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Sometimes people will say a filter has a “wet” sound. Exactly what this sound is hard to describe, but you’ll know it when you hear it. This usually refers to a fewer-than-4-pole filter sound – often low or bandpass – with resonance turned up a bit, but not to the point of self-oscillation. It’s a sound that is popular in acid house and other similar techno styles. I reminds one of a vowel-ish vocal sound with a lot of moisture and pronounced formants. It is in contrast to the muted sound of a filter with 4 or more poles and very low to no resonance, or the wide-open an buzzy sound of a high pass filter, or a low pass filter with the cutoff frequency set very high.

(This is different than the use of “wet” in reference to the use of effects in the mix.)

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