Skip to content

Synthesis

Low-Pass Filter

A low-pass filter (LPF) allows frequencies below its cutoff point to pass through while attenuating frequencies above it. Automating the cutoff frequency creates the classic filter sweep that builds energy into a drop—one of the most fundamental techniques in EDM production and sound design.

← Back to glossary

The low-pass filter is the most commonly used filter type in synthesis and mixing. Two key parameters define its behavior:

  • Cutoff frequency: The point at which the filter begins to attenuate the signal. Set low, the sound becomes dark and muffled; fully open, the signal passes through unaffected.
  • Resonance (Q): Boosts the frequencies immediately around the cutoff, adding emphasis and that classic analog 'squelch' character.

In EDM arrangement, filter automation is a fundamental tool for building energy. A classic technique: start a supersaw synth with the cutoff fully closed (around 200 Hz) and slowly automate it open over 8 bars leading into the drop, creating a rising sense of anticipation and energy. Applying the same sweep to multiple elements simultaneously creates a unified, coordinated build.

Learn more