Filters VS Effects - Whats the difference? what where what

[Virus-Formation]

Hi there. I wanted to ask what are the main differences between a filter and an effect in terms of music engineering. You see alot of people distinguishing between them, altough that pretty much they seem to do the same thing. For instance a filter could be an EQ as I imagine, which simply removes/adds a frequency range to the original signal, without altering the original.
On the other hand an effect takes the signal and processes it to create a different signal, if i understand correctly, e.g. a vocoder?
Please correct me if am wrong as am trying to make a list of filters/effects and then hopefully categorise my own in cubase Kinda like having everything under the appropriate folder, as cubase already has some pre-installed, like for dynamics, delay/echo, mastering...

Could also someone provide a list to them, which would be under which category? E.g. I already have setup in my vst-plugins folder seperate categories for synths (subtractive, hybrid, fm, additive....), samplers (synth, drum...), effects.
i think this way one learns slighltly easier the whole plethora of tools available to his disposal, and soon be saying, hmmm i need a deep analogue sweep sound or something and say ok i need a analogue subtractive sytnh to do that, hence choose ......


Anyhow Thanks

[whyterabbyt]

Typically, a filter is a subset of the category 'effect' or 'signal processor' (these are synonyms, really), and its function is to remove a range of frequencies.

An EQ is a specific kind of filter, which is a specific kind of effect, in other words.

As for categories, there's as many ways to do it as there are people doing it. I use categories and sub-categories.

eg you could go into detail
Distortion>Amp SIm
Distrotion>Bitcrushers
Distortion>Waveshapers
Distortion>Others
Dynamics>Limiters
Dynamics>Compressors
Dynamics>Others
Delays>Modulated>Flangers
Delays>Modulated>Chorus
Delays>TapeDelay
Delays>Simple

etc Kinda depends on how many effects you accumulate, and how anal, erm I mean organised, you are.

[Toxikator]

A filter is a subset of "effects", probably distinguished because it serves a [abbr="As in, NOT ALWAYS"]primarily[/abbr] utilitarian purpose, rather than a creative one.

For example, a phaser is an "effect" (or I suppose "special effect"), as is a delay, because they're used to do something unique to the sound... on the other hand, an EQ or compressor would most likely be used correctively to allow instruments to sit together.

Of course a filter in the "LPF/HPF/SVF" sense is far more relevant (especially in subtractive synthesis) to the overall "character" of a sound than a static EQ, especially with creative envelope settings.

There's no hard-and-fast rules for what kind of plugin is what; ANY effect can be subtle and corrective, and ANY effect can be up-front and interesting, and how you "file" them would I suppose depend on how you used them typically.

To tie it in to a Music Theory context, I'd say that you have to distinguish between those effects like Flangers, Phasers, heavy filters, extreme dynamics, distortion, rhythmically complex delay, wet-only reverbs, heavy auto-tune and vocoding, etc... things which adjust the timbre in such a way as to call attention to them in a musical context, from effects like subtle compression, equalization, reverb, pitch/time correcting, mastering, which are meant to help the cohesion of the piece and not stand out.

[bjarnenorheim]

I guess everything with an input and an output that aint 100% transparent could be described as a filter

[MaliceX]

A filter actually is an EQ effect that eliminates or strengthens parts of the sound signal in the spectrum depending on where it's connected to. (At least in my experience, this involves Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpass, Band remove, Q aka Resonance, and others)

Effects are basically anything that processes sound and changes their general output depending on the algorithm(s) provided in the effect. (eg: Echo; copying signals over time. Distortion; to literally warp the shape of the amplitude compared to the original signal etc.)

[Toxikator]

technically I think the difference may come from how they're constructed in an analogue sense, because if a filter affects frequencies what do you do with an Allpass filter?

[lshea]

It's really pure semantics but...

An effect "normally" operates in the time domain. These effects are normally patched in via an auxilliary send. You can then set a wet / dry balance.

A filter "normally" operates in the frequency or amplitude domain. These are patched in via an insert point. A wet / dry balance doesn't make much sense for an equaliser or compressor - you'd simply adjust the filter to achieve the desired result - it acts on the total signal.

Lol

[Kingston]

technically I think the difference may come from how they're constructed in an analogue sense, because if a filter affects frequencies what do you do with an Allpass filter?

sort of off topic already but,

an analog allpass filter looks just like any other filter. the only differences between allpass, lowpass, hipass, peak, notch etc is the way their internal summing (ie wiring) network looks like. works the same as digital. you just sum the calculations instead shuffling the wiring.

[Rick Deckard]

i have a funny feeling...














this post doesnt belong in the "music theory" forum