Plug-in Reference

104
The included VST instruments
Filter section
The circle in the middle contains the filter parameters. The
central control sets the filter cutoff parameter and the
outer ring the filter type:
About the filter types
You select which filter type to use using the buttons around
the filter cutoff knob. The following filter types are available
(listed clockwise from 9 o’clock):
Master Volume and Pan
The master Volume controls the master volume (amplitude)
of the instrument. By default this parameter is controlled by
Envelope 1, to generate an amplitude envelope for the os
-
cillators.
The Pan knob controls the position in the stereo spectrum
for the instrument. You can use Pan as a modulation des
-
tination.
Parameter Description
Filter type Sets the filter type to either low pass, high pass, band
pass or notch. The filter types are described in the table
below.
Cutoff This knob controls the filter frequency or “cutoff”. If a low
pass filter is used, it could be said to control the opening
and closing of the filter, producing the classic “sweeping”
synthesizer sound. How this parameter operates is gov
-
erned by the filter type mode (see the table below).
Emphasis This is the resonance control for the filter. For low pass and
high pass filters, raising the Emphasis value emphasizes
the frequencies around the set cutoff frequency. This pro
-
duces a generally thinner sound, but with a sharper, more
pronounced cutoff sweep. The higher the filter Emphasis
value, the more resonant the sound becomes until it starts
to ring (self-oscillate), generating a distinct pitch. For Band
pass or Notch filters, the Emphasis setting adjusts the
width of the band. When you raise the value, the band
where frequencies are let through (Band pass), or cut
(Notch) becomes narrower.
Drive This can be used to adjust the filter input level. Levels
above 0
dB gradually introduce a soft distortion of the in-
put signal, and a decrease of the filter resonance.
Shift Internally, each filter consists of two or more “subfilters”
connected in series. This parameter shifts the cutoff fre
-
quency of the subfilters. The result depends on the se-
lected filter type: For Low pass and High pass filter types
it changes the filter slope. For Band pass and Notch filter
types it changes the bandwidth. The Shift parameter has
no effect if either the 12
dB LP or 12 dB HP filter type is
selected.
Tracking If this parameter is set to values over the 12 o’clock posi-
tion, the filter cutoff frequency increases the further up on
the keyboard you play. Negative values invert this rela
-
tionship.
If the Tracking parameter is set fully clockwise, the cutoff
frequency tracks the keyboard by a semitone per key.
Type Description
12 db LP Low pass filters let low frequencies pass and cut out the
high frequencies. This low pass filter has a gentler slope
(12
dB/Octave above the cutoff frequency), leaving more
of the harmonics in the filtered sound.
18 dB LP This low pass filter also has a cascade design, attenuat-
ing frequencies above the cutoff frequency with a 18 dB/
Octave slope, as used in the classic TB 303 synth.
24 dB LP This filter type attenuates frequencies above the cutoff
frequency with a 24
dB/Octave slope, which produces a
warm and fat sound.
24 dB LP II This low pass filter has a cascade design which attenuates
frequencies above the cutoff frequency with a 24
dB/Oc-
tave slope, which produces a warm and dark sound.
12 dB Band This band pass filter cuts both high and low frequencies
above and below the cutoff frequency with a 12
dB/Oc-
tave slope, producing a nasal and thin sound.
12 dB Notch This notch filter cuts off frequencies near the cutoff fre-
quency by 12 dB/Octave, letting the frequencies below
and above through. This produces a phaser-like sound.
12 dB HP A high pass filter is the opposite of a low pass filter, cutting
out the lower frequencies and letting the high frequencies
pass. This high pass filter has a 12
dB/Octave slope, giving
a bright and thin sound.
24 dB HP This filter has a 24 dB/Octave slope, giving a bright and
sharp sound.