Bass basics
Whether you’re using an analogue, virtual analogue, digital or sample-based synth, all approaches share a few general principles that can help you craft solid, characterful bass patches
KEEP THINGS SIMPLE
Always try to approach bass design with some method or plan for making sounds, so that you aren’t just trying stuff randomly. First off, decide what type of sound you are going for. Does it need to be punchy? Resonant? Thin? Fat? All of these? Once this has been established, you can then start to think about your sound, the number of oscillators required and types of waveforms you’ll need
(more on this over the page).
Often, you’ll find you only need one or two oscillators to make your sound, so always start off with a single oscillator and try getting the sound you’re after, then add more as you need (a basic form of additive synthesis). To a large extent, the success of a single oscillator sound depends on the power and richness of the oscillators in the synth you are using and how you process them. Every synth has its own character, but try to use one that has powerful oscillators, filters and snappy envelopes like the Korg MS-20, Novation Bass Station II or plugins like Arturia Pigments or Kilohearts Phase Plant.
OSCILLATOR LEVELS
It’s easy to overlook the levels of your oscillators and just set them all to full when making multi-oscillator bass sounds but you can soon hit on undesirable results. The frequencies and waves of each oscillator interact differently depending on how their levels are set against each other and how hard they are driving your synth’s mixer stage. Many synths, particularly analogue ones, allow you to overdrive the mixer stage for added harmonic richness and growl. Though this may be what you’re after it’s no good if you want a clean-sounding bass, so keep your levels in check.
Combining triangle and pulse waves is a great method for achieving a bassy but cutting tone. However, if you set the volume of the pulse wave too high on your mixer and the triangle wave too low, you’ll find you’ll get a harsh sound that cuts through the mix, but with little or no bass presence
OSCILLATOR DETUNING
When choosing the pitch of your oscillators, generally start off with them both set to the same octave and work from there. Set both at 32’ – ie a lower octave – then listen to the result. Then set one at 32’ and one an octave above at 16’ and listen, then one at 32’ and one at 8’ and listen, and so on. It often helps to have an oscillator set at a higher octave in the mix, as this will help the bass cut through on smaller speakers as well.
Bear in mind that if you space the pitches of two oscillators too far apart, then you’ll find it harder to get the sound to gel together as there will be a large frequency gap. Sometimes this is a useful effect, but often the closer together the pitches, the more solid your sound. Using subtle amounts of detune – kept to just a few cents – between oscillators can also add chorus, movement and thickness.
PHASE CANCELLATION
Using two or more oscillators together can cause phase cancellation. This happens when two oscillators are set to the same wave and one is slightly detuned, with the net result being that they cancel each other out at certain points in their cycles, taking power away from your bass sound. If you hold down a note and the power of the sound appears to be fading in and out at certain points, then it’s likely you have phase cancellation. Adjust the detuning, wave shapes and relative oscillator volumes until the phasing stops.
Sometimes phasing is good, though, creating sounds similar to the classic Reese bass used heavily in techno and drum & bass. Using oscillator hard sync is great for pitch-locked phasing or vocal-like sounds, too. Try syncing osc 1 to osc 2, then using your mod wheel to adjust osc 2’s frequency.