2.5

Filters

Timeless comes with two high quality filters, each with six different sound characteristics. These multimode filters are based on our award winning filters first developed for FabFilter One. You can use them individually or combine filter characteristics to create your own sounds in any way imaginable. Both filters are stereo filters.

You control each filter with the following settings:

• Frequency and Peak
  The filter frequency is adjustable over the entire audio range with variable resonance (yes, it will self-oscillate at maximum resonance!). The Frequency controls the center frequency of each filter and can be controlled in real time, either manually or via external devices. The Peak knob adjusts the filter resonance. A little resonance will cause the filter to create warmer and more characteristic tones. The Pan ring around the Frequency knob varies the center frequency for the left and right audio channel.

• Characteristic
  

  FabFilter Timeless offers the possibility to choose between three different filter characteristics:

  1. FabFilter One is the original filter characteristic taken from our award-winning FabFilter One synthesizer. It's perfect for general usage.
  2. Gentle, with a more smooth and clean characteristic.
  3. Raw filter with lots of overdrive and exhibits a character of its own.
  4. Tube with a warmer sound and nice overdrive.
  5. Metal with a rough, sharper sound and distortion.
  6. Easy Going, a softer version of the Tube filter.
• Response
  The response of each filter can be set to either Low Pass, High Pass, or Band Pass. In Low Pass mode, the filter will pass through frequencies lower than the center frequency. In High Pass mode, frequencies higher than the center frequency will be passed through. In Band Pass mode, only the frequencies around the cut-off frequency will be passed through.
• Slope
  The slope switch sets the steepness of the filter, which controls how aggressively the frequencies around the center frequency are filtered. You can choose between 12 dB/octave, 24 dB/octave or 48 dB/octave settings. For example, if the response is set to Low Pass, more high frequencies will remain at 12 dB/octave than at 48 dB/octave.

• Filter routing
  There are three different way's of configuring the filters in the audio signal path.

  1. Serial will put both left and right channel of the delay lines first thru filter 1 and than thru filter 2.

     

  2. Parallel: The output of delay line 1 into both filter 1 and 2, and the output of delay line 2 into both filter 1 and 2.

     

  3. Per channel: delay lines and filters are working in 2 groups. Delay line 1 uses filter 1 and delay line 2 uses filter 2.

     

• Bypass
  The two filters can each be switched on or off with the small buttons left of the characteristics drop-down menu in the filter section. While a filter is bypassed, it will look disabled, but the controls can still be used to adjust the filter. The main reason to disable a filter is to reduce CPU usage.

The settings of the filter parameters can be stored as a section preset.

Linking the two filters

When you want to change the Frequency and the Peak setting of both filters simultaneously, just hold down the Alt key while turning a knob. For example, you can set them up as dual, resonant band-pass filters and sweep the cutoffs simultaneously. This configuration will give you access to all manner of 'vocal' sounds, as well as even more dramatic formant-based timbres.
To adjust both filters simultaneously, but in the opposite direction hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys (Windows) or the Command and Alt keys (Mac) and drag the knob for filter 1 or 2.

Auto-mute self-oscillation

It is possible to prevent the filters to self-oscillate if there is no incoming audio signal. This will make higher peak settings possible while the filters will not be howling continuously when you stop playback in your host.

Interactive filter display

The interactive filter display gives an overview of the filter parameters and makes it very easy to adjust the filter parameters.

You can:

• Drag the button for filter 1 or 2 to adjust the Frequency and the Peak value for that filter
• Drag the center button to adjust both filter parameters in parallel
• Shift+click the button for filter 1 or 2 to toggle between the different filter slopes
• Ctrl+click (Command+click on Mac) the button of filter 1 or 2 to toggle between the different filter responses

Next: Modulation

See Also
Overview