Editing Openai/6942bda8-3500-8009-863c-4337a422fc34


{{DISPLAYTITLE:BW meaning in EQ filters}}

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== gpt-5-2 ==
=== User: what determines if BW stands for band width or butterworth in a EQ filter ===
what determines if BW stands for band width or butterworth in a EQ filter

=== Assistant: In EQ filters, BW can legitimately mean two different things, and what it stands for is determined by context: the type… ===
In EQ filters, BW can legitimately mean two different things, and what it stands for is determined by context: the type of filter being described and how the control behaves.

==== 1. BW = Bandwidth ====

Most common in parametric EQs

===== What it means =====

Bandwidth describes how wide the affected frequency range is around the center frequency.
* Measured in octaves (e.g., 1.0 oct, 0.5 oct)
* Inversely related to Q - Wide BW = low Q - Narrow BW = high Q

===== How you can tell it’s Bandwidth =====

BW means Bandwidth when:
* The EQ is a bell / peaking filter
* You see controls like: - Freq / Gain / BW - or Freq / Gain / Q
* Changing BW makes the curve wider or narrower symmetrically

===== Example =====

: BW = 1.0 octave
: The EQ affects frequencies one octave wide centered on the selected frequency.

==== 2. BW = Butterworth ====

Common in crossovers, HPF/LPF, and system processing

===== What it means =====

Butterworth refers to a filter alignment / response shape, not width.

Butterworth filters are:
* Maximally flat in the passband
* Smooth with no ripple
* Have a predictable phase response
* –3 dB at the cutoff frequency

===== How you can tell it’s Butterworth =====

BW means Butterworth when:
* The filter type is HPF or LPF
* You see options like: - BW, LR, BES, Cheby
* The slope is specified: - 12 dB/oct BW - 24 dB/oct BW

===== Example =====

: 24 dB/oct BW
: This is a 4th-order Butterworth low-pass or high-pass filter.

==== 3. How to tell which one it is (quick rule) ====

Ask these three questions:

| Question                             | If YES →                                |
| ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------- |
| Is it a bell/peaking EQ?             | BW = Bandwidth                          |
| Is it HPF / LPF / crossover?         | BW = Butterworth                        |
| Does it change width or slope/shape? | Width = Bandwidth / Shape = Butterworth |

==== 4. Digital mixer reality (like Behringer WING) ====

On mixers like the Behringer WING:
* Channel PEQ - BW = Bandwidth (bell filters)
* High-pass / Low-pass - Filter type is typically fixed (often Butterworth-style internally) - You usually don’t see “BW” labeled here unless choosing alignment

So if you see BW next to a bell EQ, it is Bandwidth, not Butterworth.

==== 5. One-sentence takeaway ====

: BW means Bandwidth when adjusting how wide an EQ bell is, and Butterworth when describing the response type of a high-pass or low-pass filter.

If you want, I can:
* Map this specifically to every EQ section on the WING
* Show BW vs Q mathematically
* Or provide training-course-ready wording for danatucker.com

== References ==
<references />


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