The Basics of Filtering…Not just for Nerds anymore!

Posted by Will in Transitioning your Band to Using Loops

So…let’s all be honest. We’ve all worked with filters before, but how many of us really understand how they work? I don’t mean the nitty gritty knowledge that only the top nerds among us know, how many of us even know the basics? Do you know the difference between a Low Pass & High Pass filter?  I’m sure alot of us are in the same boat, we’ve worked with Filters but don’t really understand them.  This article is a 50,000 foot view of Filtering. You’ll be able to walk away understanding the basics of filtering and how to use filters in your music. Lets get started!

How a Filter Works

A filter works essentially in three ways:

1. Selects a frequency or set of frequencies
2. Cuts (remove) the frequencies from the mix, or only passes (allows) the selected frequencies through
3. Boost frequencies near the boosted area (Using the Resonance)

Low Pass Filter

A Low Pass Filter essential works in two ways:

1. It cuts out high Frequencies
2. It “passes” or allows Low Frequencies to come through in the mix.

If you have a sound that is too bright, or you want a more subdued sound a low pass filter is perfect. It works great on Pads to take a very bright synth sound and turn it into a Pad to fill out your sound.

High Pass Filter

A High Pass Filter works the opposite way of a Low Pass Filter:

1. It cuts out low frequencies
2. It “passes” or allows high frequencies to come through the mix

If you have a sound that is too boomy, and has too much low end you can use a Low Pass filter to trim the low end away. It works great on Vocal Mics (aka.”Low Cut”) where you can remove frequencies that aren’t necessary on a mic.

Notch Pass Filter

A Notch Pass Filter is a bit more specific then a High Pass and Low Pass Filter:

1. It “cuts” or removes a specific frequency
2. It “passes” or allows all other frequencies in the mix

A notch filter works great to preserve the quality of your mix while removing a specific frequency. It works great to remove “problematic” frequencies while keeping the rest of your mix unaltered. It is commonly used in Live sound to remove feedback ridden frequency ranges. It’s also common on a lot of Acoustic Guitar Amps/DI’s.

Band Pass Filter

A Band Pass Filter is essentially a low pass and high pass filter combined:

1. It allows a set of frequency ranges to “pass” through
2. It cuts all frequencies above and below the selected frequency range

A Band Pass Filter is good for fine tuning a instrument to find it’s “sweet” spot. If you’ve got a Pad sound that you want to trim some of the low’s & some of the high’s a band pass filter is great.

Got it now?  Can you better use Filters now that you know the Basics of them? Spend sometime purusing the net to dig a little deeper and experiment with your DAW of choice to experience the results of each!

Will Doggett is a certified Ableton Live Instructor, musician, worship leader and educator based out of FL. He currently works in the Worship Ministry at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale and teaches Ableton Live and Ensemble courses at Ocean's Edge School of Worship . You can reach him by Email and find him on Twitter @willdoggett. He's currently available for consultation and training for churches and musicians interesting in learning to integrate Live into their setups. Want more info? Shoot him an Email!

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