Forums - Music techology
Subject: Types of useful bass synthesis
Original Message Date: 28-Jul-98 @ 09:25 AM - Types of useful bass synthesis
So, for bass, I have the following options: use the an1x, use my wavestation, use something like rebirth or vaz (no, don't laugh, rebirth can make a well-repspectable bass), sample a sine/pulse wave and mess with it (bearing in mind that the pinnacle is far from a fully-functional sampler so that that's not really an option until i get my a3000) or (hurrah) use general midi.
So my question is, for that deep jungle or ringing garage bass, can i get away with what I have. The AN1x does do some nice bassy sounds but they all sound a bit weak somehow - could it possibly be because the bass sound I'm looking for is FM-style??? (the an1x had only two fm operators). Would i benefit from buying a dx-synth? Bearing in mind that i am only just starting to program the an1x and therefore could *well* be understating the power of it...
So any tips? general hints on getting good clear bass would be appreciated greatly, as would any suggestions of gear to look out for. thanks
will
Message 11/21 03-Aug-98 @ 09:13 AM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
no, you're right, its pretty pathetic. but i found out one of the problems with what i was doing - the speakers that i was using before had really limited low end - i put some tracks that i'd done on them through several systems and there were some tracks that just had too much bass that i couldn't even hear on those speakers.
and the an1x can do the bass now that i've got the speakers that show me the low end. but i still might buy an fm synth anyway for the variation...
Message 12/21 03-Aug-98 @ 04:12 PM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
Message 13/21 03-Aug-98 @ 08:16 PM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
glad you got some better speakers...good luck!
(now i've only got a way to replace my 30W hifi speakers...my dad has some NNIIICCEE 100W Electovoice jobs that totally fucking rock and he never uses them, but i can't even borrow 'em...FUCK. can i pull a Lyle menendez on that guy? he he...)
Message 14/21 04-Aug-98 @ 09:20 AM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
i'm praying that the setup stays the same - this is the major problem i've been having with finishing tracks is that everytime i went back to the studio i'd have to rearange the wiring and the mixer and stuff - or take the pc apart, or relocate the speakers. but now its all good.
i don't think i even need sub-bass anymore - bass guitar sounds wicked - i was doing this dirty scratchy dub bass line and stuck it under a 160-ish breakbeat and - my god - it just sounded so natural. why didn't someone tell me about real bass before???? (and buggo mate, i tried sticking it through a distortion pedal and it just bit through the air - i think i got a bit carried away though because i tried kilo's delay-trick with the decreasing delay times to get the feedback loop a-la-norman-cook-thread and it just kinda went boom an dthen crackled....)
Message 15/21 04-Aug-98 @ 01:18 PM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
sample synths are generally out for LO bass.... the samples crack up lower down... FM & analog are thr rulers... but sub-bass wont really show up on small home studio speakers.... IF you want to hear any sub-bass that may be present.... go and stand with your head in the corner of the room, where the two wall meet....and lean your head into the corner touching the walls..... that is where you will hear the lo end of what you are doing... but it may not be apparent in the center of the mix where you monitor when mixing/working... try it.....
thing is... mixers shelve off the bass control at about 80 hz.... so if you just add bass with the bass control, you will be boosting the lower and mid bass too and the result will be booming bass -end... nasty..... sub-bass is present most of the time, as the bass shelves off the bottom end.... it is simply that you cant hear it with normal speakers in the normal seating position for mixing...
Message 16/21 04-Aug-98 @ 01:33 PM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
kilo, if i was to spend 300-500 pounds on a power amp and speakers for monitoring (as when i go back to manchester i won't have the use of my current speakers), what would you recommend? second hand? new? i've had a quick look through your monitor section in the site - i was just wondering if you have anything to add to that now? anyway, thanks for the tips...
Message 17/21 04-Aug-98 @ 02:16 PM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
-C
Message 18/21 05-Aug-98 @ 03:14 AM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
Ok... you can do all that with a aptchbay & a power amp but it is tedius,.....
So..... NAD amps... if you can get an old 3020 the straight first model 3020 with no other suffixes is the nutz..... when it came out it was rated by hi-fi mags as better than most amps up to 5 or 6 times the price !!!.... yamaha realistic sound amps are cool too...Technics SUV amps are pokey....Older Sansui amps are the nuts too...... if you want power amp, and old s/h Quad is good.... all of them have very low harmonic distortion figures..... just check they are ok, and the power supply doesnt hum like fuck, cos that is very irritating when alone and working and it is quiet....
speakers... shit...er...... NS10's are easy to come by, I personaly don't like 'em, but.. alot of A&R people use 'em...... check the new ranges from the Big music companies like Alesis , Soundcraft , Tannoy etc..... or find a pair of good british bookshelf units....old A&R A38's are WELL sought after.... or (drool) a pair of old Dual-Concentric Tannoys ...although they will be out of budget.....I hate JBL's, don't ask me why, although the bigger bookshelf size ones are ok.............. I dunno, there is SO much choice... in the end, you will still have to set them up right (the distance from the rear wall behind the speaker is important for it's bottom end response....), good thick cable (mains house cable is good it is cheap and all copper and thick....).. make sure they are in-phase.... and get used to the room.....
see... this is where all this shite speaker nmanufacturers talk is visible.... go to a speaker section in a synth/studio shop... with a set-up where they can switch between speakers.... notice anything???...... absolutely !!... every pair sounds totally different !!!... NOW.... they ALL claim to be accurate & with no colouration, studio quality etc blah blah etc...... HA!!... if that was the case, they would all sound the fucking same surely !?!!...... it's all a bunch of cobblers..... cos no two people have the same frequency response to their hearing anyway....
Message 19/21 05-Aug-98 @ 05:41 AM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
Yeh i really like bass with distortion...and I got a compressor pedal in the mail to me, so something new to add to my chain!! he he...maybe it'll help.
One question for whoever...I have an old 6-channel powered mixer that sucks ass and I guess it has what you'd call low headroom...that is whenever I turn the input gain up (in effect running a hotter signal in from the get-go) I get distortion, even at fairly low levels...this is great but it's the wrong type of distortion, plus i get it when i don't want it! If i want distortion i usually use fuzz...overdriven distortion is often really messy....anything I can do until I can afford a new mixer (lookin at the 1404vlz) to help my mixer do a little better with this?
Message 20/21 05-Aug-98 @ 08:47 AM - RE: Types of useful bass synthesis
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