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Action Filter 4
Bedienungsanleitung
User Guide
Foreword
The Action Filter 4 is a beastly thing that will rip out the best parts of your favorite tracks. Fat basses and silky highs will disappear with a single hand movement while the resonance being produced by the Action Filter 4 doesn‘t really compensate for that loss.
Well, why do we build the Action Filter 4 anyway and even in its fourth generation? The answer is easy: It is a great unit. With a single hand movement, you are free to remove fat basses and silky highs from a track and introduce resonance for brand new sounds.
No wonder that the predecessors of this intuitive mix tools find constant use in countless clubs, studios and setups. And now there is an even better Action Filter: Version 4!
Your VERMONA crew from the
Elektroakustischen Manufaktur, Erlbach
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User Guide Action Filter 4 1
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Table of Contents
Important safety information
The following safety precautions must be observed during all phases of operation, service and repair of this equipment. Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific warnings in this manual violates safety standards of design, manufacture and intended use of this equipment.
The manufacturer assumes no liability for the customer’s failure to comply with these requirements!
Voltage peaks
The units are equipped to manage voltage peaks, which are often generated during live situations.
When using the units with unstable voltage, please make sure that the device is grounded.
Cleaning
Please clean the units with a dry duster only. Do not use sharp cleaning fluids or water!
Dampness
The units should not be used in damp or wet places. Make sure the units are not used in humid atmospheres (walls, floors, ceilings etc.) because this could cause condensation within the units.
WARNING: Risk of electrical shock!
Use near explosive goods
The units should not be used near easy flammable or explosive goods.
Cooling System
The unit should not be used near heating systems, warm or hot fans etc. When using the unit in a rack, wall system or fixed installation, make sure the unit has enough space to let the generated heat dissolve.
Accessories
Do only use cables, plugs and adapters, which do not affect the normal use of the unit.
Spare parts or modifications
Modification instructions and schematic information should only be used from service departments of our officially authorized dealers. To prevent the risk of electrical shock, do not open any unit yourself. Due to the risk of injury, the manufacturer prohibits the installation of additional components or any modification to the existing circuits.
Always disconnect the power lead/AC adapter before opening the unit.
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User Guide Action Filter 4 3
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The manufacturer will not be liable for any claims in these cases! Opening the unit violates the warranty rules.
What you should generally know
Scope of delivery
To ensure top quality, we carefully inspected the Action Filter 4 before packaging. Nevertheless, the unit could have been damaged during transportation. Therefore, we ask you to take a serious look at the unit when unpacking. Do not hesitate to contact your dealer or us, should there be anything unusual with the unit or its packaging.
You should find the following items in the box:
the Action Filter 4
a DC-Power Supply (12 volts/1 A)
this manual
a cable holder
Please read this!
The Action Filter 4 is not an ordinary filter but a unit with unusual functionality intended for creative use. To make the most out of the Action Filter 4, we recommend taking the time to read this manual. Beside the details of operation, you will also find a couple of useful tips.
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User Guide Action Filter 4 5
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Setup and Powering
Presuming there were no issues while unpacking the unit (which we of course hope), the Action
Filter 4 is ready to be setup:
1. Connect the provided 12 volts DC-power-supply to the Action Filter’s
POWER input.
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When connecting the power supply, the polarity can be disregarded. The labeling on the unit‘s rear (minus = inner tip) refers to the provided power supply. It is important that the performance will not be under-run 1 A. It should not exceed 1
A as well. Make sure, you use a stabilized power supply!
⚠︎
Only use the provided power-supply! You may already own a 12-volts power supply that you may want to use with the Action Filter 4. Even if the connector and voltage match, that peripheral may deliver AC (alternating current) whereas the Action Filter 4 requires DC (direct current)! Using the wrong power-supply may damage the unit!
2. Connect the Action Filter 4’s INPUT jacks to the audio source, e.g. a DJ-Mixer, groove box, synthesizer or CD-player.
3. Connect the Action Filter 4’s
OUTPUT jacks to the audio inputs of your mixing console, audio-interface or amplifier.
4. Press the
POWER button on the front to power up the Action Filter 4. Next, switch on the other components, such as the mixer or the audio-interface.
The Action Filter 4 is now ready to use.
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The cable holder that comes with the Action Filter 4 can be attached to the hole next to the
POWER connector on the unit's rear. You can use it to fixate the PSU's cable.
What did you buy after all?
Action Filter 4 is an analog stereo filter designed to mainly process complex audio sources. This means, full tracks or loops will be processed entirely. Be it in a DJ-setup or during studio productions, the Action Filter 4 is a lot more effective and versatile than typical Kill-EQs. We chose the word
“action” in the unit’s name because the filter is always operated manually. There is neither MIDI- nor control voltage (CV) automation. Thus, the Action Filter 4 demands and supports your intuition and creativity.
A filter - what‘s that?
Before describing the functions of the Action Filter 4‘s knobs and switches, let’s take a closer look at filters and what you could do with these.
A filter is an element that carves out specific portions of an original source. This deadpan theoretical explanation is true for every filter: coffee-filters, color-filters or audio-filters. While colors and coffee are sometimes topics during lunch break, we are, of course, interested in filtering audio sources.
Up with the lowpass
Filters are differentiated by two basic types: low- and highpass. These names self-explain the operation methods. A lowpass filter will only let low audio frequencies pass. The highpass does the opposite: It only lets high frequencies pass.
The question now is: Which high respectively low frequencies? Who’s in control? Good news - it’s you! The
CUTOFF control allows setting the cutoff-frequency - the point from which the filter starts working. For a lowpass filter this means: the lower
CUTOFF is set, the stronger the suppression of high frequencies, meaning that the sound gets more muffled. Ergo, the highpass filters works inversely: the higher
CUTOFF is set, the stronger the suppression of lower frequencies, meaning that the sound loses bass.
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User Guide Action Filter 4 7
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This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content.
To Place or open this file in other applications, it should be re-saved from
Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF
Compatible File" option turned on. This option is in the Illustrator Native Format
Options dialog box, which appears when saving an Adobe Illustrator file using the
Save As command.
This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content.
To Place or open this file in other applications, it should be re-saved from
Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF
Compatible File" option turned on. This option is in the Illustrator Native Format
Options dialog box, which appears when saving an Adobe Illustrator file using the
Save As command.
This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content.
To Place or open this file in other applications, it should be re-saved from
Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF
Compatible File" option turned on. This
This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content.
To Place or open this file in other applications, it should be re-saved from
Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF
Compatible File" option turned on. This option is in the Illustrator Native Format saving an Adobe Illustrator file using the
Save As command.
saving an Adobe Illustrator file using the
Save As command.
Now,
RESONANCE comes into play. This parameter interacts with the CUTOFF control. It will produce an emphasis around the cutoff-frequency zone. The level here is boosted until the sound
This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content.
To Place or open this file in other
This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content.
To Place or open this file in other
Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF
Compatible File" option turned on. This
Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF
Compatible File" option turned on. This
Options dialog box, which appears when saving an Adobe Illustrator file using the
Save As command.
FREQ.
Options dialog box, which appears when saving an Adobe Illustrator file using the
Save As command.
FREQ.
This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content.
☛
Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF
Compatible File" option turned on. This
This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content.
This is how it works in practice: A lowpass filter will cut the higher frequencies.
Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF
house- and dance-tracks. Here, intros, breaks and build-ups are emphasized in
option is in the Illustrator Native Format
Compatible File" option turned on. This option is in the Illustrator Native Format
Options dialog box, which appears when saving an Adobe Illustrator file using the
Save As command.
saving an Adobe Illustrator file using the
Save As command.
and basslines of a track, allowing it to be easier combined with a second track.
Sometimes, you may want to alter this second track with a separate lowpass filter, too.
Can a band pass through the filter or will it be rejected?
What happens if you combine a high- and lowpass filter? There are two possibilities: a serial or a parallel routing - one after the other or both next to each other.
In series, high- and lowpass form a so-called bandpass. In the Action Filter 4, a highpass will first remove lower frequencies. From here the signal is send into a lowpass, where higher frequencies are processed.
FILTER A: Highpass FILTER B: Lowpass
INPUT OUTPUT
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Figure 3: Serial combination of high- and lowpass filter
What remains is a frequency band of a certain width which is specified by both
CUTOFF controls.
By likewise moving both
CUTOFFs to the left or right, this band is moved across the frequency spectrum.
LEVEL
CUTOFF
Highpass
CUTOFF
Lowpass
FREQ.
Figure 4: Bandpass filter: the green area is being passed through the filter whereas the red area is rejected.
The Action Filter 4 allows independent control for the high- and lowpass filter and therefore a free bandwidth by adjusting both
CUTOFF controls to different values. In addition, the filters’ resonance controls can be set individually and therefore create different enhancements at the lower and upper cutoff-frequencies. This particular feature of the Action Filter 4 allows creation of sounds not possible using typical bandpass filters with a fixed width.
User Guide Action Filter 4 9
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Now what happens with both filters being interconnected in parallel? High- and lowpass filter work as always. When connected in series to create a bandpass, the spectrum is being cut from top AND below. In parallel connection, there is a highpass filtered signal AS WELL as a lowpass filtered signal in existence.
FILTER A: Lowpass
INPUT OUTPUT
FILTER B: Highpass
Figure 5: Parallel combination of low- and highpass filter
The highpass will remove lower frequencies and the lowpass eliminates high frequencies for their signal path. Both signals are being mixed and as result a section in the middle is missing. This is why this filter type is called a notch or band reject filter.
LEVEL
CUTOFF
Lowpass
CUTOFF
Highpass
FREQ.
Figure 6: Notch filter: The green area is being passed through the filter whereas the red area is rejected.
Again, the Action Filter 4 is superior to typical notch filters because of its ability to freely adjust the cutoff-frequencies as well as the bandwidth for the notch.
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Back to practice: a bandpass filter can emulate specific speaker types such as old single-chassis monitors or laptop-speakers by creating a frequency limited band and additional accents using resonances. Complex loops may be processed by a bandpass filter in order to isolate a certain frequency range - very useful for sampling.
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The notch filter is a useful mixing tool that allows preserving the low and high frequencies of a track. You may now fill the mid spectrum with a second beat that was possibly processed by a bandpass - a nice reason to use a second Action Filter
4 for!
User Guide Action Filter 4 11
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Control elements
Figure 7: The Action Filter 4’s front panel
GAIN – make fit what doesn‘t fit
The
GAIN control sets the input level in order to match the Action Filter 4’s input to different output levels of connected units such as DJ-mixers, groove boxes, audio-interfaces etc. In case, the output level of the connected unit is pretty high by default, the Action Filter 4’s inputs may clip.
This is indicated by a red LED located top right of the
GAIN control. Typically, the level should be set in a way that the LED only lights up shortly at absolute peak levels.
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Overdrive created by high input gain settings can be used intended to create especially powerful sounds. This will not harm the Action Filter 4.
TRIGGER BYPASS - momentary or permanently
The
BYPASS switch placed in the center of the unit toggles between the filtered and unfiltered audio signal. In ON position,
BYPASS is active, meaning the filters are inactive, passing the source signal to the outputs. This is indicated by a blue LED.
With the switch set to OFF, the filter is active and the blue LED unlit.
Nearby the switch, you will find the
TRIGGER button that works like a transformer function on a DJ-mixer. This button activates or deactivates the Action Filter 4’s filters for the period of the button-pressing.
TRIGGER functions contrarily to the BYPASS switch. With BYPASS set to ON
(filters off, LED lit),
TRIGGER button will activate the filters temporarily. With BYPASS set to OFF
(filters active, LED off),
TRIGGER button will temporarily bypass the filters.
MODE - small switch, large pull
Each of the Action Filter 4’s channel houses a high- and lowpass filter with a slope of 24 dB per
octave. As described in section "Up with the lowpass" on page 7, it is circuit-dependent whether
both filters form a bandpass- or a band-reject-filter. With
MODE switched to BAND, both filters are connected in series. In contrast, the NOTCH position offers parallel wiring.
The
MODE switch has a larger effect than it may seem at first. By switching between BAND and
NOTCH, the functions of both
CUTOFF controls change. Let‘s take a closer look!
FILTER A and FILTER B - where is the high- and lowpass?
While describing high- and lowpass filters, the Action Filter 4 does not show any of these on the front panel. Previously, we labeled the
CUTOFF knobs as High and Low. However, this indicated their position in the circuit. This sometimes led to misconceptions when changing between BAND- and NOTCH-modes. Therefore, we changed the knob labels to
FILTER A (left) and FILTER B (right) on the Action Filter 4.
The filters in BAND-MODE
With
MODE being set to BAND, FILTER A‘s CUTOFF controls the highpass filter. From here, the audio signal is routed into
CUTOFF A needs to be turned fully left and
CUTOFF B fully to the right. Moving the control towards each other narrows the passing frequency range. Because the high- and lowpass filters both cover the full spectrum, the audio signal may disappear at certain overlapping
CUTOFF settings.
Use the markers on the
CUTOFF controls as aid to orientation. The further the distance of the marks, the wider the passing frequency range - very much like a fan being opened. Conversely, closing the “fan” will narrow the passing band.
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Figure 8: The frequency being passed through the filter, shown as “fan”.
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To use Action Filter 4 as a classic lowpass filter, select BAND mode and keep
FILTER A fully open (CUTOFF set fully left). Use
FILTER B‘s CUTOFF to control the lowpass filter as desired.
Do the opposite for getting a pure highpass filter.
The filters in NOTCH-MODE
The world upside down: With
MODE set to NOTCH, the filters work inverted. FILTER A controls the lowpass while
too, the “fan” comparison might help you to understand the underlying principle:
FILTER A cuts the higher,
FILTER B the lower frequencies. This results in a V-shaped center-notch. The further the
CUTOFF marks depart (fan opens), the wider the notch in the frequency spectrum that filters out a larger midrange section.
Figure 9: The frequency range being rejected by the notch filter shown as “fan”
With both
CUTOFF controls pointing towards each other, both filter-signals overlap which results in a slight emphasis in the overlapping area.
RESONANCE - nothing to boo
Resonance in a filter is achieved by internal feedback. This leads to amplification of the frequencies around the
CUTOFF value. Resonance generates a change of timbre that will sound synthetic with increasing intensity.
Unlike filters used in synthesizers, such as our PERfourMER MKII, the resonance in Action Filter 4 will not reach self-oscillation. The resonance has been restricted with intend to avoid uncontrollable feedback of the sound, especially during live performances. No matter how you set the Action Filter
4, it will not damage your gig.
STYLE - do you like it hard or soft?
The first Action Filter utilized a slightly raw sounding circuit. We optimized the sound in the next revision which lead to a smoother sound experience. It turned out that some users preferred the rawer, some the softer sounding Action Filter revisions. It is impossible to make everyone happy, isn‘t it? We guess we found a way! The
STYLE switch allows toggling between ROUGH, which equals Action Filter 1 and the rounder sounding SMOOTH position. It’s your choice!
User Guide Action Filter 4 15
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Connections
Figure 10: The Action Filter 4’s rear
INPUT
Input jacks
L and R serve to connect the audio source to be processed. The connections are available as 1/4“-TS- as well as RCA-connectors. Both inputs can be used at the same time but you won’t be able listening to both input pair’s signal simultaneously. Both types serve to facilitate connections in the corresponding setup so there is no need to use adapters which would introduce a possible source for problems. With both input types being connected, priority is given to the jack-inputs.
OUTPUT
Output jacks
L and R serve to connect to a mixing console, an audio-interface or an amplifier.
Unlike the inputs, the jack- and RCA-outputs can be used in parallel.
POWER - 12V DC / 1A
Connect the provided power-supply here. The cable may be fixed with the adjacent clip to avoid unwanted pulling out. A real LIVE-saver, isn’t it!
HDB electronic GmbH
Badesteig 20
08258 Markneukirchen
GERMANY
Fon +49 (0) 37422 4027-0
Email [email protected]
Web vermona.com
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