User Manual

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER
(RECORD+REASON)
542
Filter 1 Frequency
The Filter Frequency parameter (often referred to as “cutoff”) determines which area of the frequency spectrum the
filter will operate in. For a lowpass filter, the frequency parameter could be described as governing the “opening” and
“closing” of the filter. If the Filter Freq is set to zero, none or only the very lowest frequencies are heard, if set to max-
imum, all frequencies in the waveform are heard. Gradually changing the Filter Frequency produces the classic syn-
thesizer filter “sweep” sound.
! Note that the Filter Frequency parameter is usually controlled by the Filter Envelope (see “Filter Envelope”) as
well. Changing the Filter Frequency with the Freq slider may therefore not produce the expected result.
Resonance
The filter resonance parameter is used to set the Filter characteristic, or quality. For lowpass filters, raising the filter
Res value will emphasize the frequencies around the set filter frequency. This produces a generally thinner sound, but
with a sharper, more pronounced filter frequency “sweep”. The higher the filter Res value, the more resonant the
sound becomes until it produces a whistling or ringing sound. If you set a high value for the Res parameter and then
vary the filter frequency, this will produce a very distinct sweep, with the ringing sound being very evident at certain
frequencies.
• For the highpass filter, the Res parameter operates just like for the lowpass filters.
• When you use the Bandpass or Notch filter, the Resonance setting adjusts the width of the band. When you
raise the Resonance, the band where frequencies are let through (Bandpass), or cut (Notch) will become nar-
rower. Generally, the Notch filter produces more musical results using low resonance settings.
Filter Keyboard Track (Kbd)
If Filter Keyboard Track is activated, the filter frequency will increase the further up on the keyboard you play. If a low-
pass filter frequency is constant (a Kbd setting of “0”) this can introduce a certain loss of “sparkle” in a sound the
higher up the keyboard you play, because the harmonics in the sound are progressively being cut. By using a degree
of Filter Keyboard Tracking, this can be compensated for.