Ableton Forum

Try using subtle settings of live's vinyl distortion plugin over a simple low sine, set it up in stereo and so that you are only effecting some of the upper frequencies (above 300hz), gradually increase the distortion up from zero. The low end should stay mono while the top end gains definition and spread. Fattens things up like a christmas turkey.

Martyn wrote:Try using subtle settings of live's vinyl distortion plugin over a simple low sine, set it up in stereo and so that you are only effecting some of the upper frequencies (above 300hz), gradually increase the distortion up from zero. The low end should stay mono while the top end gains definition and spread. Fattens things up like a christmas turkey.

Wow.

I didn't know you could do that with the vinyl distortion...

coooool. I'll have to try that one out.

Hopefully the original poster is still checking this thread.......

(depending on who you ask of course) it isn't essential to go the analog route to get chest-squeezing bass into a mix. Processors, and as a result, digital synths, are becoming extremely powerful now, and there are PLENTY of great tracks out there made entirely in the digital domain. Of course you're going to have to start with a decent bass sound to begin with, and there are a couple of synths aimed exclusively at bass sounds that you can coax some pretty nasty sounds out of...i.e. Novation's BassStation (inexpensive and effective)...Spectrasonic's Trilogy...etc...

Anyways, I may just be blind, but I think one of the most important aspects of sick bass sounds is missing from this thread...COMPRESSION. If you want some really thick meaty bass that jumps out of your mix, then squash the hell out of it. If you only want the "sub bass" elements of it w/out the harmonics, then slap a filter on the sound before you compress it to leave you with only low end. It all depends on the sound you're looking for obviously...so I may be way off...so for example...cut out everything above 800 Hz with the filter...then set a compressor (I advise using a third party compressor) to around 6:1 to squish it. Then depending on the original sound, play with the threshold until you find a sound you like and fit it into the mix. When you get the sound the way you like it...definitely add EQ, as someone else in the thread mentioned, which will bring back some of the tonal elements of the bass that are smashed with compression...

Depending on the style of music you're into, you can even sidechain a copy of your kick into the compressor which will help fatten things up even more...I hope all this rambling helps you out a little bit...try it and see if it works...

emz

Martyn wrote:Try using subtle settings of live's vinyl distortion plugin over a simple low sine, set it up in stereo and so that you are only effecting some of the upper frequencies (above 300hz), gradually increase the distortion up from zero. The low end should stay mono while the top end gains definition and spread. Fattens things up like a christmas turkey. :wink:

Could you post the values that you are using for the Vinyl distortion... I'm not sure what aparameters to adjust..

Thanks