Bassline composure

sixteen · Post by **sixteen** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 11:28 pm

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

As my current method of throwing in keys on the piano roll is very limited towards bassline movement.

I have a sneaking suspision im missingout by not using pitch and release.

thump rat · Post by **thump rat** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:46 am

Try modulation. Assign LFO's or Envelopes to different parametres for instance pitch or filters. Just play around.

futures_untold · Post by **futures_untold** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:32 pm

One could copy the synth over a couple of times, then change thing's like the filter type (Comb and BR/Notch always work wonders), or cent (pitch detune). Next, play your part once with one synth, then play your part again with a slightly changed copy of the first synth etc etc...

As mentioned above, make use of LFO's and envelopes tied to everything you can tie it to (filter freq, filter res, pitch, pan, volume, pulse width modulation amount, wavetable position, distortion amount, fx dry/wet amount etc)

Use automation within the sequencer to change things as and when you need the change. This works better than an lfo sometimes, as lfo's generally cycle & repeat.

Try building your drums around the bass instead of the bass around the drums, that way, you won't be so stuck in 4x4 140bpm syndrome..!! (not that you necessarily are... I'm jumping to conclusions..)

Replace part of the bass with a sound effect or synth/instrument, and layer a sub underneath (like a low sine wave). This will add interest for listeners who will automatically fill in the bass for you. (Remember Craig David Bo selecta... Boing!)

Listen to your favourite tracks, and try to figure out each seperate element in the track that you can hear. Ie Kick, snare, hihats. Shaker, weird effect 1, weird effect 2, Bass tone 1, bass tone 2, bass wobble drop, long ambient pad sound, voice sample fx - echo's, reverbs, phasers/choruses/flangers etc etc........

try making music that doesn't involve basslines! Switch it up for a bit and make a piano piece....

or something

vonboyage · Post by **vonboyage** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:23 pm

Some good advice there.

I would say, be creative...

.. but i guess your making music.. thats creative enough.

MARCHMELLOW · Post by **MARCHMELLOW** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:45 pm

if your not very musically gifted, why not try and come up with a bassline, then work your piano parts around this, rather then the other way round.

dubstep is very bass and drum orientated so my advice would be to concentrate on these before 'piano rolls' etc...

the latest Headhunter EP is an amazing example of this method, the bass and the drums really stand out in my opninon, but all the other parts are vital in keeping the listener interested and 'glueing' the track together.

konkanok · Post by **konkanok** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:10 pm

composition*

sixteen · Post by **sixteen** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 3:10 am

ah thansk for the many advice.

as the ones more into lfos, envelopes, are da ones that are tricky to me. becuz i havent been producing long, and am still kinda new.

i guess ill try and find tings out myself.
i mean ive been doing it this way since istarted.

Like i prettymuch straight downloaded fruity one day and ive been crackin at it ever since. Picking up some musical definitions and equations along the way. so the whole envelopes, pitch filters, etc. ares till very new to me.

I mean hECK sine waves and saw waves, etc. are sometin I learned through production. So pretty much I knew nothing about sound so yeah, all is pretty difficult but its aprogram..itell myself..

habitualbeatscamp · Post by **habitualbeatscamp** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:12 am

sixteen wrote:ah thansk for the many advice.

as the ones more into lfos, envelopes, are da ones that are tricky to me. becuz i havent been producing long, and am still kinda new.

i guess ill try and find tings out myself.
i mean ive been doing it this way since istarted.

Like i prettymuch straight downloaded fruity one day and ive been crackin at it ever since. Picking up some musical definitions and equations along the way. so the whole envelopes, pitch filters, etc. ares till very new to me.

I mean hECK sine waves and saw waves, etc. are sometin I learned through production. So pretty much I knew nothing about sound so yeah, all is pretty difficult but its aprogram..itell myself..

If you keep cracking at it, you will totally learn more and write better stuff. I new next to nothing a year ago.

Bassline composure

Bassline composure

Who is online