dimitrilentryptamine
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Posted : Dec 23, 2012 01:39:08
so guys i'm working on a new ethnic-ambient project with two singers and just trippin around with some vsts but can't create a good ambient bass, i want something not punchy but anyway that you can recognize in the mix, tried some long sustain and release and some late attack but still making shit, so don't know if some reverb plug in or chorus can help, but i think is mostly the sound composition, plug ins come after.. so please any suggestion's welcome!
knocz
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Posted : Dec 23, 2012 03:44
In ambient, there is no rules as any bass can sound great. I tend to like a real electric or acoustic bass in ambient tracks, but it all depends on what you want.
Is the bass suposed to be a part of the track? Something you want to show? or just supporting everything else?
Super Banana Sauce http://www.soundcloud.com/knocz
bandarlog
Bandarlog
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Posted : Dec 23, 2012 11:52
dimitrilentryptamine
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Posted : Dec 23, 2012 20:48
Quote:
On 2012-12-23 03:44, knocz wrote:
In ambient, there is no rules as any bass can sound great. I tend to like a real electric or acoustic bass in ambient tracks, but it all depends on what you want.
Is the bass suposed to be a part of the track? Something you want to show? or just supporting everything else?
thinkin about supporting, not in background but mudded in the mix
Medea
Aedem/Medea
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Posted : Dec 25, 2012 07:38
psyraal
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Posted : Dec 27, 2012 18:04
try listening to the ' three spires' album by perfect blind, or even the 'surfacing' album also by perfect blind. it will give you some ideas/starting points.
https://soundcloud.com/neervos
knocz
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Posted : Dec 28, 2012 02:22
Quote:
On 2012-12-23 20:48, dimitrilentryptamine wrote:
thinkin about supporting, not in background but mudded in the mix
There are infinite tricks.
One, I might say, is use a LP filter that cuts at a low frequency, like 300Hz. Your bass will be able to fill out the lower frequencies, without being very defined, and might do what you want it to do.
Also, you could lower the bass volume, and go with simpler osc waves -> the most simple would be just a single sine wave, and you wont need a LP filter then, just a single volume knob, but it's usually good to add some harmonics to the sound to make it new and interesting.
Also, acute side chaining can help to cut the bass out, leaving it just to fill specific points.
If you want it to wobble a bit, you can add a second osc, just really slightly detuned, maybe at a higher octave. Or a tad of delay or reverb..
So many ways to get your sound, explore and learn what your doing and how you are doing it, and for The Flying Spaghetti Monsters' sake, just make it sound good Nothing more is needed but you to like it.Super Banana Sauce http://www.soundcloud.com/knocz
dimitrilentryptamine
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Dec 28, 2012 15:53
really thanks guys for all of your suggestions!!!!!!
Speakafreaka
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Posted : Dec 30, 2012 14:45
All about keytracking LP filters and medium slow attacks to my ears.
Yeah, you really don't need a load of high energy freqs like in psy typically, as you'll have far longer on the note for the ear to 'understand' the pitch. You can get away with a shit load!
My one piece of advice would be to keep the very very lows mono, so you have a nice steady tone low down, but apart from that, go for it. If it sounds good it is. A good neutral crossover filter can be useful for this purpose. Send the highs (what highs there are) one way and the bass another.
For the love of everything, let's not get into a 'one bass to rule them all' situation with downtempo.
If you find you want to get some 'punch' to the bass without putting in top end, I recommend stacking up multiple gentle compressors. You can build a lot of 'snap' into the sound without it feeling like you're adding much top end at all. Like an envelope click, but a bit less clicky.
.
http://www.soundcloud.com/speakafreaka
Upavas
Upavas
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Posted : Dec 30, 2012 22:37
Quote:
On 2012-12-30 14:45, Speakafreaka wrote:
You can get away with a shit load!
Yes you can, but it sounds so much more awesome when you don't get away with a shitload and make it perfect instead...
80% of it is your envelope, the rest is compression and equing...
Speakafreaka
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Dec 30, 2012 22:46
The way I really like it is to make it as perfect as humanly possible with as little processing as possible and then apply various different things just for that final 0.1% sheen.
Basically, I completely agree with you
**blatent self promotion**
in the tunes in my mix here, you'll hear I keep it pretty
sane, nearly all of the time - because it typically just works better. (3 tracks, last 2 are ambient)
