Definition
Plain language
A filter that keeps the low, rumbling part of a sound and strips out the high part, leaving a muffled hum.
As stated in the literature
A frequency-domain filter attenuating components above a cutoff; a 300 Hz low-pass destroys segmental/lexical content while preserving F0, rhythm, and intensity contours, isolating prosody from words.
Also called: low-pass filtered, low-pass filtering, low pass filter
Why it matters: It lets researchers test whether a system is reacting to the tune of a voice or to the actual words, by removing the words while leaving the tune intact.
For example, it is what makes a conversation in the next room sound like muffled mumbling — you can tell someone is excited or annoyed, but not what they are saying.
Heard on the show
“Third: the transcript stays the same, but the audio is low-pass filtered at three hundred hertz.”Episode 262 — Raise the Pitch Nine Percent and the Model Cries Sarcasm