HPF usage and Octave Pedal Interaction

jmone

jmone

Mar 1, 2010
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#1
So I've been seeing that people say a HPF would help tighten and fatten up your tone by removing the inaudible low end - great, sound like something I could use.

I understand the notion of maybe saving your speakers from trying to produce very low frequencies, or making a smaller cabinet sound louder, but I'm running an Ampeg 810 and rarely ever pushing the thing to it's limits.

But then counter-intuitively I unanimously see people recommending it be placed after an Octave pedal? Wouldn't that undo the work of the octave pedal? Wouldn't you want to remove the nonsensical sub frequencies from your bass and then reintroduce the more "pure" ones produced from an Octave pedal.

Is there something I'm not understanding?
 
#2
Yes, after. You want to strip out the flab that your cabinet cannot reproduce.

If you place it before, the octave pedal would not have a full range signal to work with, and if the pedal did work it would still generate sub harmonics.

But as with any pedal, there are no rules and you can try it both ways.
 
#3
mmbongo said:
Yes, after. You want to strip out the flab that your cabinet cannot reproduce.

If you place it before, the octave pedal would not have a full range signal to work with, and if the pedal did work it would still generate sub harmonics.

But as with any pedal, there are no rules and you can try it both ways.
Click to expand...

Fair, but how about those sub tones that are more 'felt rather than heard' from the sub octave. Are you making a decision to do one or the other by having a HPF in your rig?

Or am I not understanding where those frequencies actually are.
 
#4
Ampeg 810 specs:

Frequency Response (-3dB): 58Hz-5kHz
Usable Low Frequency (-10dB): 40Hz

The Thumpinator for example rolls off everything under 30Hz that you would neither hear nor feel, but would just be wasted energy potentially damaging your speakers or limiting your maximum volume.
 
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#6
jmone said:
Fair, but how about those sub tones that are more 'felt rather than heard' from the sub octave. Are you making a decision to do one or the other by having a HPF in your rig?

Or am I not understanding where those frequencies actually are.
Click to expand...

Yes I have a Broughton HPF on each of my boards, and Micro POG octaves. HPF is always after.
 
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#10
With a HPF you basically filter out the frequencies your cab and amp can't reproduce. It should have no negative effect on the sound, and may make things sound even bassier since your amp and cab are now operating more efficiently.

FWIW I put mine in the effects loop most times - so it really is dead last in my signal chain.
 
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