Filtomika Crossgrade from Atomika

Filtomika is Cherry Audio's standalone filter effect derived from the multi-mode section of their Atomika synthesizer, itself modeled on the legendary Polivoks filter designed by Vladimir Kuzmin. For Atomika owners seeking a dedicated processor, this crossgrade path provides access to a genuinely capable filter plugin without the full synthesizer overhead.

The plugin implements circuit-modeled DSP architecture by Mark Barton, delivering authentic emulation of the Polivoks' programmable op-amp topology with notable expansions. Beyond the original hardware's lowpass and bandpass modes, Filtomika adds highpass, notch, and peak responses, substantially broadening its practical applications across mixing and sound design tasks. The inclusion of Starve, Filter Drive, and Amp Drive controls extends the sonic palette into territory the original hardware never explored, enabling everything from subtle tonal shaping to aggressive nonlinear distortion.

Modulation options center on a syncable LFO offering ramp, sawtooth, triangle, square, noise, and random waveforms, complemented by an envelope follower for dynamic filter movement. These tools support both surgical and experimental processing approaches. The plugin handles mono and stereo sources equally well, functioning effectively as either an insert or bus effect with full MIDI learn and DAW automation support.

Filtomika occupies a specific niche: it's most valuable for producers and engineers already familiar with Atomika's character who need a lightweight, filter-focused processor. While the Polivoks emulation remains its core strength, the extended control set makes it genuinely useful beyond novelty applications. The 30+ included presets demonstrate practical production applications, though experienced users will likely develop custom patches quickly.