Sub bass

[Sliverdub]

When layering in a sub bass apart from using this as a creative effect and during break downs is there any other reason you should leave a bit out. What I mean is gaps. I have analysed about 5 tracks 3 brostep ones and 2 dubstep ones and apart from the reasons above there is always a sub present. Does that mean every sound needs a sub part?

Edit there.... I understand that things like Percussion and Sfx wouldn't have a sub, the real question is does every melodic part that's similar to you mid bass that play a separate section need one. Like I hear a lot of little piano riffs sliced into the bass and they all seem to have a sub following the notes two. Is this a kind of rule of thumb? Even tho it's not set in stone does it tend to be the norm?

[Today]

i don't necessarily do that, but it makes sense depending on how you write

[Eridu]

I`d say it depends on your arrangment. If you have it at every possible place in your track then you kind of lose on the impact/drop moment.

[CaseyVenn]

I agree with Eridu. There are often times when I'll pre-render some basses to slice up and sample and make a couple intentionally lighter on the sub bass. Just to give it a little more weight when the sub kicks in again. Honestly, I'd say trust your ears. Try making a track or two that has sub bass following everything, and then try making it without. See which one you like better. At the end of the day you've gotta be happy with the music you're making, right?

[Vizor]

The way I use and have always used sub bass is by copy and pasting my bassline and synth patterns or my "drop" patterns and pasting it into a midi or piano role of my sub bass and bringing it down to about -3 octaves. It isn't that hard dude, just eq your "drop" basslines to have a low cut meaning that the basses within your "drop" will blend together much better if they would by having different frequencies of bass with would be competing and squeezing each other into a little space where sub bass is found. This probably isn't the right way to do it and in no way do I make music professionally but it is the way I do it. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[mikeyp]

depends on what you want really.

doesn't matter as much when people are just listening to it in your own time, but it's different in songs that get played out.
let's say you've got a killer sub heavy drop and then a 32 bar breakdown with no sub there's a chance (and i say chance because it all depends on the tune and style of the set and all that) that the contrast between sub & no sub is so great it doesnt sound right. something i'm trying to start doing is using a sub in breaks but make it not as heavy or use some low end fx or just anything to fill it out a little bit but not make it as heavy. and i say this from my experience being in the crowd, it kinda sucks to hear something go from tons of bass to absolutely no low end for awhile

[Sliverdub]

Cheers for your answers guys, all makes a bit more sense now. It's like I sort of worked it out but wasn't 100% confident that I was right lol. I have heard in knife party - centerpede the sub only drops out when the note is an awkward note for eg where the notes sub would either be too low or too high. You can literally see it drop out on your analyser.

[Justin Bays]

I know the note you are talking about in centipede (the high one) and i'm pretty sure it just drops out as sort of a 'suspense' kind of thing for those 2 beats, and also the one beat with the 'centipede' vocal hook - just so when the sub comes back in it sounds heavier. It just comes down to the composition of your song. I think you are overthinking it... there is nothing wrong with having the subs drop out for a couple of beats somewhere in your drop - it's kind of like a breather and makes it heavier again when it comes in. I've heard tons of dubstep tunes that have the subs drop out for 4 beats in the 8th bar of every section of the drop.

[outdropt]

Usually ill drop it out in suspenseful moments like said above^..

I like to amplify natural sub bass in some samples in an intro/break down where your not using mid range/sub....

Like ill take impacts, split the frequencies, and amplify everything from 20-70hz 130-180hz, using corpus in Ableton does some crazy stuff to sub's if you know how to use it.

It makes a good effect going into a song and coming out of a drop.

[skimpi]

lol, you dont have to have fucking constant sub bass throughout the whole track, that would be shit. You know the best way to get a good rhythm is having the beat and bassline rhythm working with each other, not just having a 'sick beat' and constant sub.

[fragments]

You don't have to fill the whole frequency spectrum constantly. Let the track breath. Plus sub and bass frequencies ravenously eat headroom in the mix.

[SKIN E]

amplify everything from 20-70hz 130-180hz

Why would you do this?

[Gewze]

bass, pace and space

[13 AD]

Nice thread, I have a hard time finding a good bass for my songs in FL Studio. Not to derail the thread but,

Question: Are most guys out there just using OSC3X or Massive for bass creations? That's what I've been using.

[fragments]

Nice thread, I have a hard time finding a good bass for my songs in FL Studio. Not to derail the thread but,

Question: Are most guys out there just using OSC3X or Massive for bass creations? That's what I've been using.

For sub bass? Or in general? 3xOSC is all you need for sub. A single clean sine, properly mixed and arranged.

[outdropt]

Bass is as simple as a sine wave.. If your synth can't produce that... Its probably not a synth.

MAAAAAYYYYYBE dirty it up a bit with saturation, and try to make sure the levels are fairly consistent between notes.. Inevitably certain notes will be louder then others but try to compress to reduce the difference.

@skin e

Sarcasm? =P

If not, there is that cut there..... for the kick and snare depending on what im doing. But i am referring to atmospheric impacts that i would use in sections without bass/mid range playing... Just to give it that much more of a rumble and effect.

Corpus is golden for giving sub to things that otherwise, had little to no sub.... Set it to emulate a membrane ( ie drum). Then set the tune as low as possible, make sure the decay is not too long, and adjust the hit so L/R are equal..... Gives almost any sound a crazy sub presence.

[13 AD]

Yep for general bass, thanks.

What are people using for Sub Bass if you don't mind.

[ehbes]

bass, pace and space

Thanks joe

[outdropt]

Yep for general bass, thanks.

What are people using for Sub Bass if you don't mind.

That is for sub bass. ^^

[fragments]

3xOSC is all you need for sub. A single clean sine, properly mixed and arranged.