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StateVar Filter

StateVar Filter module

The StateVar Filter is SynthEdit’s virtual-analogue state variable filter. It uses a topology-preserving transform (TPT), which keeps the filter’s tuning accurate and its behaviour stable even while the cutoff is being swept — including close to the Nyquist frequency, where older designs lose accuracy and start to sound muffled.

Both Pitch (cutoff) and Resonance are audio-rate inputs, recalculated every sample rather than once per processing block. At high resonance this is what keeps a swept cutoff smooth instead of stepping audibly.

Hear it in the audio demos.

PinTypeDescription
SignalAudioAudio input to filter
PitchAudioCutoff frequency (1V/octave, 5V = 440 Hz)
ResonanceAudioResonance / Q amount
PinTypeDescription
OutputAudioFiltered output, in the selected mode
PropertyDescription
ModeLow Pass, High Pass, Band Pass or Band Reject
Strength1-Stage (6 dB/octave) or 2-Stage (12 dB/octave) rolloff

Patch an envelope or LFO into Pitch for a swept filter. Because Pitch is an ordinary audio-rate pin, you can also patch an audio oscillator into it — the filter will track it at full rate.

Raising Resonance emphasises the frequencies around the cutoff. Combined with an envelope sweep and 2-Stage strength, this gives the classic subtractive-synth filter sweep.

If you need several filter types from the same input at once, the StateVar Filter (multi) variant provides low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and band-reject outputs simultaneously.

For a heavier, more saturated character see the Moog Filter. The older SV Filter remains available for compatibility with existing projects.