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Hey guys, I just had a quick question about basslines. Whenever I write one, I find myself limited to the LFO sync rate on the synth I'm using or filter, etc. How does one go about getting an off timing rhythm with their wobbles, for example, here's a track I made,
Soundcloud
Everything about mine is too... predictable, when I want to know how you can get an off tempo kind of feel, like this

(At about 1 minute)
Is this just very skillfull resampling, or am I missing something completely with the way that LFO's work...?


(Edit: Wrong Song)

If you uncheck the 'sync to tempo' or similar function on the synth LFO you can manually adjust the rate and get out of time wobbles.

You can also heavily adjust the feel and timing of wobbles by adjusting the LFO waveform start point, Massive has a good graphical representation of this (see image below).

Often I put down some midi notes and repeat them over many bars, then simply record yourself automating the LFO rate (both in and out of sync with tempo function). When you listen back you no doubt find a few little gem sections where it sounds great. You can chop up each bar/beat/whatever of cool automation (wobble movements) and try it on other midi notes.

Obviously there's nothing stopping you recording a stack of other automated parameters like this and finding some genius little movements.

hope this helps!

Ahhhh, I hadn't even considered waveform startpoint! Thanks! Is it a standard feature on VST's to be able to change the startpoint? I have Massive, but I haven't seen (at least not as clearly) a way to change the waveform start on Alchemy or Albino...

I'm not sure about other synths as I've been trying to learn massive inside out before moving onto anything else. Sorry f this is obvious, but you actually hold and drag the waveform itself, the XFade is for morphing the waveforms together - it's cleaner using just one.

automate the crossfade between LFO waves, with one offset (experiment with placement) to achieve a swinging wobble

you can also experiment with simply syncopating the MIDI note placement -- with rates like 3/16, 1/12

-[2]DAY_- wrote:automate the crossfade between LFO waves, with one offset (experiment with placement) to achieve a swinging wobble

you can also experiment with simply syncopating the MIDI note placement -- with rates like 3/16, 1/12

Could you elaborate on that please?
Automate, as in, literally bouncing the Xfade back and forth?

yeah what u wanna do for the swinging wobble in Massive is link LFO6 (square wave) to the Xfade on LFO5, and set 6's rate to half 5's rate. Make sure LFO6 is only the one wave (no xfade), and that its envelope is zero attack, full decay. That way the square wave should shuffle LFO5's waveform between the two, and you can offset one or the other to achieve a shuffley rhythm

i got that from someone's tutorial, to give them credit, although i have no idea whose or when or where to find it, apologies. But it takes some tinkering with the LFO's to get your shuffle to bounce the way you want. It does work though.

You could write the bassline by hand? I know that seems obvious, but draw the notes where you want them on piano roll. Use arpeggiators maybe?

or you can just draw in the cutoff automation..
you'll have a lot more control and freedom.. will take some time, but if you're using the same sound + same motifs then you should be able to draw up a couple 8-16 bar loops, then chop them up and experiment.

-[2]DAY_- wrote:yeah what u wanna do for the swinging wobble in Massive is link LFO6 (square wave) to the Xfade on LFO5, and set 6's rate to half 5's rate. Make sure LFO6 is only the one wave (no xfade), and that its envelope is zero attack, full decay. That way the square wave should shuffle LFO5's waveform between the two, and you can offset one or the other to achieve a shuffley rhythm

I gotta say, I love Massive for the graphical routing of LFOs and envelopes - makes a lot of sense.

so many ways to do it.... thankfully thats why our tunes don't all sound the same!
so... go at it from your own angle and make it funky

check this tutorial

http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=166707

that's the one, thanks

-[2]DAY_- wrote:that's the one, thanks

didn't even see your post, haha. great minds think alike (and read too many threads? )