Dave Smith Instruments Sequential PROPHET X, User Manual, Page: 44 / 172

32 Filter Dave Smith Instruments
3. Return the
cutoff
knob to its halfway position, hold down a note again
then turn the
resonance
knob about halfway up. Notice how the sound
changes as a band of frequencies near the cutoff is amplified.
4. Rotate the filter’s
cutoff
knob again and listen to a classic resonant
filter sweep.
In the previous example, you controlled the filter cutoff by hand. In most
cases, you will use the Filter Envelope to do this. To learn more about the
Filter Envelope see page 37.
Filter Parameters (Front Panel)
Drive: 0...127
—Increases signal input to the filter, boosting volume and
adding harmonic saturation and warmth.
Sampled instruments have a Boost parameter (in the
inst misc
tab) that is useful
for increasing signal level to the filter if necessary. This can enhance filter Drive.
Cutoff: 0...164
—Sets the filter’s cutoff frequency. Frequencies are
reduced from the top down, cutting the high frequencies and passing the
low frequencies, hence the name “low-pass.”
Resonance: 0...255
—Emphasizes a narrow band of frequencies around
the cutoff frequency. High levels of resonance can cause the filter to self-
oscillate and generate its own pitch.
High levels of resonance can sometimes cause the Prophet X outputs to clip.
Monitor your outputs carefully to ensure optimal, clean signal levels.
Key Track: 0...127
—Sets the amount of modulation from the keyboard
to the filter’s cutoff frequency. Any setting above zero means that the
higher the note played on the keyboard, the more the filter opens. This
is useful for adding brightness to a sound as higher notes are played, which
is typically how acoustic instruments behave. When set to zero, keyboard
filter tracking is off, meaning that filter frequency is unaffected by playing
higher or lower notes on the keyboard. When set to 127, the filter will track
in half-step increments, which can be useful if you are using the filter to
generate a pitch through self-oscillation.