So let's say you're designing the world's most inspirational pad patch. We've all attempted it. The holy grail of patches... smooth, creamy, probably shimmery.

BUT WAIT!! GASP! WHAT'S THAT? LOOK.... listen... down there... is that.... no....

MUD?!?!!?

Yep. It is. At least that's what it would be if you could go back in time and listen to my early attempts at pad sounds.

See I learned really quick how to high-pass the low end. Usually between 100-150 hZ.

I thought that's all I needed to do. My pads all had brightness mapped to the mod wheel and when they opened up they sounded great! But when that filter was closed... they were boomy, unruly, and generally not pleasing to listen to.

Eventually I learned that I was just missing one step.

THE LOW SHELF

It's that orange guy up there ^^^^

He's your best friend when it comes to cutting out dirt, grime, muck, mire, slime, grease... basically mud.

See the thing about those filters on your pads, when they're closed up all of your low end content tends to build up. Think about the way you can hear bass through a wall. That's kind of how your pads might sound unless you're very intentional about managing those lower frequencies.

Now whenever I notice mud building up I just grab that low shelf and apply a cut until the mess is tamed. Sometimes it doesn't take much, but that little bit of tapering makes a big difference!

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