Soft encode filters

[Soapm]

I need help understanding Soft Encodes filters. I have read that when you enable DC high-pass filter it removes any DC component in the file. Is this all? Is this a good thing?

What exactly does the bandwidth low-pass filter do? Does it remove the low frequencies or just direct them to the proper channel?

What exactly does LFE low-pass filter do? I read that it does something with sounds below 120HZ. Does it remove them, attenuate them or just direct them to the LFE channel.

The reason I ask. I love war movies and I want the full effect from the helicopters overhead and the bombs going off. I also love movies with a lot of bass in the music. Because I love these things I bought a 10" sub and I want to make sure I get my monies worth out of it. :D

[Mug Funky]

highpass = remove low frequencies (ie. the high ones pass through, hence the name)

that will get rid of a DC (direct current, not discrete cosine, lol) offset in the wave. these should really be got rid of in the mastering process, so i don't use that

bandwidth lowpass = cutoff any high freqs above this limit. this will reduce pre-echo, masking artifacts and ringing at low bitrates, at the expense of some high frequencies. i guess you could see it as making it sound more "analog" for the same bitrate.

if you keep your bitrates at 192+ for stereo and 448+ for 5.1 you wont notice these features.

i tend to use the lowpass for my ac3 encodes, but it really doesn't matter so long as there's enough bits to go round. (ac3 is NOT a low bitrate encoder...)

[Soapm]

Originally posted by Mug Funky
highpass = remove low frequencies (ie. the high ones pass through, hence the name)


bandwidth lowpass = cutoff any high freqs above this limit. this will reduce pre-echo, masking artifacts and ringing at low bitrates, at the expense of some high frequencies. i guess you could see it as making it sound more "analog" for the same bitrate.
Help me understand, this sounds like if I have both filters checked then the middle frequencies will be removed from my audio. Since the high pass lets freqs above a certian level pass and the low pass lets freqs below a certian level pass then what allows the midrange to pass?

if you keep your bitrates at 192+ for stereo and 448+ for 5.1 you wont notice these features.
So are you saying that if I keep the bitrate at 192+ for stereo then it does not matter if I enable these filters or not?

i tend to use the lowpass for my ac3 encodes, but it really doesn't matter so long as there's enough bits to go round. (ac3 is NOT a low bitrate encoder...)

[Mug Funky]

Since the high pass lets freqs above a certian level pass and the low pass lets freqs below a certian level pass then what allows the midrange to pass?

well... think of it as a venn diagram... there will be plenty of mid.

highpass at about 15hz and lowpass at 20000 hz means your range is going to be 15-20000 hz...

i'm not sure what frequency the highpass kicks in, but i'm sure it's nothing more than 15hz... otherwise there'd be no point in a low fequency effects channel. anyway, you'll probably never need the highpass. i say probably because you never know the kind of whack things masterers do these days :scared:

there's an ac3 guide in the stickies that should tell you everything (and more) you need to know. i believe they us Soft Encode, so that should help plenty.