Future Sound Systems FIL4 Timbral Sculptor

With the Timbral Sculptor, Future Sound Systems introduces an analog module that is almost adequately described with "timbral sculptor". The module has a high creative approach and is sonically extremely versatile. This is due to the successful combination of multimode filter, Lockhart wavefolder, rectifier, VCA and a flexible signal routing within the module. The FIL4 tends to drastic sound changes which does not mean that everything that comes out of the module distorts and bites. Depending on the routing and settings, it's very sedate and the fine line between arty and vicious literally screams to be crossed more often.
The resonant Multimode filter has a separate audio input with level control for each filter characteristic. Here fundamentally different signals (e.g. oscillator, sampler & drum machine at the same time?!) or simply alternative waveforms of an oscillator find their way into the module; in the end result even good sounding phaser sounds are no problem for the Timbral Sculptor. Timbre aka Lockhart Wavefolder does its job before or after the filter. The wavefolder itself has a rectifier that flips all negative waveforms up. On the one hand this provides more harmonics, on the other hand a much larger attack surface for the wavefolder. The VCA can be placed at the beginning or end of the signal chain and can even be used independently due to its own audio and CV inputs.
Whether as the last instance in the signal path, in the middle of a larger patch or with an upstream synthvoice module and two envelopes, what Timbral Sculpter can shape from audio signals cannot be fully put into words. However, the video gives a lot of information about the capabilities of this "hammer and chisel" module.