I’m curious if anyone knows why Elektron went with base & width for the digital filters on the MD, MnM and OT instead of having a lowpass cutoff and highpass cutoff control. I’ve not seen this setup any other synth.
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It seems very flexible to me, it gives you a bandpass by default, so you only need one control to shift that
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That is definitely an advantage. It does make it harder to do highpass cuts though, since you need to move both controls in opposite directions.
Btw I’m not complaining, I’m just genuinely curious why this way and not the usual 
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maybe i am wrong but “base” IS the HP-Cutoff and “width” IS LP-Curoff it is just named different…
No, because when you move Base, you also change Low Pass Cutoff (unless Width is at max value).
So while the Cutoff Frequency of the High Pass is only determined by Base, the Cutoff Frequency of the Low Pass is determined by Base plus Width (see OT manual, Appendix B: Effects Reference, B2).
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Width is the band width not cutoff (I think!), when I create a sound I always set the width to about 28 and then dial up the HP until I get the right freq - really nice way of getting a clean mix.
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The Minimoog Voyager uses a comparable principle: Its Separation parameter determines the “distance” between the cutoff frequencies of its two filters.
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So let me get this right. Base is low frequency and the width is the gap between low and high.
I have drawn a crude representation. I is it correct?
[0--------------------0] - Base at 0 - Width 127
[–0------------------0] - Base at 20 - Width 127
[–0-------------0-----] - Base at 20 - Width at 85
[-----0-------------0–] - Base at 50 - width 85
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Yep, in principle
Base sets the HPF freq (or actually moves a flexible bandpass)
Base+Width sets the LPF freq (which will be a bandpass if base non 0 … and if width is small it will be an obvious narrow bandpass notch type)
HPF > [-----------0---------0] - Base at 64 - Width 127(or 64+ in this example)
LPF > [0----------0----------] - Base at 0 - Width 64
BPF > [-----------00---------] - Base at 64 - Width 10 (when narrow, base is notch freq)
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So, at the end it’s a Multimodefilter where “base” sets the HP-Cutoff freq. and “Width” the LP-Cutoff freq…
Thanks for confirmation.
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…and Base will also move the LP-Cutoff freq.
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yes, you are right, checked it on the MD right now 
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I was pretty confused about the filter, myself when I first approached it. Outside of easily being able to p-lock different filter modes, the Elektron filter give you the most control over the filter.
It’s great, I love it