 tips on bass |
fogga
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Registration Date: 23-10-2005
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My bass sounds are really bland and boring, can anyone gimme tips on how to make them stand out more and sound more exciting?
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10-02-2006 15:20 |
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cynik 
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10-02-2006 15:26 |
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fogga
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Registration Date: 23-10-2005
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I Wa sjust looking for general tips, cheers.
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10-02-2006 15:31 |
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cynik
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10-02-2006 15:38 |
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Yawn
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| quote: |
Originally posted by cynik
don't compress!
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A compressor sidechained to the kick drum can really add 'punch' to your bass though.
I think the trick is dont over compress 
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10-02-2006 16:09 |
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cynik
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| quote: |
Originally posted by crushfuck
| quote: |
Originally posted by cynik
don't compress!
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A compressor sidechained to the kick drum can really add 'punch' to your bass though.
I think the trick is dont over compress
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ah yes ofcourse. but I tend to force myself to use as less compression as possible, to avoid his first problem - dull sounding
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10-02-2006 16:40 |
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J. Wells
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(oh shit, here I go again)
Better bass? Well... here are a couple things off the top of my head:
Filter that baby-- take down anything below, say, 50-60hz. It will make your processors work better and your speakers/monitors/headphones won't top out so easily, as everything below 30hz is inaudible anyhow. I always do everything below 55hz, just to keep something for the subwoofers to rumble the floor with. Also, when it comes to DnB bass, LFOs are your friend, as they can add a bit of wobble and roll to your sound. Even if used only subtly (like on one EQ frequency or synth parameter only), the difference can be big.
And! There's this muddy range of frequencies between 250-400hz that tends to build up real fast. Filter it some and the sound will, believe it or not, hop out at you more.
Oh! And always run your bass frequencies in the center of your stereo field. If you reeeeeally wanna get technical and do something stereo with your bassline, leave everything below 200hz or so sitting in the middle of the stereo field, and use a second track (filtered to leave only the sound ABOVE 250hz) for whatever stereo-ness you're after, like a delay to bring your filter sweeps to life, or reverb, phaser, whatever.
What else... hmm.... use analogue sound sources as often as possible, like old synths. Mmmm, Moog...
As for compression, I've personally found that light compression on a bass track, particularly with a sharp attack and decay, can work wonders. Do it too much, though, and it will overwhelm the rest of the sound. Try sidechaining it to your kick drum track. 
Bass can overwhelm your mix easily, and boring bass doubly so, because in the quest to fix it, you're much more likely to fuck it up instead. Just use your ears, and remember that less is more. Aside from that, CUT your EQand/or volume before you boost, and, umm... never insert cue-tips directly into your ear canal. 
Shit. Never ask me for advice. I've got tonnnnnnes of this stuff sitting in my head all the time.
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I only post here when I'm drunk.
This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by J. Wells: 11-02-2006 05:45.
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11-02-2006 03:03 |
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cynik
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11-02-2006 03:26 |
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J. Wells
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Aha, caught me! I meant anything below 30hz is inaudible, not 60. That's the problem with your brain outdoing your typing skillz.
Sorted.
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I only post here when I'm drunk.
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11-02-2006 05:46 |
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fogga
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Registration Date: 23-10-2005
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Here is a sample of my bass sound + picture of EQ. It sounds a little to low, I think it could ruin a track, maybe drown other parts out?
Bass
EQ
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11-02-2006 11:39 |
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baz
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| quote: |
Originally posted by fogga
My bass sounds are really bland and boring, can anyone gimme tips on how to make them stand out more and sound more exciting? |
distort / equalise em
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"shotgun ; slammin in yo chestpiece ; blaw"
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11-02-2006 14:11 |
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dizriz
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Registration Date: 10-01-2006
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I usually use two or three different basslines at the same time which helps phatten it all up.
A low pass filter and some LFO action is also pretty effective.
Ultimatley for me it depends on the tune, I recently put a load of reverb on a bassline and it sounded pretty sick... it took a while to EQ but it was warm as lava.
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Liquid
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13-02-2006 02:30 |
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fogga
Steppa
Registration Date: 23-10-2005
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How do you use LFO on a reese? It doesn't seem to do much for me! I hear these basses that go along and then all of a sudden twist up and back down again and give it a real aggressive driving sound, I think it's the use of LFO?
I cannot think of an example right now.
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14-02-2006 16:31 |
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dizriz
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Registration Date: 10-01-2006
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I'm not entirley certain whether my bass sounds are reece or hoover... I usually make them from v-station, actual bass guitar or kick drums... often all three, I sample a lot also. The LFO works quite well and is relativley easy to apply using Kontact or the built in one on the v-station.
But my tunes are mainly on the liquid side of the fence so LFO works well on the warm basslines. If the tunes you are applying the basslines to are pretty hard and punchy then perhaps LFO would not be as effective but in my experience it is a sick, sick invention.
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Liquid
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15-02-2006 02:38 |
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PEAHEAD
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Registration Date: 27-07-2005
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fogga u mean like calyx. tht is a prime exapmple. he makes the badest reeces ive herd. but i was told he uses analouge pedal distortion and reaktor. dont kno for sure. but sounds like a good combination. what software package u running. has it got vst support. u shud try some vsts like. wel even 3xosc i can make a pretty good reece with tht.
experement. yeah nayways you shud try synape junglist. u can make twist back effects on tht.
jus gimme a shout on msn if u want nefin
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27-02-2006 09:52 |
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Aron
unregistered
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try using effects like
chorus, flanger, waveshaper, rectifier, distortion.
lfo modulation on pulsewith is also nice, but nicer on synced oscillators.
but maybe the easyest way is to make high unison + heavy detune.
eqing is nice but if the general sound is worse eqing wont do anything. means first programm a good sound or use a good preset. than use your eq.
This post has been edited 2 time(s), it was last edited by Aron: 27-02-2006 17:10.
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27-02-2006 17:06 |
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Tenbucc2
Cool Tourist
Registration Date: 06-03-2006
Posts: 49
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layer it with a sub bass frequency that follows the same "general" keystructure... meaning that you probably aren't going to here subs that follow really quick keys so it maybe a better idea to let the last note sustain.
also if you have this sub bass you can put the treatment on you main bass sound. find a filter setting that you like and play with the cutt off.
usually i put one lfo seeting on my cut off and then automate the speed setting. i can post an example but right now i'm at work. will later if you're at all interested
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06-03-2006 23:40 |
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ostheory
Newbie
Registration Date: 14-04-2006
Posts: 4
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If you are serious about your bass, want some of that dirty warbling goodness, then check into the following:
For my warbles and bleebs I use the MicroKorg:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/K...ions?sku=702244
Now this synth runs about $399 new or you can check on Ebay and usually snag one for cheaper. This thing harnesses a crapload of power in such a little keyboard. Also check into the Nord Lead 1 and let both oscillators scream in harmony, the end result will be that of Mocean Worker's bass in "Detonator" which conveniently, he used the Nord Lead 1. Search ebay for this synth, you will find it cheap. Also Korg ms2000 or ms2000B, and if you are feeling lucky the Alesis Micron Analog modeling synth. Great starters all under the grand range, starting at $399 - $799.
If you are restricted to software, you can cut some mean warbling bass using Propellarheads Reason, just use the NN-19 and Matrix machines combined. Below I have outlined some examples I have created in Reason:
http://www.oscillatortheory.com/examples/bassexample.mp3
http://www.oscillatortheory.com/examples/bassexample2.mp3
Jacked EQ and distortion are your friend, just do it in moderation.
Good luck!
- root
This post has been edited 2 time(s), it was last edited by ostheory: 14-04-2006 10:54.
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14-04-2006 07:35 |
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chomp
Wicked Producer
Registration Date: 06-12-2005
Posts: 368
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hey, next month i'm goin to buy a Alesis Micron 
the NN19 is aa synth ? i was thinking it's just a sample player ... 
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15-04-2006 11:29 |
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