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The Mother of all BASSLINES thread
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Cannabis
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
246
Posted : Nov 3, 2006 22:29
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On 2006-11-03 21:12, MedicineMan wrote:
now, after reading the whole 34 pages on basslines, i still feel empty. the reason is i think i feel like that is because all this forum has taught me is just user preferences on what vst(???) to write the bassline, and not how to write the line itself. I'm completely new to the whole psytrance production thing, and any bit helps. Is it just a matter of a couple notes being played, or is it just one note? sry i'm such a nub  someone hook me up w/ a tut or something on writing a bassline. i understand that it's a bunch of tweaking, but where do i start before i can tweak?
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MediciMan,
Welcome to the world of trance making.
Since you are a rookie, I take the freedom to tell you off ;-)
There is no multipurpose bassline. You don't need to synthesize a bass from scratch to start with. Browse through you synth preset and find a bass patch that sounds OK to you. Choose notes lower dann C2. Draw 4/4 notes in your sequencer editor. Loop/cycle the region that you created, then press the space bar ;-)
Now you are ready to tweak. Start tweaking the filter freq. Hear what happens. Then put a compressor with default setting on the channel. See what happens. Put an analizer or Eq/analizer combo on that track, and boost some frequency. See what happens.
After you played around with these. Make a kick line. Every bassline has to be tweaked in accordance to kick line. You want the kick to cut through the mix, so you got to joggle with frequencies of both kick and bass using an Eq. This requires lots of experience and tweaking, depending on the type of kick and bass, and your SKILLS, which you will develop in time through endless tweaking. There is no all cure recipe. Train your ears. Listen to less busy parts of your favorite tracks, where the kick and bass are isolated. Try to imitate this. There are plenty of tweaking tips in this thread and "Kick thread". Make notes of them.
Happy tweaking bro, and.....there is no luck, just capability. So I won't tell you good luck ;-)
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Human
Human
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
61
Posted : Nov 3, 2006 23:15
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Allright... I think it's getting really boring that all the pro's are being so tightfisted about their "Sound-secrets"..
As long as everybody's struggling to get a good bassline sound, all that is being produced is kick- and bass- noise... And that's really a pity, because in the time that all the musicians are getting headaches with countless hours of trying to get a bassline to sound right (and that's more a sound-technical than a musical art I think, since there are Tracks of great musicians whose basslines are beautiful but sound not very professional, and perfectly full and rolling basslines in crystal-clear productions which do not make much sense in a musical way..), they could be writing some magnificent songs which can make us all smile, grin, stomp, jump around and scream on the dancefloor..
So here's the way I did it.. It's still far away from an Astrix, Domestic, X-Noize or so pro-sound, but I think it's quite a good start..
I'll describe more or less exactly how I made the bassline in the following Track (which you can download here, for the next 7 days):
http://download.yousendit.com/F446D5A7043EDCD6
Remember: I don't want to explain the musical background, so I won't explain how to make melodies (that's really up to the individual musician), just how I got it to sound the way it sounds.
I used VB1; "Synthi Bass" preset.
Each bass-note is 3/64 long (you can simply draw them in 1/16 length and then shorten them by 1/64).
There is no bass sound on the kick, so its K-B-B-B-K-B-B-B (K=Kick, B=Bass).
Play with the Velocity to your liking (but do it!!)
Put the melody to your liking (that's really a matter of being a musician, and I simply want to provide the "sound-design clues" in here, you still have to write your songs yourself ;-))
On my Kick, I used an EQ and added a bit around 55 and 88 Hz, and reduced a bit around 2400 Hz.. Depends on how your initial kick is and how you want it to sound (it also has to fit the sound of the bass) - Best would be to have the perfect Kick which needs no further processing (if someone got that magical Kick, please share it with me! *smile*).
I used a Side Chain Effect (you'll find lots of freeware that do that, just check kvr-vst.com or so..) between kick and bass (the signal was sent from the Kick and the Bass reacted on it). I used a 16.0:1 ratio, 500 ms Release (!! I know !! But somehow it worked..) and just very slightly adjusted the threshold.
On the Bass I used an 8-Band EQ (which goes from -20 to +20) as follows:
-20 at 16Hz
-4.0 at 18Hz
-0.8 at 60Hz
-0.2 at 77Hz
+0.4 at 260Hz
-3.1 at 518Hz
+2.2 at 1360Hz
-20 at 1425Hz
The last one was a low-pass (I think that's the name, just the one that cuts all freq's higher than the chosen point..), the other ones were all the normal type.. (sorry, I'm not good with names and expressions and stuff).
Then I used a Limiter on the bass, just to get it louder (without it getting too close to the "red area").
I put the FX on the bass track in following sequence:
1. EQ
2. Side Chain Comp.
3. Limiter
Last, I opened a group and routed the bass- and the kick- track through that group. On the group track I put another Limiter, this time getting the threshold so low that it comes pretty close to the "red area", but still not into it (because I use a Limiter in mastering again). In addition, I EQed the group track as follows;
I added 2.0 at 2400 Hz (with the common Cubase EQ)
Well, that's the way I did it in this track. I hope it's useful for some of you. Let's make some music!
(and let's hear your songs!)
Best Regards,
Human
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http://myspace.com/djhuman
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Shaka_
Started Topics :
0
Posts :
5
Posted : Nov 11, 2006 05:55
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Im new on basslines so i suppose that this post goes in the beggining so...
Did some one has mencioned Superwave-pro?
Hydra from Synapse audio too ????
Best wishes thanks for all the posters and their infinity help , may the peace and love be with all of you ....
Keep on the most high brothers!!!!
People can fly in divine moments of truth |
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desp
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
27
Posted : Nov 13, 2006 07:46
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you cant make new style basslines with superwave pro, its osciliator is not good enought and the envelops are not fast enought.
with hydra its possible to make a good bassline.
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Freeflow
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
60
Posts :
3709
Posted : Nov 13, 2006 19:38
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desp - thats not true at all...
i have made very nice basses with Superwave pro...
i like it.. you just have to twist and turn the knobs..
of course its not a top class quality synth but it does a good job anyway... thats my opinion..
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orange
Fat Data
Started Topics :
154
Posts :
3918
Posted : Nov 14, 2006 00:58
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kajola
Kajola
Started Topics :
74
Posts :
498
Posted : Nov 14, 2006 16:10
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i think its verry important that the kick and bass is in the same key!
also a good think is when you create a bass (you can use almost any hard or software for it) you should bounce it to audio, and than you can cut into small pieces and you can change verry good the length and the fade out of each bass..
only antother way to do it..
http://www.facebook.com/djkajola |
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Blizzard
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
46
Posted : Nov 14, 2006 19:05
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Coming from a drum n bass background i tend to have pretty subby basslines, there is just as much lowend energy in my basslines as in the kick.
How does this work on the dancefloor? most of the trance tunes i've listened to have more lowend energy in the kick. Is this something that works better for the dancefloor?
Maybe i should hipass/lowshelf my basslines a bit to let the kick have more impact?
just wondering what experience you guys have! |
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Cannabis
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
246
Posted : Nov 14, 2006 20:15
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Well you can modify the bass freq according to your kick and taste.
There are no limits.
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Cannabis
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
246
Posted : Nov 14, 2006 20:16
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Another option would be to record a bass guitar or celo , then process it 
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:smoke2:
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
150
Posted : Nov 15, 2006 08:17
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too many subs (like dnb) wont work good for fast rolling psy basslines i think , and yes the kickdrum has to stand out more than the bass in psytrance for sure , thats a bit of a rule of thumb , but hey .. if it works good for u .. why not i think thjough everybody highpasses the kickdrum a little lower than bass ..
kick - 60
bass - 80
for example , but depends on the kick sample and what bass ur using of course .
heres a bass tip , dunno if someone mentioned but the synapse hydra !! unbelivable fat punchy bassline machine that .. try this .. take preset `saw bass 1` , and kill the onboard fx , chorus , delay etc so u have just 1 saw waveform playing .. and now play with the envelopes , kill attack .. and tweak till u get it sounding like u want , its a great bass !! try it ..
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orange
Fat Data
Started Topics :
154
Posts :
3918
Posted : Nov 15, 2006 16:12
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Shaka_
Started Topics :
0
Posts :
5
Posted : Nov 16, 2006 01:07
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Thanks Desp!! your replie was for me a help
as i said, im a newbie
Freeflow , i think you get more defined and good basslines than I
I have a long time hearing to Psychedellic trance, and i think that there are too many basslines tastes as people, and i belive that it is a very good chance to our loved music, to continue evolving trough the time
So if you ask me, i love a rolling bassline with a strong character, that keeps my self focus in the act of dance and with all the rest of elements in that beautiful landscape that is music.
I belive that we could describe the experience of the bassline in many ways, and if you remember to it, you will associate to many different thinks than others. beautiful isn!! ????
Keep the fire brothers!!!!!
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Psyfex
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
23
Posted : Nov 18, 2006 04:45
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Lol yeah basslines are such a subjective and personal thing...
I personally like to start off with a fairly sedate, staccato bassline and then move into a nice rolling bassline with lots of minor 7th and octave interval leaps! 
Also i tend sometimes to turn off quantize snap in my sequencer and then move the whole bassline just a tiny tiny tiny bit backwards off the beginning of the bar. This gives it a funkier, more human feel while not being too loose as to be distracting. It has the side effect of making the drum section drive the groove a bit more. Remember im talking miniscule adjustments though!
I'm a funk/slap bass guitarist, which is one reason why i like just a little bit of groove in otherwise rigid trance basslines!
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Psyfex
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
23
Posted : Nov 18, 2006 04:48
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Quote:
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On 2006-11-15 08:17,  wrote:
too many subs (like dnb) wont work good for fast rolling psy basslines i think , and yes the kickdrum has to stand out more than the bass in psytrance for sure , thats a bit of a rule of thumb
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True that man! |
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