Sound Design (Bass)

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Sound Design (Bass)

Postby S2K08 » Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:51 pm

This is something thats been bugging me for a while.

Right so I pretty much don't synthesize anything anymore, I often find myself getting frustrated as no matter how long I put into designing a synth (whether it be bass or lead W/E) it comes out sounding crap (I just don't know what knobs to twiddle or w/e (even though I'm pretty certain I tried all of em)) so I just lash samples together

Anyway yeah, if anyone'd be kind enough to post how they design a nice synth, ie what the usual do's and don't are.

The main thing I'd like to know, is how to make DnBish bass synths (real dark grindy things) i.e. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWfNJaJfS9I (drop's at 0:40 if you dont wanna listen to the intro) but any kind of different sounding basses'd b nice (think squire of gothos (without the wobbles, everyone knows how to do those))

Pictures welcome/preferred
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Postby kowalczyk » Sun Dec 05, 2010 7:53 pm

This probably doesn't help, but I like to show off.

Bassline #1
Image
Listen to it: http://www.zshare.net/audio/835369056c4ad283/

Bassline #2
Image
Listen to it: http://www.zshare.net/audio/835371038f1803b7/

Bassline #3
Image
Listen to it: http://www.zshare.net/audio/835373064ed9e91d/

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Postby MrKoekje » Sun Dec 05, 2010 11:25 pm

Well, the bass in that particular song you posted sounds like it's just a square wave with some kind of high pitched thing over it (maybe a formant or vowel thing?), and then all of that got some bitcrush or maybe a sample and hold thing applied to it. When you said a growling dnb bass though, I thought you meant a reese bass, which you should already know.

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Postby S2K08 » Mon Dec 06, 2010 12:24 pm

kowalczyk wrote:This probably doesn't help, but I like to show off.

thats a good start thanks
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Postby ohmega sir » Sat Dec 11, 2010 4:21 pm

this is a cool wee tutorial on some neuro bass


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGX7sTtIVko

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Postby Skornsteen » Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:56 am

Maybe very useless advice, but I used softsynths a long time and never got anything out them I liked, so I bought some hardware synths, and somehow I always manage to get decent sounds out of those, I just need some real knobs te turn.
My 2 cents.

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Postby Monodnb » Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:12 am

im kind of in the same boat here, ive tried countless times to get nice mid reeces..sub im okay with..but i always end up with the same sound..i know loads of distortion/envelopes..but it never works for me javascript:emoticon(':x')

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Postby Draegg » Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:49 am

So you want neuro ey?


Open up a softsynth (NI Massive is great for this shit)
It´s not that important but three oscillators will make this sound big!

Make the two first oscillators saw waves, the third you make a sine.
Tune down the first osc to -24, the second to -24 and the third -12.
It now sounds like shait...JK now, go to your filter section and select a bandpassfilter. Turn the resonance fully down, the bandwidth to about 9 o clock and the cutoff to about 2 o clock. Alright now you want to automate the cutoff to get that ripping and twisting sound. Assign a slow lfo to the cutoff. Now it´s starting to move! From here you can open up a new filter (massive have two filter sections) and make it a notch filter or another bandpass. Now for another important part of the neurobass: Detuning! Take the second oscillator and detune to about 30 cents. Now we have it! Keep on modulating the lfos and filters and you will get a ripping, twisted, dark bass!

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Postby Draegg » Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:50 am

And dont forget to distort!

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Postby Chainsaw Police » Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:15 am

Thanks for that Draegg!
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Postby DISEMBOWELLED » Tue Dec 13, 2011 8:00 pm

I strongly suggest checking out dubstepforum.com - they have some really interesting discussions about production techniques, especially making bass sounds.

I hate dubstep- make no mistake, but that forum is well worth a read. They offer really constructive advice to each other and share a lot of knowledge.

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