Dub Filter — Free Download

Original Hardware Emulation

Dub Filter is a plugin that recreates the sound of the Altec 9069B High Pass Filter, famously used by King Tubby at his studio in Waterhouse, Jamaica. Known as King Tubby’s Big Knob, this passive inductor-based T-network filter provided steep attenuation with ten positions and defined the roots era of Jamaican music. The plugin meticulously replicates the original filter’s behavior, adding a range of controls to shape its response.

The main Frequency knob offers eleven steps from 70 Hz to 7.5 kHz, while the Impedance control acts as the resonance. Additional controls—Magnetism, Character, Dynamics, and Artefacts—let you adjust the non-linear inductance model, harmonic content, and frequency-change smoothness. These parameters allow for subtle coloration or extreme, envelope-like effects.

Modulation and Creative Controls

Two built-in modulation sources expand the filter’s creative potential: an LFO with multiple waveforms and an Envelope Follower. These can drive rhythmic pulsations or organic filter movements, making the plugin suitable for dub-style sweeps, wobbles, or dynamic filtering that reacts to your audio. The modulation is easy to route and can be applied to the frequency or other parameters.

The interface includes a resizable window, brightness and contrast controls, and a preset system with a randomizer for quick inspiration. The plugin is designed to feel at home in a mixing or production environment, offering both precise control and exploratory possibilities.

Workflow and Use Cases

In practice, Dub Filter excels at adding movement and character to individual tracks or full mixes. For a classic dub effect, automate the stepped frequency knob to create rhythmic filter opening and closing, or use the Envelope Follower to make the filter track the dynamics of a vocal or drum bus. The LFO can produce hypnotic pulse effects suited to reggae, dub, or electronic genres.

The non-linear controls—Magnetism, Character, Dynamics, Artefacts—allow you to dial in everything from clean, transparent filtering to gritty, harmonic-rich sweeps. The plugin’s design is intuitive for mixing engineers and sound designers alike, with hands-on controls that encourage experimentation. It can be used on any audio source, from bass lines and drums to entire mixes.

Technical Specifications and Integration

Dub Filter is available for Mac, PC, and Linux in VST, VST3, AU, AAX, and CLAP formats, all 64-bit only. It is also available as AUv3 and a standalone app on the App Store. The plugin supports a resizable interface and includes a preset system with a randomizer, brightness and contrast controls, and a downloadable manual for detailed guidance.

The stepped frequency design (eleven steps from 70 Hz to 7.5 kHz) is a core feature, faithfully recreating the original hardware’s stepped response. The plugin’s impedance control, combined with the non-linearity controls, provides a wide tonal range from subtle filtering to pronounced envelope-like effects. This makes it a versatile tool for any producer seeking authentic dub-style processing.

Key features

• Stepped high-pass filter with eleven frequency steps
• Impedance control for resonance
• Non-linearity controls: Magnetism, Character, Dynamics, Artefacts
• LFO and Envelope Follower modulation sources
• Resizable window with brightness/contrast controls
• Preset system with randomizer
• Cross-platform plugin formats plus AUv3 and standalone app

Best for

Best for producers and sound designers seeking authentic dub-style filter sweeps and rhythmic modulation, especially in reggae, dub, and electronic music. It is also useful for adding organic movement to vocals, drums, or full mixes with an easy-to-use, hardware-inspired interface.