Distorting your sub bass?

[therapist]

If I'm after that I find sends are great. A tiny amount of send level (go crazy, bitcrusher/distortion/reverb/whatever and filter some of the actual sub out) can get really cool results that sound a bit more 'together' than higher ranged sounds layered over a sine wave.

It's an odd argument though, the more you do to it the less it stays an actual sub.

[rhek]

Yeah, not a good idea. Just have a Highpass version with some distortion on top of the clean sine.

[Traxione]

Never been much a fan of distorted sub bass... I feel like bass is about being smooth and feeling it in the mix around you, but I dunno about trying to fill sub bass with higher frequencies. I guess I just try to use the rest of the mix to fill those spaces.

[Debaser1]

sorry OP. Its all about, clean sub bass, and EQ

[mks]

I dunno, I was just creating some sub bass patches on my new computer digging in some of my old jungle subs folders from my akai. Fuck, I have to say that some of the best subs are def not just a simple sine.

[amphibian]

If I'm after that I find sends are great. A tiny amount of send level (go crazy, bitcrusher/distortion/reverb/whatever and filter some of the actual sub out) can get really cool results that sound a bit more 'together' than higher ranged sounds layered over a sine wave.

It's an odd argument though, the more you do to it the less it stays an actual sub.

I like this approach a lot. So much you can do if you send it to a buss and play with it separately.

[traffek]

If I'm after that I find sends are great. A tiny amount of send level (go crazy, bitcrusher/distortion/reverb/whatever and filter some of the actual sub out) can get really cool results that sound a bit more 'together' than higher ranged sounds layered over a sine wave.

It's an odd argument though, the more you do to it the less it stays an actual sub.

agree on this one too. i think sending out things to channels helps for so much.

with my sub, I have been more and more trying to get those low sounds. loefah kind of vibes. i roll of everything above 70 with my subs though too. so nothing competes with it. and i am typically doing like reso, and making a sub for every bass i create.

if i want a distorted type sound, id typically build it either a bit above the sub on its own channel and EQ it as its own. but i think the sends is a great idea i think too, cause you can keep your sub as one channel. and save that CPU. unfortunately my macbook freezes ALL the time. i need to figure out how to save CPU that is also my new mission.

[Debaser1]

i prefer it clean, just a pref. i like adding bits of reverb i must say. With the right verb, your sub almost twangs in the mix, its really weird, and subtle.

Ive always found that if you add grit to a sub then you lose that heavy bottom end you surely want to keep??

[deadly_habit]

I dunno, I was just creating some sub bass patches on my new computer digging in some of my old jungle subs folders from my akai. Fuck, I have to say that some of the best subs are def not just a simple sine.

oh indeed, but it depends on how you start

[amphibian]

Just wanted to add to this thread some findings I had last night while experimenting (as I thought this thread was really relative to what I've been doing lately):

1. Adding any kind of overdrive/saturation.etc. definitely destroys your bass power. I cannot claim for sure, as I don't understand the physics behind it - but whereas you want your sub mono, adding that distortion suddenly makes it a stereo sound. I did not monofy (lol) the sub again, so making it mono again may help this and help maintain its strength. That said however...
2. I sent the sub to a separate channel and overdrove/saturated the shit out of it, then took out anything below 105 hz (my sub was sitting around 90hz). I then created a tad amount of reverb on this and it gave the whole bass a very spacy feeling. However, I still felt like the sub lost some power to it, even though this was a cleaner solution.

Bear in mind that this was based on my monitors at home, others may get different results. I work on JBL 2300s, 2x 8" and 1 x 10" sub. Further experimentation I'd like to play with a sub another octave lower, so it's sitting around the 30-40hz range, pure bass

It's been an interesting test so far, as I've been wanting to make a track that is a pure sine, well on my way now - all thanks to this thread

[Kes-Es]

If you're really careful, distorting a solid sine will sap a little bass power, but create the illusion that it's hitting much harder.

[bigfootspartan]

sine wave by itself is just kinda boring, so i tried bitcrushing it a little bit and it became much less boring!

I used to think "pure sine wave, that's too easy, there's no way that's how you get a really heavy sub." But it actually is. If you listen to a pure sine vs a sine with harmonics, the sine will be more powerful at a set dB range than the sine with harmonics. Layer a midrange or a low midrange overtop to "make it interesting."

I'm no expert, I'm still trying to figure this out myself, but I think the secret to a crazy deep bass like Icicle or Mala is a mixture of a pure sine, with some finely EQ'd harmonics above the level of the sine (perhaps from 100-200 Hz). That's just a guess, but I've gotten half decent results so far.

[Ldizzy]

i honestly think some kind of sonic exciter or low freq enhencer does the trick a lot more then midrange type distortion...

i think stuff like rbass... that add harmonic content to bass thru cool algorythms.. but most of them arent free...

still pretty sure adding harmonics can help ur stuff gel together frequencywise..

[Traxione]

i honestly think some kind of sonic exciter or low freq enhencer does the trick a lot more then midrange type distortion...

i think stuff like rbass... that add harmonic content to bass thru cool algorythms.. but most of them arent free...

still pretty sure adding harmonics can help ur stuff gel together frequencywise..

If it's REESE bass we're talking about (I was not under the impression that we were) then I agree that it's all about movement within the sound. In that case, get your LFOs slightly modulating different parameters just to keep that harmonic content in a slightly "randomized" arrangement.

As far as sub bass, I keep mine a simple sine but compress it so it hits hard. I don't think you need much more than that. If there are holes in your mixdown in the mid-low range, you need to fill those elsewhere. I usually have a mid and mid/low end on my wobbles that fill all those extra spaces. BUT that's all my opinion. If something's got recognizably distorted bass... I'm the first to discount it as poor production.

[Astrobear]

Remember that distortion in its nature is going to either add harmonics or change the waveshape of the waveform. These harmonics are generally going to lie in the upper to mid range and take away from the actual Sub content. A little bit of this effect can make the bass sound rich, but all in moderation because if it is done too much then you will have effectively turned a sub bass into a midrange bass.

But as someone else mentioned, if it sounds good and it makes your song sound better then do it!

[-[2]DAY_-]

isn't making your sub more interesting, like the whole reason we make basses?

i rly wouldn't process a sub at all. bass, yes.

[tavravlavish]

I find when I have the default sine wave going in the exs24 I usually put the filter it and bump up the drive, seems to give the sub a good bit more phatness according to my ears.

[Skratch]

I'm defo a fan of layering other components into the SUB bass. I feel like I lose the SUB in the mix if I distort or layer to heavily though; just goes to show I need to practice up on EQ

Usually I can get a fat, I mean FAT sub bass in massive with just one sine and resonance, so the only time that I needed to work on my eq is when I need to lower the levels, even when the bass is pretty quiet. If I eq'd it into the sub bass range I think my head would explode

[Ldizzy]

i honestly think some kind of sonic exciter or low freq enhencer does the trick a lot more then midrange type distortion...

i think stuff like rbass... that add harmonic content to bass thru cool algorythms.. but most of them arent free...

still pretty sure adding harmonics can help ur stuff gel together frequencywise..

If it's REESE bass we're talking about (I was not under the impression that we were) then I agree that it's all about movement within the sound. In that case, get your LFOs slightly modulating different parameters just to keep that harmonic content in a slightly "randomized" arrangement.

As far as sub bass, I keep mine a simple sine but compress it so it hits hard. I don't think you need much more than that. If there are holes in your mixdown in the mid-low range, you need to fill those elsewhere. I usually have a mid and mid/low end on my wobbles that fill all those extra spaces. BUT that's all my opinion. If something's got recognizably distorted bass... I'm the first to discount it as poor production.

was this a reply to my reply??!?! cause i think u dont get me right here...

i was really talking about actual sub.

Usually I can get a fat, I mean FAT sub bass in massive with just one sine and resonance, so the only time that I needed to work on my eq is when I need to lower the levels, even when the bass is pretty quiet. If I eq'd it into the sub bass range I think my head would explode

am i being a dickwagg if i remind u that resonance setting on a filter is... eqing ??

Wasnt there somehting about dynamic eqing!? or am i opening pandoras box here? (i simply thing that if u want to eq something as simple as a sub.. instead of playing with mere amplitude settings, gotta do it so its actually worth the hassle)..

[Skratch]

Usually I can get a fat, I mean FAT sub bass in massive with just one sine and resonance, so the only time that I needed to work on my eq is when I need to lower the levels, even when the bass is pretty quiet. If I eq'd it into the sub bass range I think my head would explode


am i being a dickwagg if i remind u that resonance setting on a filter is... eqing ??

Wasnt there somehting about dynamic eqing!? or am i opening pandoras box here? (i simply thing that if u want to eq something as simple as a sub.. instead of playing with mere amplitude settings, gotta do it so its actually worth the hassle)..

Sorry, didn't know that I'm still learning!