Benefits of filter?

M

Mac Loner

New member
Noticing a lot of filters being used in music today in drums and instruments. What is a good way to master filters and find a ear for when to use them.
 
filters are simply programmable sections - they usually have two parameters (can have more depending on the implementation):

corner frequency: the frequency at which the filter starts to work
slope: the impact of the filter on the source signal either above the corner frequency for high-pass or below the corner frequency for low-pass

the slope is specified in number of db per octave, usually 6db, 12db, 18db, 24db, 48db

what this means is that 1 octave below or above the corner frequency, the signal level will be diminished by the indicated db level

practical example:
1) high pass filter
corner frequency 100Hz
slope 12db
at 50Hz (1 octave below) the signal will be attenuated by 12 db
at 25Hz (2 octaves below) the signal will be attenuated by 24 db
at 12.5Hz (3 octaves below) the signal will be attenuated by 36 db

2) low pass filter
corner frequency 4500Hz
slope 6db
at 9000Hz (1 octave above) the signal will be attenuated by 6 db
at 18000Hz (2 octaves above) the signal will be attenuated by 12 db
at 36000Hz (3 octaves above) the signal will be attenuated by 18 db

as for knowing what to use and when, that is an art form best learnt by traditional craft methods: try and see if it does what you want - nothing can replace you hearing the results for yourself on different signal sources
 
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