EDIT PAGE - Filters

 

 

The Filter is a key component of subtractive synthesis.  It’s designed to remove frequencies from within a sound, which can enhance the character of that sound.  Filters typically consist of a cutoff control, which sets the removal of certain frequencies, and a resonance control, which emphasizes the frequency of the cutoff point.

The most common form of filtering is called lowpass, which means that higher frequencies are removed while lower frequencies pass through without being removed.  Most vintage synthesizers employed low-pass filtering, but some also included high-pass filtering, which removes low frequencies and lets the high frequencies pass through.

Omnisphere includes an exceptionally versatile dual-filtering system, which features two stereo filters per layer that can be routed in series or parallel.  There are twenty-four different filter types available, which include lowpass, highpass, bandpass and other specialized varieties.  Because Omnisphere’s filters are stereo, they are ideal for dynamic filter panning effects.

The FILTERS section of the EDIT overview features a basic set of filter controls, such as Cutoff, Resonance, Keyboard tracking and Filter envelope depth.  The full set of filter controls are available on the FILTER ZOOM view.

 

 

FILTER POWER SWITCH

 

Enables or disables the Filter.

NOTE: Turning the Filter OFF saves CPU power, since every voice played has it’s own dual-filter per Layer.

 

FILTERS PRESETS

 

 

Omnisphere has a wide variety of customized filter configurations, called presets.  The presets represent the settings of Omnisphere’s complex dual stereo filter.   Filter presets can be selected, copied, pasted and saved from this menu.

 

TIP: If you find a Patch that has an interesting custom filter configuration, you can save it into your preset library to use with your own patches!

 

The Presets are categorized into several sub-categories; Bandpass Filters, Highpass Filters, Lowpass Filters and Specialty Filters.  For the sake of space, the preset names are abbreviated, but this is what the different abbreviations mean;

 

BPF	Band Pass Filter
HPF	High Pass Filter
LPF	Low Pass Filter
UVI	UVI Filter from Atmosphere®
db	Short for Decibel.  Names like 12db, 24db, refer to the roll off slope of the filters.

 

NOTE: Filter presets are not the same as Filter types.  Filter Presets include the settings for Filter type.  Filter types are covered in the FILTER ZOOM section.

 

FILTER PRESET MENU

After a Preset has been chosen from the drop-down menu, the name will be displayed in the preset display window:

 

If the filter types are changed in the Zoom view, then the display will be changed to “Modified” until the Filter settings are saved as a preset or another preset is selected.

 

NOTE: Filter presets intentionally do not recall CUTOFF, RES, KEY and ENV settings. This is done because it’s the best way to audition the different Filter Presets within the context of your current Patch.