Just what does a Filter do?

[frank_1]

What does a filter do?

[drstawl]

It's not just snotty to ask what sort of filter you have in mind because while this is a vastly general term, generally it only narrows somewhat when you limit the discussion to 'audio' filters. My best guess of the most common usage for naming this function in the audio realm is to block frequencies in variously defined bands by acting like a frequency sensitive volume control. I'm sure other examples of usage for this term are just as accurate.

[Tapehead]

Think of a cigarette filter, or any other filter. It takes stuff out you don't want (or do want but pretend not to want). Whatever. Assuming you're talking about your mixer, there's often a low pass filter and a high pass filter.

The low pass filter means the low stuff will pass but the highs will be trapped and flushed down the toilet. E.g. if you are recording bass you might want to use the low pass filter so any hiss or other high frequency kaka is filtered out.

The high pass filter...yup the exact opposite. It filters out low frequencies--some low end boominess, rumbling, even low low stuff you can't hear because it's too low to hear but still puts a load on your recording media as well as on the playback system of the end user.

[frank_1]

sorry if my question was too vage, but I was referring to Filters for mastering.

I think I get the idea now.

[nessbass]

Well, uh, how can I put it? Eh, it filters?
have a look at this:
http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthr...threadid=21735

David