Filter types and sound shaping
The Polivoks Filter 2 covers four filter types: lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch. Elta Music's pitch is that "with lowpass, bandpass, highpass, and notch filter types, one can shape tones into whole new realms"1. In practice, that means one unit can darken a signal like a lowpass, focus a narrow band like a bandpass, thin it out like a highpass, or carve a dip with the notch setting.
The WOB fader is a cutoff manipulator, giving direct control of the filter's central movement1.
LFO, CV and expression control
Modulation and external control are central to how the unit is meant to be used:
- On-board LFO: a multiwave LFO generator with a fast/slow range switch and on/off control1
- LFO OUT: a separate LFO output that can be used to control external CV devices1
- CV input: an external CV input for filter frequency control1
- Expression pedal input: for foot control of the filter1
The LFO OUT is worth noting for players with other CV-equipped gear: the same modulation that sweeps the filter can also drive an external device, so the unit can act as a small modulation source in a larger setup1.
The Polivoks Filter 2 runs on a universal power supply of 9 to 12V, AC or DC, with any polarity1. Because it accepts AC as well as DC, it is not limited to standard center-negative pedal supplies.
The Polivoks Filter line
The Polivoks Filter 2 is part of a family of Polivoks-based units from Elta Music. The original Polivoks Filter is described by the maker as a multimode filter that also provides both CV and expression pedal inputs, along with a built-in noise generator2. The noise generator is listed as a feature of the Polivoks Filter line2, and filtering noise is a common route to percussive sweeps and textured ambience.
For players who want two filters at once, the Polivoks PF3 Dual Filter MK2 is the maker's double-stereo filter, also built on the classic Soviet filter chip3. It carries two independent 12dB multi-mode filters that can be controlled by a single cutoff knob, and can be used as two independent filters or in stereo mode3. Each channel has volume as well as clean and processed signal balance, and the FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 controls accept CV3. Its power supply is a universal mains adapter, 100 to 220V with 12V 1A out, and its modulation CV input accepts -5 to +5V or 0 to +10V3.
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Questions
What filter types does the Elta Music Polivoks Filter 2 offer?
The Polivoks Filter 2 offers four filter types: lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch. Elta Music describes the multimode design as a way to shape tones into whole new realms, and the circuit is built around the classic Soviet Polivoks filter chip, which gives the unit its characteristic filter tone.
Can the Polivoks Filter 2 be controlled with an expression pedal?
Yes. The Polivoks Filter 2 has an expression pedal input, so you can sweep the filter with your foot while playing. It also accepts an external CV input for filter frequency control, which suits players who use modular or synth gear alongside their instrument.
What power supply does the Polivoks Filter 2 need?
Elta Music specifies a universal power supply of 9 to 12V, AC or DC, with any polarity. Because the unit accepts either AC or DC and either polarity, a standard center-negative 9V pedal supply or an AC adapter can both work, which makes it easy to fit into an existing setup.
Can the Polivoks Filter 2 control other gear with its LFO output?
Yes. The Polivoks Filter 2 has a separate LFO OUT that can be used to control external CV devices. Its on-board LFO is a multiwave generator with a fast/slow range switch and an on/off control, so the same modulation that moves the filter can also drive other CV-equipped gear.
Does the Polivoks Filter 2 have a noise generator?
The Polivoks Filter line includes a built-in noise generator, listed by Elta Music on the Polivoks Filter product page. Filtering noise is a common way to create percussive sweeps and wind-like textures, so it pairs naturally with the unit's multimode filter types.
Sources (3)
- POLIVOKS filter-2, Elta Music
- POLIVOKS filter, eltamusic
- POLIVOKS PF3 Dual Filter MK2, eltamusic.com
