Ableton Forum

I'm after tips on a bass patch. Those deep, sustained, progressive basses, with the kick that just seems to poke through with enough low end to sound like its part of the bassline... and an attack on the bassline so it doesn't just sound like a single sidechained note.

The basslines sound is just growly enough to make them sound like they're not pure sine wavs... any hints on how to get those deep growly basslines without just ended up with a giant 60hz sinewave bump?


PS I know I can filter a saw, but I don't think it's the same thing I'm after.

PPS I CBF posting a sample as I'm at work and can't remember any specific tracks off the top of my head

PPPS I should post this in the tips and tricks, but I didn't

PPPPS I really like using operator for basses, so any operator specific tips would be groovy

sell ur virus and get a moog.. instant growl..

im not kidding either

love you longtime

I love my Virus

Plus it's so much more versatile than a moog.

timothyallan wrote:I love my Virus

Plus it's so much more versatile than a moog.

ok then keep ur virus, but still get a moog

I await your large cash deposit into my bank account.

For a sub-bass that still has enough overtones for a discernable pitch I use a plain sine sound in operator, with a bit of operator B mixed in. Add a tiny bit of vol. env. shaping on that operator to get your attack.

For anything above that I would say:
Samples or STFU

Machinate wrote:For a sub-bass that still has enough overtones for a discernable pitch I use a plain sine sound in operator, with a bit of operator B mixed in. Add a tiny bit of vol. env. shaping on that operator to get your attack.

For anything above that I would say:
Samples or STFU

http://www.fridge.net.au/audio/quickmoog

timothyallan wrote:PS I know I can filter a saw, but I don't think it's the same thing I'm after.
PPPPS I really like using operator for basses, so any operator specific tips would be groovy

A simple filter is not enough. You want some sort of Wah effect... a filter that opens and closes with some attack & decay setting.
1. Adjust the ADSR on your filter. Works great with a long decay on the DCA, with the synth set to Mono/legato... so that the only way you can really tell where one note ends and the next starts is a filter opening.
2. One Live7, mess with the side-chain input on AutoFilter. Route the kick drum to it to have it clamp down when the kick punches thru. Can lead to some swirly Acid fx
3. Instead of using a LP filter on a saw, instead use FM amount in operator. Again, use some ADSR on your Modulator Amps to give the sound a growling swell... enough attack you can hear it ramp up, without being too slow to make it ambient. Keep your values simple and even numbered, I dont think you will really want too much atonal stuff going on.... but mess around, too.

...distortion???

often i do some weird shit here...

separate your sub + top basses first of all. you want that sub clean, warm, and loud at all times, and you're going to want to automate the filter sweeps, etc. on the top only.

if by growling you mean that crunchy filtered saw top that sounds all mouthy, try setting up a two chain filter rack. lowpass on the bottom, then a band pass or high pass on the top with a BIT of lfo-ing phase to make it mouthier. i you set your cutoffs right it should sound mouthy when you sweep the filter sweep macro. added points for upping the phase at the top of the sweep.

another way to do it is to layer your bass with a REALLY pitched down saw, and then eq the saw so you only get the 'tic tic' kind of crunch sound of the very top. run this alongside your other bass when you do the filter sweep above and it'll growl...

if that STILL isn't enough, you can try sweeping the pitch of the saw top crunch. if you have eq'd it right it won't sound like it's detuning with your bass, it'll just sound like the 'tic tics' get more and less dense. macro it to the same knob that your filter sweep is on.

<3 ya

I've taken to recording all my bass lines on my Moog Little Phatty. Nothing can top it. For extra growl, I'll run it through Saturator. Yeah, if you want big, nasty bass, go Moog yourself.

Good tip Phat. That is along the same lines all the DnB heads use for a lot of their basses. I would say go over to Dogs On Acid, Grid forum and read up on how they process their basses. word.

yep Phats on the money as usual, d&b uses this a lot, split your basses, LP, BP , HP.

gotta love racks for that too... as a 'bass music' producer they sure do make my life a lot easier...

get a moog little phatty.