Live software high-pass filter?

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PawwAdda

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Hello,
TL;DR
Is there a way to implement a live high pass filter for an input digital signal on a Windows 10 PC (specifically a microphone)?

I am new on the forum and new to audio recording/streaming in general. I am planning to buy a mixer with a USB interface and a microphone. My choice is Behringer Xenyx Q802USB and Audio Technica AT2020. None of these has a hardware high-pass filter, and after listening to a few samples from other microphones and a mixer that had this filter built-in, I really like the way it cleans up the sound. It's not a big deal, so I am not going to spend another $60 to get AT2035 with a low cut feature. I am wondering if there is a simple way to do this using just software - and by "simple" I mean one that wouldn't involve reinstalling my drivers, downloading a ton of professional software or routing the sound through some other hardware. What I would like to achieve is to just pass the input signal through a high-pass filter before sending it to the rest of the software, like Skype, with minimal to zero latency. Sorry if l'm missing something obvious here, as I said I am a newbie and I don't understand the topic in-depth. Never used any sound software either.
 
High pass filter on a mic or preamp is one that cuts the low end. The mixer doesn't have a switch, but does have EQ that can do similar.
 

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I think that a high-pass filter totally cuts off only lower frequencies, while EQ lowers their volume in a less defined way - I don't know about this specific EQ, but I think it affects frequencies around 80hz, which has a different (more noticable) effect than a simple high-pass filter. I gotta find more samples though - maybe there really isn't that much of a difference in the end. I would still like to know a way to add live software effects to my mic input.
 
Not without putting some other software between your PC input and Skype - you could try Audacity, it may have one and is free, but whatever you do you've then got to work out how to get the output from the software to wherever it's got to go. Not always easy with free/cheap software.

Buy better gear.
 
Like Armistice says, there are software routing options out there.
There are probably programs that will hijack your incoming audio and make it all nice and easy for you.
Failing that there's sound syphon or soundflower. These are virtual buss programs.
They each show as a device with ins and outs so you send your mic to some software for processing, the output to soundflower, then the input of skype, or whatever, is set to soundflower.
Skype receives the processed mic signal.

I have no hands on experience of doing this on Windows. It might be a pain...I don't know.


The other option is to make a hardware HPF.
Two capacitors in series with the inputs.
Selecting the values is the product of calculation or trial and error but, if you're handy with an iron, it's a cheap and easy solution.
 
A15HP In-Line High Pass Filter | Shure Americas

^Seems to be the only one on the market Mr S and over here Canford Audio want £69 per for them!

The source and load Zs are pretty well defined in a mic/pre interface so a DIY option should be fairly easy to work up. The only problem is you cannot have a series cap' with phantom power!

I would however question the OP's choice of a USB mixer for an interface. The 802 is pretty good AS A MIXER but many of the cheap USB mixers are noisy, data noise and whines. There may be other reasons for the mixer choice but I would rather see a modest AI* used.

He might be able to find a second hand A&H zed 10, these have HPFs on each mic channel and the USB side is far better than the cheapies. Or, look at the latest A&H USB mixer? 24bit operation which tells me noise is going to be very low indeed.

*I am pretty sure the Alesis i02 Express has an insert on each mic channel? If so a passive HPF could be built and, err...INSERTED!

Yup...Alesis iO2 Express

Dave.
 
Unless you really need the high pass for your monitor feed, you gain nothing by applying it during recording. You might as well just record unprocessed and add the high pass as required (and adjusted exactly how you want it) near the start of the mix process. This buys you extra flexibility to hear how your vocal track fits the mix as you decide on the high pass parameters.

That said, the 80Hz frequency specified on the mixer is a reasonable point for the filtering--but obviously it depends on the filter slope whether you can actually use it as a high pass. As usual, Behringer is a bit sketchy on the details.
 
Bobbsy said:
Unless you really need the high pass for your monitor feed, you gain nothing by applying it during recording.
Click to expand...
Nothing except... the exact thing I am trying to achieve? As I wrote in the OP, I don't want to record the sound, I want it processed and streamed live to other software.

ecc83 said:
A15HP In-Line High Pass Filter | Shure Americas

^Seems to be the only one on the market Mr S and over here Canford Audio want £69 per for them!

The source and load Zs are pretty well defined in a mic/pre interface so a DIY option should be fairly easy to work up. The only problem is you cannot have a series cap' with phantom power!

I would however question the OP's choice of a USB mixer for an interface. The 802 is pretty good AS A MIXER but many of the cheap USB mixers are noisy, data noise and whines. There may be other reasons for the mixer choice but I would rather see a modest AI* used.

He might be able to find a second hand A&H zed 10, these have HPFs on each mic channel and the USB side is far better than the cheapies. Or, look at the latest A&H USB mixer? 24bit operation which tells me noise is going to be very low indeed.

*I am pretty sure the Alesis i02 Express has an insert on each mic channel? If so a passive HPF could be built and, err...INSERTED!

Yup...Alesis iO2 Express

Dave.
Click to expand...
I considered getting an audio interface, but the Behringer mixer is the only device in this price range I found that will let me achieve all the things I might want to do with it. Which is plugging in my guitar, doing a mix-minus, plugging in multiple external audio sources and zero latency monitoring mixed with my computer's output before getting routed to my headphones. Oh right, and also mixing the computer's output signal into the mixer's main output mix, routed back to the USB connection.


I will try the things you guys described once I get my gear. Thanks for the answers : )
 
Bobbsy said:
Unless you really need the high pass for your monitor feed, you gain nothing by applying it during recording. You might as well just record unprocessed and add the high pass as required (and adjusted exactly how you want it) near the start of the mix process.
Click to expand...
He mentions Skype so it would have to be a real-time solution.

ecc83 said:
The only problem is you cannot have a series cap' with phantom power!
Click to expand...

Oops! Thank you, Ecc. :p
 
Sorry. I missed the "like Skype" reference towards the end of the OP.

Having disgraced myself, I'll take another stab and suggest you up your budget just slightly and get a Yamaha MG10XU mixer with has an 80Hz HPF on each channel. This would let you work without any additional latency and will probably last longer the the Behringer. I recommended a bigger Yamaha MG to a UK High School 17 years ago and despite the abuse students give, it's still working. Yamaha MG10XU | Sweetwater.com
 
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