FabFilter User Forum
LFO clicks when using LP filters
I'm new to filtering so this may be obvious. But often when using low pass filters in Volcano 2 I get high pitched, usually low volume, "clicks" at the peaks of LFOs. It's not a glitchy click due to interface buffers being set incorrectly. It's clearly the LFO generating the click. Sometimes it sounds more like a bubble popping than a click.
With the exception of extreme cases I'm sure it'd get lost in the mix. But right now when soloing my bass guitar (not a synth, analog bass) through dirt then Volcano it's fairly obvious.
For example, the factory REFLECTIONS 3 preset does this. You can bring the clicks up front by increasing the peak on FILTER 2 in that preset.
Potential User — Jan 26, 2010
Actually, it's not LP specifically. The preset I mentioned uses BP. So it must be something to do with the higher frequencies causing the "click" sounds. I can reduce the "click" by reducing the peak, and increase the "click" by increasing the peak.
Like I said, newbie user here. :) So it might just be the way it works.
Hi!
The 'clicks' that you hear, are caused by the LFO having a wave form with sharp changes. For example, in the Synth->Reflections 3 preset, both LFO's have a 'Balance' setting of nearly 1.0 or 0.0, changing the wave form almost into a perfect sawtooth. So when you then modulate the filter frequency with those LFO's, you'll hear the sharp shape of those saw tooths.
Try slowly increasing/decreasing the balance values of both XLFO's in that preset, and you'll notice that the 'clicks' go away!
Cheers,
Here's where some sort of graphical display detailing exactly what "balance" is doing would be helpful. I've read to on-screen help for balance but apparently it wasn't clear. It just said something about processing the beginning of the wave faster than the end, or something along those lines.
But your description is very helpfu. And fully explains why I couildn't figure out how to DRAW a sawtooth in the XLFO box. I spent a lot of time trying different glides, lines, etc. without success. It's not intuitive that the "balance" is what's used to do that.
But it would be utterly intuitive if there was some visual representation in the UI of the actual LFO waveform with balance applied. Turn Glide, you see what happens. Turn Balance, nothing happens.