4th Gen. Focusrite Scarlett Series Interfaces – Solo, 2i2 and 4i4
October 19, 2023
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The mistake? Rolling off WAY too much high end using a low-pass filter. Don’t do it. Because it removes way too much clarity from the person’s voice.
I almost never roll off high end. I suggest not rolling off any high end unless someone’s sound is very sharp in the 16-20 kHz range (caused almost always by a condenser mic), and in those cases I only roll off from around 16-18 kHz and above.
If there’s a lot of sharpness in the 10-14 kHz range I would use an EQ to reduce that a bit, like a shelving EQ starting around 10-12 kHz, and only reducing it by around 1-3 dB to taste. In these cases rolling off the high end isn’t the correct tool for the job.
Do you normally roll off high end? Comment below!
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2 Responses
I can’t remember the last time I used a low pass filter. Just bell or shelving curves on the top end for me.
Read into MP3 encoders. The process auto-applies low pass filtering. There are variables especially when opting to encode at lower bitrates. Point is if you are delivering MP3’s – the high end at some point is most likely rolled off. In fact it is to my understanding the process of applying an upper range low pass to your pre-encoded “lossless” master helps the encoder to perform more efficiently. And so for spoken word it’s vital. If you’re producing music well then that’s another story.
-paul.
@produceNewMedia