Funky Basslines

[Debroglie]

OK guys , I'm afraid to ask and I don't like asking for help offen but this is my biggest problem .... BASSLINES ! I have been making tracks for years but I just can't make those " Marco Carola, Gaetano Pariso and Reno Cerrone style funky basslines that sit nicely in a mix without distorting to much kind of blending with a kick ! And no I don't wanna copy anyone , I'm just looking for mixing and bassline writing techniques :)

Thanks.

[DJZeMig_L]

C all the stuff about comp, Bass Comp, Bass eq.

Just a quick run down... Use eq 2 cut all sub sub freq. from bass (depending on the sound itself but cut all up to 80 Hz-100 Hz... again depending on the sound all above 1khz) squash and distort slightly with heavy comp.
Use a kick that is very different from the bass sound .. use the kick as the insert for a second bass comp.

U can also use waves maxxbass (a little bit .. don't go crazy) to pull the bass from the lower freq. 2 a more hearable freq. and with less speaker movement!!

The bass seq. should b quite simple and semi long notes..

Hope that was clear enought and helps.

Z

[scotttechfunk]

I am pretty much a beginner at this aswell, but from what I gather is try not to make your kick too bottom heavy and add a bit of mid range bite to it. Then your bassline should (theoretically) sit underneath it so to speak. When you've got a bassline and a kick drum that you're reasonably happy with, stick them both through a compressor together to get the bass ducking under the kick, this should clean it up even more. In terms of creating funky basslines, if you're ever suffering from writers block, use the step designer or a step sequencer (Step Machin is good) on your bassline and keep hitting the random button until something inspires you. Some might say this is cheating, but who knows, maybe Mills made "The Bells" this way! haha, doubt it though. Anyway like I said, I'm no expert at any of this, so I wouldn't be suprised if my comments are corrected over the next few posts. :lol:

[DJZeMig_L]

That's another way of going about it ... but actually basslines are less bassy that most of us think... unless U are going for those move the speakers but hardly hearable basslines...

Anyways there is more that one way of doing things!! :) and the fun thing is trying learning and then finding what works better 4 ya!

Z

[loopdon]

Which synths would be recommended for this? I think the Arturia Moog Modular is nice :love: but I would love any ideas regarding this topic (naples techno ;) )

Which softsynth would you recommend for the pad sounds. D'acota, perhaps?

[Jimfish]

a 303 or soft equivalent is pretty handy for the basses.. you could also use softsynths like A1, ms20, basstation or even the bass gutar plugin in cubase is pretty good, softsynths like Korg polysix, pro53, Albino 2 & FM7 are good for nice stabs and pads..
Im sure ive missed some but im not in front of my audio pc right now so i can have a proper look..

Follow Z's advice with the dynamics.. You could also use loads of eqs stacked up & boosting heavily at around 80-100 on some samples (not necessarily bass samples) to bring out a bass that will sit right between the kicks..

Also see some of the sidechaining threads for getting it to sit if its a bit masive

[Jimfish]

You could also use loads of eqs stacked up & boosting heavily at around 80-100 on some samples (not necessarily bass samples) to bring out a bass that will sit right between the kicks..


yeah just experiment with that - it doesnt allways work but ive used it a couple of times on some quite random samples to try and fish out some nice bass frequencys :)

[dan the acid man]

what is the bottom end frequency you should eq out of basslines then, what is the lowest frequency you should have in there, mine always sound too muddy

[loopdon]

a 303 or soft equivalent is pretty handy for the basses.. you could also use softsynths like A1, ms20, basstation or even the bass gutar plugin in cubase is pretty good, softsynths like Korg polysix, pro53, Albino 2 & FM7 are good for nice stabs and pads..
Im sure ive missed some but im not in front of my audio pc right now so i can have a proper look..

Follow Z's advice with the dynamics.. You could also use loads of eqs stacked up & boosting heavily at around 80-100 on some samples (not necessarily bass samples) to bring out a bass that will sit right between the kicks..

Also see some of the sidechaining threads for getting it to sit if its a bit masive

thanx a lot! i know the polysix is pretty fat synth...
i got the others, too, and the advice about the 80-100 Hz boosting will be tested, for sure, m8.

[loopdon]

what is the bottom end frequency you should eq out of basslines then, what is the lowest frequency you should have in there, mine always sound too muddy

from what i've gathered, cut anything up to about 80 (-100) Hz on your bassline. depending on bass, lowpass @ about 1Khz. heavy comp til it's slightly squashed and then sidechain. that's what mig said, i think... :cool:

you could try to notch @ 250 Hz (try 300 as well) to lose some of the mud and put waves maxxbass to a good use (laptop preset - go from there, but don't overdo it :nono: )

just some ideas i gathered in this great place :love:

[dan the acid man]

:oops: i missed ze migl's post :oops:

[Evil G]

for reference, the low E string on a bass guitar has a base frequency of about 41 hz, with harmonics built up from there.

[loopdon]

:oops: i missed ze migl's post :oops:

it's the second post in this thread ;)

[dan the acid man]

i always thought you had to use alot of the lower frequencies around the 40-50Hz for bass, i guess thats where im going wrong :doh:

[Evil G]

even if the base frequency is that low, we depend a lot on the harmonics in the 150-250 hz range to clue us in that there is something doing on down there. the direct sound is very difficult to hear when it is that low and the upper harmonics are missing.

[rounser]

The KLF had something to say about funky basslines..."The Manual" is worth a read on the subject (Google it up if you're interested). From a certain perspective, I think they're more or less correct. :neutral:

(If you do look up the Manual, notice their eerily right-on-the-money prediction about home studios popping into existence around about the time the Timelords predicted they would...)

[dirty_bass]

Junglist is fantastic for bass.
Also, elogoxa`s Baxxpander is lovely for huge. war,. saturation compression on your bass.

I tend to (for phat basslines) sit my kick a little higher frequency wise, than normal, and eq the bass so it sits underneath the kick.
Sometimes I pull the kick frequency out of the bass so the kick sits inside it.
And some sidechained compression works a treat.

Damn I love bass.

[loopdon]

Junglist is fantastic for bass.
Also, elogoxa`s Baxxpander is lovely for huge. war,. saturation compression on your bass.

I tend to (for phat basslines) sit my kick a little higher frequency wise, than normal, and eq the bass so it sits underneath the kick.
Sometimes I pull the kick frequency out of the bass so the kick sits inside it.
And some sidechained compression works a treat.

Damn I love bass.


I know Junglist can give you a neverending selection of basses to choose from. Had downloaded the elogoxas plug, but have not really tested it yet :doh:

Damn I love bass, too :cool:

[xfive]

I've gotten some sick twisted bass with the Polysix plugin and some filter action :twisted:

[loopdon]

I've gotten some sick twisted bass with the Polysix plugin and some filter action :twisted:

I must install that one asap :rambo: :lol:

[acidchild]

I see this is all based mostly on a software angle, but what about hardware? I've thought about creating a bassline using a softsynth, then sampling it...and running it thru my compressor. Basslines throw me for a loop also.

[auditory hallucinations]

Hardware wise I use either my Juno 60 or tb 303 for bass. The problem with the 303 is that it can sound a bit manic, unless you spend some time getting the pattern to sit right. But yeh when it does sound good, it sounds really good…if you know what I mean.

The Juno does some fantastic bass though, it's so hands on - I just love it. The subs you can get from that synth are incredible, really warm and fat. Seeing as you can pick them up for about £250, they're an excellent investment for someone looking to get some hardware bass.

I then run the audio of those thru a filterbank, just to grunge it up a bit…which works a treat.

Sorry if this is stating the obvious, but I've come to the conclusion recently that one of the most important factors in a funky bassline is actually the spaces between the notes, rather than the sound itself.

Oh, what's your favourite bassline? Mine has to be Planetary Assualt Systems "Booster"...

[acidchild]

Speaking of Junos, i keep forgetting i now have an SH-32! Which does some damn good Junos, really. The 303 def good for bass, but it's so hard to just let it sit there and NOT touch it=o]

[heavy beats]

i've always been a fan of the vb-1 bass guitar vst in cubase. the novation a station is cool too.

[sash]

Oh, what's your favourite bassline? Mine has to be Planetary Assualt Systems "Booster"...

That 'are you jackin' track on dave clarke's world service techno cd. It's like thick liquid creamy acid or something....