From Amateur to Professional

Fading - Part 2 of 2

Hi guys,

Let’s continue from the previous video on fading. This time I will use the cutoff filter in a few different ways. This controls frequencies as does the EQ, but one control knob handles the entire frequency range rather than needing 3.

Cutoff with high-pass (HPF)

Recall from previous videos that the cutoff filter allows you to remove sound frequencies below or above a particular frequency (called the cutoff frequency). I won’t go into technical details this time as I want to get straight to the point on how to use the filter for fading.

  • The live track and the cued track are playing together.
  • Set the filter up to high-pass (HPF).
  • Make sure the cutoff frequency is at the lowest level since we want to start by letting all of the frequencies through.
  • Enable the filter for the live track.
  • When the timing is right, just before the last bar of the phrase ends, increase the cutoff frequency so it reaches maximum level at the point the bar ends.
  • Depending on your mixer, you may still have some really high frequencies coming through even at the maximum setting, so immediately bring the volume of the live track down with the channel fader (or xfader if you are using that).

Cutoff with low-pass (LPF)

This will work the same but in the opposite direction. You start with the filter at the maximum level as you want to include all frequencies below that point initially.

One thing I find with my mixer (the Xone 42) is that even with the cutoff frequency at maximum, as soon as you turn the LPF on, there is a change in sound. This tells me that there are frequencies higher than the maximum setting which get cut off. The issue here is that I can’t just turn the filter on and off as I please (which I could do with the HPF), since the audience will hear the change. I therefore have to turn the filter on when the audience is less likely to hear this change.

In the video I show you what I mean with the Xone 42.

Adding resonance

There should be a feature on your mixer called resonance. This adds a funky effect to your cutoff filter as you increase/decrease the frequency knob. What you can do before fading out with the LPF and HPF is turn resonance on. Without getting too technical, resonance amplifies the frequency at the cutoff level and feeds it back into the filter.

Once again, note that if you switch the filter on for a track and resonance is set, the audience will hear a change in the sound instantly. What you could do is turn the filter on without resonance and add maximum resonance just when you’re about to perform the fade.

It all becomes clear in the video.

Until next time….

Hopefully you’ve found these 2 videos on fading useful. Next time we’ll go through another transitioning technique. I haven’t decided what it is yet so I’ll leave it as a surprise.