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Journal Article

Emulation of Analog Filters in the Digital Domain

Authors: Poletti, Mark

Journal of the Audio Engineering Society · Volume 74 · Issue 1/2 · pp. 50–60 · February 2026

Abstract

Digital equalizers typically aim to emulate analog responses, and the finite digital bandwidth leads to a divergence from the analog response near the Nyquist frequency. This paper develops sets of low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass filters that minimize this divergence. The first set is developed using the matched z-transform with numerators designed to control the high-frequency behavior. The second set generalizes the bilinear transform filters to provide a closer match to the analog counterparts at high Q values. A symmetric parametric equalizer is also derived that generalizes previous designs. This equalizer is then modified to better match the analog filter response near the Nyquist frequency.

Details

Publication
Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
Volume
74
Issue
1/2
Pages
50–60
Publication date
February 10, 2026
Affiliation
Lower Hutt, New Zealand (See document for exact affiliation information.)
Type
Journal Article