What are you guys using for basslines?

[electromonk]

tau prooo

[Stalker]

This whole basslines things applies (in the end), more or less just like any sound other used on the mix.

 

In my opinion, those tips about adding reverb, delays or distortion is way relative. Sometimes, all a bassline need is a better mix setting. Basically you have to fit on the track nicely

 

Sounds simple, but it isn’t and this settings goes along the preferences of the producer and the atmosphere he wants to produce on the track. You have to follow your ears and the numbers too. Watch out for the collapsing frequencies on the bottom end of the track. The very same region of the bass and kick that goes from around 90khz to 400khz. Anything under 60khz must go

 

Said that, I think you should concentrate on the basses of the sound… defines its wave form, length, attack, sustain levels etc….basically create a nice sound and then give the power on the mixing and using carefully effects processors.

Do not rape the signal!

 

EQ, compression, distortion and everything else must be used carefully

So yeah…in order to have a good heavy bass sound, you need a clean signal ..and.... good will

 

[NEMO.BOFH]

This whole basslines things applies (in the end), more or less just like any sound other cointaned on the mix.

 

In my opinion, those tips about adding reverb, delays or distortion is way relative. Sometimes, all a bassline need is a better mix setting. Basically you have to fit on the track nicely

 

Sounds simple, but it isn’t and this settings goes along the preferences of the producer and the atmosphere he wants to produce on the track. You have to follow your ears and the numbers too. Watch out for the collapsing frequencies on the bottom end of the track. The very same region of the bass and kick that goes from around 90khz to 400khz. Anything under 60khz must go

 

Said that, I think you should concentrate on the basses of the sound… defines its wave form, length, attack, sustain levels etc….basically create a nice sound and then give the power on the mixing and using carefully effects processors.

Do not rape the signal!

 

EQ, compression, distortion and everything else must be used carefully

So yeah…in order to have a good heavy bass sound, you need a clean signal ..and.... good will   

 

567674[/snapback]

Very nicely put mr Stalker I actually learnt from this thread that there is no such thing as asking "how do you..." because in the end, you will take what people said, and make your own thing out of it.

 

There is no howto for music, ive known that forever, but its good to get some tips and tricks sometimes. I am very used to use Hardware, so making a bass sound, sound good for me wassnt so easy... but when I fiddled about a little bit, it just sounded the way I would make one on the virus or on the juno

[Rupture]

I use Subtractor.but that's just me,i guess

[NEMO.BOFH]

I use Subtractor.but that's just me,i guess

567735[/snapback]

Im using Cubase SX3 so thats not an option anymore. I have Reason (Yes legally) but im gonna sell it as I dont use it at all anymore I liked the Subtractor, I made some really nice spanking basslines in that one, too bad it doesnt exist as a vsti

[Gaffel]

Cubazz? Neon+Flange and little bit Dist. Seriusly!

[mikelogic303]

There are many styles of goa bassline, and this is quite confusing.

 

You can listen to a more melodic style track (GMS etc) and the bassline is solid, but not exactly what you would call "sub" bass. The kick being the real OOOMH.

 

And then on the other hand you listen to a really full-on track and the bassline is almost as loud as the kick. The kick being this little TICK TICK TICK

 

WTF do you do?

 

well, it depends on the style of music you are making. And the particular track. You have to decide. But generally, the kick drum should have the most bass energy.

 

So in order to not let the bassline and the kick drum bump into each other, we are going to use some EQ to make a space between them. The kick you add say, 4 or 5 dB at 60Hz (using a Q less than 1 always for adding EQ). And the bass line, we subtract a couple of dB at 60Hz (using a Q of greater than 1, probably more like 5+). For the bass you can also add a little at 120Hz, or around 250Hz to give more body.

 

Anyhow, so now you have just your kick and bass synth, no effects, no compression. If you cannot get it to sound almost 100% at this stage, head back to synth land and start fixing it there. Don't bother with compression or other plugins until you get this right. Most professionally made dance music is quite simple, they just know what waveforms to use and how to tweak it in the synth until it sounds right.

 

OH, and put on a commercial CD of whatever style your music is in, start A/B comparing it.

 

That's the thing. There is no right or wrong goa bassline. It just depends on the rest of the track, which is why I always leave the bassline to the last. A bassline is there to glue the rhythm parts to the melodic parts. If you have lots of melodies, then you might want to use the cutoff to dull down the bassline a little. If you have no melodies, just loads of samples (modern full-on syle, yawn), then of course you have loads of space to have this big fat "I'm a lead synth but I'm also a bassline", with the cutoff pretty high to let the mid/high frequencies out.

 

Anyhow, I've probably, hopefully, confused you as much as myself!

 

later,

 

miKe

 

PS: an example of a bassline which fits "under" lead synths (ie. with low cutoff) can be found in the Burn Cycle track on my website: www.kodamawat.com