Filter Frequency Distortion

How do you maximize your kick drum without getting distortion from an automation clip in FL Studio? When I move the Frequency knob, there are some parts that distort, while the rest of it is fine. So I decided to lower the frequencies that were causing the distortion. When I did so, my kick ended up sounding weaker. Lowering the resonance helps, but then you don't get that cool effect that comes along with automating the kick as the frequency comes in.

Here is an example of what I'm trying to achieve. It's around the beginning part.

bLiNd - Jade Catacombs

Are you saying that you want a kick that has a constant amplitude before a low pass filter and after it's been automated to high frequencies? If so, just automate like normal, keeping the max amplitude below the limiter threshold (between when the distortion/clipping doesn't happen and when it does) after the low pass filter has already been lifted. While the low pass is still at a low frequency, it should be quieter, yes. That's fine. You're missing frequencies above a certain cutoff, so it should naturally be quieter in the absence of any other processing.

If you want the volume to be somewhat more constant, then just add compression with settings along these lines:

Attack: ~20ms

Release: 120~200ms or 0.120~0.200s (some compressors use s, others use ms)

Ratio: ~2:1

Threshold: -8~-4dB

Gain: 4~7.2dB (I just think in terms of +/- k*0.4dB; k = 1, 2, ...)

And of course, check the final gain and use your best judgment. You may want to use something from my list of plugin recommendations (free or otherwise) for this compression (specifically smexoscope and endorphin).

Are you saying that you want a kick that has a constant amplitude before a low pass filter and after it's been automated to high frequencies? If so, just automate like normal, keeping the max amplitude below the limiter threshold (between when the distortion/clipping doesn't happen and when it does) after the low pass filter has already been lifted. While the low pass is still at a low frequency, it should be quieter, yes. That's fine. You're missing frequencies above a certain cutoff, so it should naturally be quieter in the absence of any other processing.

If you want the volume to be somewhat more constant, then just add compression with settings along these lines:

Attack: ~20ms

Release: 120~200ms or 0.120~0.200s (some compressors use s, others use ms)

Ratio: ~2:1

Threshold: -8~-4dB

Gain: 4~7.2dB (I just think in terms of +/- k*0.4dB; k = 1, 2, ...)

And of course, check the final gain and use your best judgment. You may want to use something from my list of plugin recommendations (free or otherwise) for this compression (specifically smexoscope and endorphin).

You are a godsend! Amplitude might be the word I'm looking for. The kick has a muffled sound and as the frequency gets higher, it kind of has this tube sound until it finally reaches the max. I think the best way for me to describe this would be for you to open up FL Studio, make a simple 4 to the floor kick, link it to a channel, open the Fruity Free Filter in the mixer and move the Freq knob from 10Hz to the max. Then compare that by turning down the Q knob and then testing the Freq knob again. You'll notice the difference, no doubt. Either way, I was having distortion around 50 - 225Hz as the Freq knob was going up. Your compression numbers worked, though! I'll check out your compression in the link as well! Thanks a ton!

You are a godsend! Amplitude might be the word I'm looking for. The kick has a muffled sound and as the frequency gets higher, it kind of has this tube sound until it finally reaches the max. I think the best way for me to describe this would be for you to open up FL Studio, make a simple 4 to the floor kick, link it to a channel, open the Fruity Free Filter in the mixer and move the Freq knob from 10Hz to the max. Then compare that by turning down the Q knob and then testing the Freq knob again. You'll notice the difference, no doubt. Either way, I was having distortion around 50 - 225Hz as the Freq knob was going up. Your compression numbers worked, though! I'll check out your compression in the link as well! Thanks a ton!

Ah, yeah, that makes sense. Many kick drums are strongest in that frequency range. Typically, the "fundamental" (first harmonic) frequency, also the loudest frequency range, is around 60~200Hz, and some people call that "thump". Since it's the loudest, it could explain why you get distortion when you have the kick at a certain volume near 0dB, then move the filter. Considering all filters (or at least voltage-controlled ones) have a Resonance option, I'm thinking when you raised the frequency, the resonance (a thin boost, focused/narrowed by a high Q) caused the amplitude to go above 0dB and clip. You happen to be doing this:

http://www.audiomulch.com/images/blog/southpole-expedition-part-1-low-pass-filter-basics-resonant-low-pass-frequency-response.png

Ah, yeah, that makes sense. Many kick drums are strongest in that frequency range. Typically, the "fundamental" (first harmonic) frequency, also the loudest frequency range, is around 60~200Hz, and some people call that "thump". Since it's the loudest, it could explain why you get distortion when you have the kick at a certain volume near 0dB, then move the filter. Considering all filters (or at least voltage-controlled ones) have a Resonance option, I'm thinking when you raised the frequency, the resonance (a thin boost, focused/narrowed by a high Q) caused the amplitude to go above 0dB and clip. You happen to be doing this:

http://www.audiomulch.com/images/blog/southpole-expedition-part-1-low-pass-filter-basics-resonant-low-pass-frequency-response.png

That's exactly what happened. The kick got exponentially louder around that area. Oddly enough, I didn't boost between 60-200Hz, so I'm thinking having the low end just being kind of left alone might have something to do with it. http://oi58.tinypic.com/15qs277.jpg I just want to retain the frequencies there so the kick has a punch to it. Thanks again!

That's exactly what happened. The kick got exponentially louder around that area. Oddly enough, I didn't boost between 60-200Hz, so I'm thinking having the low end just being kind of left alone might have something to do with it. http://oi58.tinypic.com/15qs277.jpg I just want to retain the frequencies there so the kick has a punch to it. Thanks again!

When I suggested the compression earlier, the idea was to even out the amplitude of the kick, so that you wouldn't have to scoop out some of the ~60Hz to compensate, and I suggested smexoscope so you could see when that occurs. If you do what you had just done, aside from the 60Hz scoop, and you still get that issue (without the compression applied), you could just lower the volume overall until it doesn't happen, and then apply the compression.