The ELTA Music POLIVOKS PF-3 is a desktop stereo filter unit built on the classic Soviet Polivoks filter chip, which ELTA Music describes as giving "a unique and iconic filter tone"12. It was announced in August 2022 and became available in September 2022 at a launch price of €3502. Inside are two independent 12dB multimode filters that can be used as two separate filters or linked together in stereo mode1.
As Gearnews' Robin Vincent put it when the unit was revealed:
"The PF-3 is a desktop unit pumped full of Polivoks-based filtering badness."
Robin Vincent, Gearnews2
A stereo multimode filter on the desk
The PF-3 builds on ELTA Music's earlier guitar pedal-sized Polivoks Filter and the Eurorack module version of the same circuit, bringing that filtering into a stereo desktop box2. Unlike the earlier pedals in the line, which are switched on with a switch rather than a stomp button and cater toward desktop use4, the PF-3 is designed from the start as a desk unit rather than a pedalboard piece.
Because it is stereo, you effectively get two full filter paths that can be used totally independently or linked2. Each channel carries its own volume control and a clean/processed signal balance, so you can blend how much filtered signal each side hears1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cutoff frequency knob | Sets the filter cutoff, and can sweep both filters at once12 |
| Resonance knob | Sets filter resonance2 |
| Level | Output level2 |
| Wet/dry mix knob | Blends clean and filtered signal2 |
| Volume per channel | Independent output level for each channel1 |
| Clean/processed balance per channel | Sets the dry-to-filtered blend for each channel1 |
Filter modes and channels
Each channel offers four selectable filter modes: lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch1. Gearnews noted that these are selectable per channel rather than having individual outputs for every mode2. That per-channel selection is where the stereo design earns its keep: as ELTA Music puts it, "When connected in stereo, you can achieve interesting effects by using different modes to each channel"5.
The two 12dB multimode filters can be controlled by a single cutoff knob, so a stereo setup can still be swept as one instrument1. There is also a noise generator in the unit, a feature carried over from the original Polivoks Filter pedal3.
ELTA Music says the two filter channels will not be mathematically identical, and describes this as an advantage when using the unit in stereo: the small differences between the two paths widen the stereo image rather than working against it6.
CV control
Both FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 have CV controls1. The cutoff can be driven from a control voltage with an attenuator to set how much the CV affects it, and the CV can be linked so a single input controls the cutoff of both channels at once2. That makes the PF-3 at home next to a modular synth or any gear with CV outputs, not just a guitar rig.
Where it came from
The Polivoks filter circuit comes from the classic Soviet filter chip, the same family of circuitry associated with the Polivoks analog synthesizer3. ELTA Music has built a line around it: the original Polivoks Filter pedal, the Polivoks Filter 2, a Eurorack module, and the Polivoks PF3 Dual Filter MK2, which carries the same double-stereo design and Soviet filter chip5. The PF-3 sits in that range as the desktop stereo version, aimed at players and producers who want filter shaping on the desk rather than underfoot.
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Questions
What filter modes does the ELTA Music POLIVOKS PF-3 have?
Each channel offers four selectable filter modes: lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch. The modes are selectable per channel, so when the unit is used in stereo you can run a different mode on each side for wider stereo filtering effects.
Can the two channels of the POLIVOKS PF-3 be used separately?
Yes. The PF-3 contains two independent 12dB multimode filters that can be used as two separate filters or linked in stereo mode. Each channel has its own volume and a clean/processed signal balance control, and both filters can be swept from a single cutoff knob.
Can the POLIVOKS PF-3 be controlled with CV?
Yes. Both FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 have CV controls, and the cutoff can be driven from CV with an attenuator to set the amount. The CV can also be linked so one input controls the cutoff of both channels at once.
What is the Polivoks filter?
The Polivoks filter is a circuit built on the classic Soviet filter chip, originally associated with the Polivoks analog synthesizer. ELTA Music describes it as producing a unique and iconic filter tone, and it forms the basis of the company's line of filter pedals and Eurorack modules.
What colors does the POLIVOKS PF-3 come in?
The PF-3 comes in three colors: black, white and grey. All three versions carry the same circuit and feature set.
Is the POLIVOKS PF-3 a pedal?
No, it is a desktop unit. It is switched on with a switch rather than a stomp button, which suits it to sitting next to a mixer or synth rather than on a pedalboard. It builds on ELTA Music's earlier guitar pedal-sized Polivoks filter.
Sources (6)
- PF3 | eltamusic, eltamusic
- ELTA Music reveals POLIVOKS PF-3 stereo filter in a box, gearnews.com, 2022-08-17
- POLIVOKS filter, eltamusic
- POLIVOKS filter-2, ELTA Music
- POLIVOKS PF3 Dual Filter MK2, eltamusic.com
- PF3 mk.2, eltamusic
