Help me understand flters! (Please?)

[HateExperiment]

...But not high pass and low pass in the mixing sense. I went to school for music business and learned a little about mixing/production, and I understand how you can use the filters to clean up certain frequencies. I just need help figuring out how to use filters to make those sweepy, whooshy bits to make your transitions really have some balls. The best solution I've come up with is using reverse cymbal samples to kind of create a similar sound, but they really don't cut it for me. To make this easier to answer, I can run down my "rig" quick. Let's just pretend we are all using Massive in whatever DAW you choose (I use FL Studio because its cheap, but I NEED to learn how to use Ableton. I think ultimately its my next move, because FL Studio doesn't cut it for me anymore). To really achieve those sweeps is it just a bunch of white noise? Or is it a note on a synth being swept over? I just am not skilled enough to decipher what I am hearing! Any and all explanation on nailing an interesting/aurally pleasing transition would be much appreciated! Also, if you can point me towards a good tut video, please do! Typing in anything pertaining to "filters" in youtube always sends me towards the frequency-fixing capability of low/high pass filters, but I am having a really hard time figuring out what to type in to find a video explaining that transition sound I keep speaking of. Thanks to all who can help!

[VirtualMark]

White noise with a bandpass filter automated low to high or high to low. I automate the resonance too, and usually the volume to get it sounding how i want it.

[hhans]

This is pretty useful:



To put the whole white noise filter sweep thing simply though, you'll want these things:

some basic white noise like you'd get out of massive's noise oscillator
a highpass filter like Ableton's autofilter (or even massive's filters)

1. Record in 2-4 measures of white noise
2. Click "Frequency" on autofilter
3. In the massive/white noise track, draw in automation for the highpass filter (typically an upward ramp for builds with highpass filters)

Obviously didn't go too in depth but I figured that ~50 minute video should help.

[Sharmaji]

modulate your resonance as well as the cutoff.

[HateExperiment]

Thank you so much guys! That all helped a ton and I'll definitely be playing around with this soon!

[RandoRando]

and remember, all a filter is is a eq. i was amazed when i learned that. A comb filter is a EQ with a curve that looks like, well, a comb lol. crazy.

[AxeD]

and remember, all a filter is is a eq. i was amazed when i learned that. A comb filter is a EQ with a curve that looks like, well, a comb lol. crazy.

It's based on physics though, phase differences can lead to comb filtering. It's a really nasty problem recording engineers have to deal with. But I agree it's cool how it's actually applied in production, as something you want to happen to your signal


Like Sharmaji said, I think OP is forgetting the resonance.
This guy demonstrates the difference between filter sweeping with and without resonance on a Minitaur synth:



(skip to 1:52)
In a lot of cases the source that's routed through the sweeping filter is one of 'instruments' in the track. But yeah, you can use
a noise generator or something.

Not sure if this was helpful though

[HateExperiment]

I'm gonna be at work all day, so I wont know until later if the post was helpful, but I'm eager to try everything out that you guys are telling me. I knew it was an EQ, but thanks for reminding me Well, off I go. Man I hate when work gets in the way of music/fun. I need a solid amount of time to play with Ableton! Thanks all!

[PhotonOfficial]

It's based on physics though, phase differences can lead to comb filtering.

Tap one finger on a table and notice the sound. Tap two and you will be able to hear a comb filter sort of sound

[HateExperiment]

That video by cosmcosm was great, and I'm actually gonna rewatch it tonight along with his introductory stuff to see if I can't begin to understand Live 8. If anyone has any wisdom/experience to share about when they were learning Live 8 to use it to produce Electro House/Dubstep, please let me know The transition from one DAW to another for me is pretty damn hard!

[NinjaEdit]

A filter averages previous samples in some way, for example finding the mean of the current and previous samples will smooth out higher frequencies, giving a low-pass filter effect. By comparison, a waveshaper is a function of the current sample. A useful example is y = x / (1 + |x|) which prevents the signal from reaching 1 or -1 and is called soft clipping.

Music and Computers: A Theoretical and Historical Approach

[RandoRando]

It's based on physics though, phase differences can lead to comb filtering.

Tap one finger on a table and notice the sound. Tap two and you will be able to hear a comb filter sort of sound

thats one of the most fascinating things ive ever read

[AxeD]

Yeah it's a difference in time between the two fingers. But obviously you can't hit with the same exact amplitude twice etc..

I tried Ableton for a few days too, but I really don't like the arranger and automation.
Sticking with Reason and Pro Tools, but I'm thinking of getting Logic too. Mixing interface in Logic is great.

[HateExperiment]

Damn, I thought the opposite about Ableton's automation. Compared to FL Studio it's a lot more fluid in my opinion. I think I really like Ableton. Hope I don't make a mistake by pouring time into it, and then realizing I need ANOTHER DAW xD haha. But a lot of bigger names use Ableton... Right? Or am I wrong? I hear a lot about Reason and Logic too though. I'm running Boot Camp so in theory I could use anything Should I be looking into Reason or Logic too?

[twilitez]

Damn, I thought the opposite about Ableton's automation. Compared to FL Studio it's a lot more fluid in my opinion.

Ableton has lotsof awesome functions but this has me a little confused.

[AxeD]

Any daw is fine. FL studio is too.

I just like Pro Tools for it's stability and arranger. Reason is just plain awesome, shit makes sense.