While the amplitude remains untouched, the filter introduces a frequency-dependent delay. Low frequencies might pass through almost instantly, while high frequencies are delayed (or vice versa, depending on the filter topology). This alteration of the signal’s internal timing structure is the "allpassphase."
If you have ever wondered why a kick drum loses its punch after equalization, why a stereo image feels "smeared," or how reverb units create dense, natural decay without changing the tonal balance, you have encountered the effects of allpassphase. This article dissects the mathematics, the acoustic perception, and the practical applications of this critical signal processing concept. At its simplest, allpassphase refers to the phase response of an allpass filter . An allpass filter is a unique signal processing block defined by one remarkable property: its magnitude response is flat (0 dB) across all frequencies . It does not boost or cut any frequency. It does not change the equalization of a signal. allpassphase
The coefficient a is related to cutoff frequency fc and sample rate fs by: While the amplitude remains untouched, the filter introduces
Where ( a ) is the coefficient determining the cutoff frequency. The magnitude ( |H(z)| = 1 ) for all ( z ), but the phase ( \angle H(z) ) shifts from 0 to -180 degrees (or 0 to -360 degrees for second-order filters). To understand allpassphase, you must understand group delay —the derivative of phase with respect to frequency. Group delay measures the time delay each frequency component experiences as it passes through a system. It does not boost or cut any frequency