EQ or FILTERS-what's the diffaerence?

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Eq or Filters

Used for :

1.darkening or brightening instrument timbre?

2.automating timbral variances when sequencing?

I know that they are both used for the above, I have experimented with them myself, but as filters are beginning to interest me as an alternative tool to eq, I’d like to see if anyone would like to chime in with their opinions on whether one is the better tool for the above, or, in the real run of things are there really no major advantages in one over the other?

Thanks!

g.c.

There’s not really a difference, the two terms are largely interchangeable. There are three main types (two of which subdivide, so you could say there are five):

High or Low Pass - allows audio above or below the set frequency to pass unaltered (generally 1 control, frequency)
High or Low Shelf - provides cut or boost at and above/below the set frequency (generally 2 controls, frequency and amount)
Parametric/Band Pass - provides cut or boost at and around the set frequency, with the width of that controllable via the Q control (generally 3 controls, frequency, amount and Q)

(yes, I know that it’s possible for there to be more controls, just a generalisation for the purposes of understanding the concept).

People generally tend to refer to Pass as filters and others as EQ, but in a more engineering/electronic-based background, they tend to all be referred to as filter circuits (as that’s what they are) - certainly when I was doing my electronics/instrumentation HNC that was the term referred to for any such circuit.