> Step by step

12. Create a classic Reese bass

1

Load up the Initialise patch and turn off Oscillator 2 so we can concentrate on Oscillator 1. First, we adjust the main filter. Turn Keyfollow off, and set the Env2 Cutoff modulation depth to 0. For now, set the Cutoff to 120 to protect your ears. Next, set your DAW project tempo to between 140 and 180bpm, since we’ll be using tempo-based LFOs. 2

Set Oscillator 1 to a Single voice and increase the Volume. Set Wave to 2.00, which is a square shape, and link the Wave shape to LFO 2 at a depth of 0.18. This will cause the wave’s shape to drift a little. To make it drift faster, set the Sync speed of LFO 2 to 1/16 dotted. (Audio download: 08ReeseStep2.wav.) 3

Let’s free up LFO 1 by disabling Vibrato for both oscillators. Link Oscillator 1’s Symmetry knob to LFO 1 at a depth of 14. On LFO 1, turn ModWhl down and set the Sync rate to 1/2. This will give us the sound of Pulse Width Modulation. (Audio: 09ReeseStep3.wav.) 4

Now we’re ready to make the sound a bit meaner, and we’ll need Oscillator 2 to do it. Turn it on and set it up as an exact copy of Oscillator 1: voice, Volume, Wave shape, LFO modulation – everything. You could do this by looking at the knobs or just follow steps 2 and 3 again and apply them to the second oscillator. 5

To a get a bigger, Reesier sound, set Oscillator 2 to Quad mode and Detune by about 37. You can hear how the oscillators are phasing against each other and causing the sound to pulsate, which is cool, but we don’t want this to happen to the sub element of the sound. To protect a solid bass, set Oscillator 2’s Filter to 24 so that it high-passes it. (Audio: 10ReeseStep5.wav.) 6

Now we can make Oscillator 2 as crazy as we like without fear of affecting the sub-bass tone. Try different wave shapes, symmetries and LFO amounts. You can choose a different sound to ours, but we’ve set Oscillator 2’s Wave to 16 and increased the Symmetry to 62. It’s a little rich and cheesy, but it’ll work well in the end. (Audio: 11ReeseStep6.wav.) 7

For a modern, mid-range Reese sound, you’d need to go nastier by adding distortion – but since we’re going for the classic, deep version, we can tone it down a little. Set the main Filter Cutoff to 60 and reactivate that link to Envelope 2 at a depth of 26. If you eliminate envelope 2, you’ll have a lovely sub-bass with Reeselike harmonics, but for now we’ll keep it. 8

Let’s adjust Envelope 2 to get that classic ominous growl at the start of each note. We need a slower Attack of 40 and a Decay of 50. Set the Release to 45 and disable its relationship to note Velocity, so that the filter is unaffected by how hard you press the keys. Set Envelope 1’s Release to 54 so that the sound fades nicely. (Audio and patch: 12ReeseStep8. wav, Classic Reese.fxp.)