Broughton Audio Low Pass Filter - do I need a HPF too?

A High Pass Filter is helpful to protect your speakers from low frequencies that they may not be designed to produce.

For example: The 30Hz fundamental from a low B string could cause a 10" bass guitar speaker to move beyond its mechanical limit.

Check the frequency range of your current speaker cabinet(s) to see if a HPF might be useful.

 

If you use an HPF as well you can cut out all the super low crap that goes straight to the subwoofers.

 

I have the dual HPF + LPF. I find the HPF to be very useful in helping to focus the low end and "tighten up" the sound. If it helps preserve my speakers then great but that's not why I use the HPF.

 

Anything under 30hz is IMO useless. Mud. Makes speakers flap, but you can’t hear it.

EDIT: Most players use an HPF in front of their amp because all of that energy in the sub frequencies just wastes valuable power from your amp (it's like having the heat in your house cranked up but all the windows wide open in the middle of a brittle cold winter).

I find that most live sound engineers put way too much into the subs. By setting the HPF at 30-50hz lets you have more control of the signal you send to FOH. Honestly, I think every instrument needs an HPF... especially guitarists that like to max out the bass on their amp, and keyboard players with wandering and heavy left hands.

 

I don’t have the capacity to do that but check out sfx UK pedal builders Thumpinator pedal. There is a demo of speaker reaction to lows with and with out the thumpinator.

 

I use a HPF only. Don't care if you're playing thru an amp, direct-to-board, etc...IMO, a judiciously-applied HPF just makes the bass sound better.

Riis

 

The thumpinator has a fixed roll off at 30Hz if I recall correctly not sure if there are other models with more control

 

Bought a used Fdeck series 3 a few months back and loaded it in front of my compressor(s). We have a long-winded ongoing discussion in another thread weighing the merits...I honestly can't think of any disadvantages.

post your Empress Compressor settings!

Riis

 

As a bassplayer and church soundman, who can't be thrown very far , I will try to get some audio samples from the board with and without the Low-cut this weekend. I don't think it is the same 12 dB per octave as the Broughton pedals, but should provide some idea.

 

Mixing boards can vary in their degree of high pass filtering. The traditional approach is to have a fixed 80 Hz filter, since vocals don't really have any content below that. 80 Hz may be too high (or not) for bass guitar, and who knows what the slope is (6 db? 12? 18?). Some boards have a variable frequency, and they tend to be 6 or 12 dB. A variable HPF is nice for bass guitar because you can set it according to the room you are in. Some subs have way too much rumble, and some rooms have bad resonances. There may not be one "set and forget" frequency for all situations, but at least you have the control in your hands to cut out the "flub".

 

I use two HPF's, one on my radial pre at the beginning of my signal chain and then my ToneHammers' Drive control is basically a variable HPF & LPF. I have a Broughton LPF but do not use it much because I learned how the Drive control really works. If I had to do it again I would buy the dual unit.