Home Recording: The High Pass Filter Switch - Should YOU Be Using It?

On the side of a lot of condenser mics you'll find a switch or two, which you may never have used or even know what they do, but if you're recording in a home studio, the high pass filter switch is going to be your best friend.

Filtering out frequencies in the low end (typically from 60Hz) can make a big difference when you consider the amount of low end rumble you can encounter in a home environment.

That ambient plane, a car, roadworks, or simply from the noise going on in your house or the rumble of your movements vibrating through the mic stand.


Also worth considering is what kind of instruments you'll be recording. It's less likely you'll be setting up microphones on a bass drum where you'll want to capture that low end, and far more likely you'll be recording acoustic guitars, vocals, and percussion.

Yes, you can use a high pass filter in the mix, but pro engineers will engage them on mics at source because a great mix starts with a great recording.