25

Chapter 4

Filter Basics
Pump up the energy on the dance floor a serious notch or two with these powerful filter
tools!
19 Cutoff and Resonance
The CUTOFF and RESONANCE knobs control the filter effects. And what are “filter effects,” you
ask? Well, filters have been used for a long time with analog synthesizers, and in the right hands
they are capable of turning static, boring sounds into something really dynamic and animated.
Turn CUTOFF to the left and the sound becomes darker or “muffled.” Turn CUTOFF to the right and
the sound becomes brighter. The RESONANCE knob controls how sharp the peak of the filter is.
Turn RESONANCE to the right and the filter peak becomes sharp and pronounced. Turn the RESO-
NANCE left and the filter becomes flat.
Try tweaking CUTOFF while RESONANCE is at about 2 or 3 o'clock (see below). The filter becomes
sharper, and you can actually hear the filter peak moving according to the CUTOFF knob position.
There’s no way to adequately describe this effect in words — you just have to try it out for yourself,
and hear how awesome it can make your music sound!
Volume
Frequency (pitch) Frequency (pitch)
Volume
Cutoff frequency Resonance
BrighterDarker
These frequencies are
“passed” by the filter.