Bass and Treble

Bass and Treble increases or decreases the lower frequencies and higher frequencies of your audio independently. It behaves just like the bass, treble and volume controls on a domestic stereo system.

Accessed by: Effect > Bass and Treble...

Bass (dB)

The amount of gain (amplification above 0 dB or attenuation below 0 dB) to bass (low) frequencies. Set this to a positive amount to boost the bass, or to a negative amount to reduce the bass. Bass gain is applied to frequencies lower than 1000 Hz, with the most gain being applied to frequencies about 100 Hz or lower.

Treble (dB)

The amount of gain (amplification above 0 dB or attenuation below 0 dB) to treble (high) frequencies. Set this to a positive amount to boost the treble, or to a negative amount to reduce the treble. Treble gain is applied to frequencies higher than 1000 Hz, with the most gain being applied to frequencies above 10000 Hz.

Level (dB)

If enabled by checking the  Enable level control checkbox (see below), this sets the final level or "volume" of the processed audio.

• Applying a boost to the bass or treble will tend to increase the overall level, especially when boosting the bass. As a result, the final level may be pushed so high that it distorts (clips). Therefore the level control has a maximum of 0 dB (as loud as the audio can be without clipping). If a value above 0 dB is entered, a warning displays to right of the enabling checkbox and the OK button grays out. To allow for less capable speakers or headphones, the level defaults to -1 dB.
• Reducing the bass or treble may make the final level too quiet.

This control therefore allows the final level to be reduced or increased so that it ends up at the requested level even if adjusting the bass and treble would have resulted in a different level.

• When adjusting the Level, you can press Preview to hear how loud or quiet the resulting audio will sound.
• When audio sounds "tinny" or "nasal", this may be because the middle frequencies are too high. To counteract an excess of middle frequencies, try increasing both bass and treble and reducing the gain a little.

Enable level control

When checked (default), activates the "Level (dB)" control above. If this box is unchecked, the Level (dB) control is grayed out and its level setting will be ignored. If this box is unchecked and the Bass (dB) and Treble (dB) settings are on zero (no gain to be applied), "No change to apply." is displayed to right of the checkbox and the OK button is grayed out.

Technical details

Bass and Treble is a two-band Equalizer.

• The Bass control is a low-shelf filter with the half gain frequency at 250 Hz.
• The Treble control is a high-shelf filter with the half gain frequency at 4000 Hz.
• All controls have a gain range of +/- 15 dB.

The half gain frequency is the frequency at which the gain is half of the filter gain. For example, if the filter gain was +10 dB then the half gain frequency would be the frequency at which the gain is +5 dB. However for shelf filters the half gain frequency is typically a fixed frequency regardless of the amount of gain. For other types of filter it is more common to define the cutoff frequency as the frequency at which the gain is -3 dB.

Gale 03Jan13: ToDo I think these technical details are unhelpful as presented, especially if this is "aimed at novices". People will be asking what the relationship of "half" is to the other Hz values presented above (100 Hz and 10000 Hz, which is about where the curves appear to flatten out, definitely not at 125 Hz and 8000 Hz). I understand shelf filter frequencies are usually given as half gain but unless you actually state what this is I think you should remove this.

(I've already used it a couple of times myself), and the first thing that an experienced user wants to know is what it actually (precisely) does. These "technical details" provide the specification that an experienced user would want and expect to find in the manual. Perhaps we could present the information in a different form, for example as a frequency response graph (sometimes used in mixing desk manuals to show the response of channel Eq), but I think that the manual should give this information in one way or another.

• Steve 04Jan13: Although it is largely aimed at novice users I expect that experience users will also find it useful (I've already used it a couple of times myself), and the first thing that an experienced user wants to know is what it actually (precisely) does. These "technical details" provide the specification that an experienced user would want and expect to find in the manual. Perhaps we could present the information in a different form, for example as a frequency response graph (sometimes used in mixing desk manuals to show the response of channel Eq), but I think that the manual should give this information in one way or another.
• Gale: I support presenting this somewhere (though I agree with Peter it should be at the bottom in this case). I disagree with the inadequate presentation (which will completely confuse any novices who read it, for the reasons I stated). What percentage of our users knows what a "half gain" is? I looked in Wikipedia and there did not seem to be a simple anchor to link to. If you can rustle up a graph and text that looks as clean and as short as that in High Pass Filter, then that would probably be OK. If it gets too long or complex I think it will have to go to Wiki with a link from here to there.
  • Peter 4Jan13: I agree with Steve, although this effect is aimed at novices there is nothing to stop power users and advanced users from deploying it (as a "quick&dirty" fix) - they deserve a fuller explanation of what it does and how it works. I vote for it to stay here.
  • Steve 04Jan13: I agree that the technical note is better at the bottom of the page. I have added a hint that defines the term "half gain frequency". The definition may be too verbose so feel free to trim it down.

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