13. Six unusual tactics for bass design

1

Pitched-down drums are a classic way to create basslines that also pack a percussive punch. Sounds with a clear pitched character – such as toms or congas – work best. Try to tune and EQ your sound so it sits at a frequency that complements (rather than clashes with) your kick. It’s been done many times before, but try taking things further with multi-layered patterns, polyrhythms or creative effects.

2

As Secret Cinema divulged in 248’s

Producer Masterclass, full drum loops can be repurposed into rumbling basslines. Try taking an acoustic drum loop – preferably something with a few tom hits and a nicely resonant kick – then pitch it down and/or filter out the higher frequencies. Aggressive compression side-chained to your track’s kick will help this blend into the main groove.

3

A reverb-drenched piano progression can be turned into a rich bassline by filtering out the higher notes and boosting the bass frequencies. Using full chords for bass notes may sound counterproductive, but letting some higher frequencies sneak through the filter will add plenty of harmonic character to your bass progression. An analogue-style filter with a drive setting can lend extra character.

4

Sampling and pitching down a simple vocal phrase can create a bass sound with unique texture. The trick here is to experiment with a sampler with flexible choices of pitch/warp algorithms, such as Live’s Simpler. Using different warp modes and looping small sections of the sample will allow you to create everything from punchy bass hits to granular drones.

5

Transition FX like filter sweeps, risers and impacts can be transformed into dramatic bass sounds when pitched down one or two octaves. Try creating a classic analogue-style white noise sweep with lots of filter resonance. Render it and pitch it down an octave or two. Your resonant sweep will now morph into a diving block of bass as it hits the lower frequencies.

6

If you’re stuck for a bass sound that will work with a melody, try rendering and pitching different elements of the track. Pitch down and edit your lead to create a complementary bass part, repurpose your percussion rhythms as driving bass patterns, or even render reverb and delay sends and turn them into rumbling bass drones.