Question about filters

[Volter]

Hello!

First post, hopefully one of many.

I have been working on a poly synth design that I plan to build soon, I am wanting to have 6 voices, and was wondering if there are any benefits to filtering each voice separately before mixing them? vs mixing and then using a single filter.

Thanks for your time.

-Volt

[JovianPyx]

Separate if modulation is done to each voice separately, like using an envelope to modulate filter frequency. Then as each voice is activated, the filter's envelope starts at the start of each note and the character of the filter is applied to each note. If this is attempted with a single filter (as in a paraphonic synth) the effect is very different.

If the filter is meant to modify the collection of all voices, then a singular filter is all that is needed, but I don't see how this can adequately include modulation.

[PHOBoS]

If you really want to go down the DIY polyphonic path I'd suggest seperate filters. With seperate filters you can still
simulate the same result as a having a single filter (or use only 1 of them) but it's often a nicer result to have a filter
for each voice. This does mean that you would also need seperate envelope generators to control each filter so make
sure you know what you will be getiing into.

oh and

[MapacheRaper]

Welcome, Volter!

Yeah, separate filters is where the guacamole is. If you do only one you would get a paraphonic synth instead of polyphonic.

It depends on how you build it, but you could start with one filter, do it paraphonic, and them add separate filters to each voice.

Or you could start building an ambika. That one as is open source and sounds fantastic.

Whatever you do, keep us informed