As we all know using a cut with a high pass filter definitely creates a phase shift. I was wondering if using Spectralayer for this purpose, therefore canceling the rumble in the low part of the spectrum, is equivalent to using an HPF with all the phase shift or not.
Thank you.
(I hope the magic wand crash issue will be fixed soon.)
It depends. This is a very subjective question. The answer is both yes and no. Technically speaking, anything you do (any edit of any sort) changes the phase (but then again this is very subjective). Most equalizers work in a linear phase manner, however non-linear equalizers(the sharpest cuts) still (technically) changes the phase (but at the same time it kinda doesn’t interfere with the phase) (depending on the scenario).
In your case (the way you asked your question) the answer is No, however (technically speaking) yes. I’m not intentionally trying to confuse but your question is not exactly simple to answer. Again there are many factors (one has to do with linear phase)
Another way to answer your question is giving you an example(another scenario of my own) and explaining the answer… If (for example) you load a audio layer and duplicate that layer and you do a sharp cut (whether you use the rectangular selection tool or the frequency range tool) to one of the layers and you flip the phase of either of those layers, you would be left with the remaining portion you cut and that would be an example of the phase not being shifted nor interefered with, however(and I hate being politically correct) there are technicalities to that scenario.
Thanks for your reply. That’s interesting and yes, a bit confusing, too.
I think that the real important deal is when it needs to handle percussion sound. Maybe I have to investigate more.
To clear up confusion, I should have originall advised you to research linear phase eq and non-linear phase eq in my first initial reply. However I sort-of kind-of assumed you already knew how linearity works.
To add to my above comment. Anything that you do will automatically change the phase. For example, in electricity, lets say there’s a problem where there’s short or the neutral wire is frayed, technically you can patch it up and splice the coil to another wire, but eventually(between 5-10 years) the current will be thrown off phase (meaning the wire will become frayed again). Another example, is if the electricity in your home or where you live is not grounded, technically you can reverse the polarity and the current flow will work but eventually the current will be thrown off phase(meaning you will have problems again in about 2-5 years).
Indeed. I am familiar with the concept of phase and linear phase EQs, as well as processes that normally change phase aggressively (see HPF et similia). My shortcoming concerns precisely the processing of audio with relatively new technologies such as that of the SL layers, of which I am still in the early stages. I was wondering exactly what the consequences of working in layers could be, if perhaps the audio could be manipulated in a conservative way, effectively replacing an HPF. I believe, however, that your answers have already clarified.
I wanted to ask a similar question 
I wonder what’s the difference between cutting in the editor and using EQ with a very steep HPF or LPF. Is the former equivalent to a linear-phase EQ or does it work differently?
I would be happy to get a technical answer. I studied digital audio a bit, and I’m familiar with the technicalities behind EQs but spectral editor is unknown to me.
Maybe there’s literature explaining how cutting in a spectral editor works?
In this video, the narrator said that cutting in the editor allows for a better use of the HPF in further processing. I suppose that what he meant is that the steep HPF is not needed anymore, but I’m not sure.
Fixing Unwanted Plosive Sounds and LF Control | SpectraLayers Elements Tutorials