Dubstepforum.com

I am finding, even as I get better at designing sounds, that I have a hard time piecing them into a coherent section. The main technique I've been using is something I picked up from watching Mr. Bill, where I will take a sound I've designed and hit the record button while playing a single note (usually a C) and tweaking key parameters out as I hold the note. I then end up with a bunch of audio clips of bass modulation which I cut and warp into what I want. I usually like to use several bass parts because I like the variety in genres such as "Complextro" However, I feel like the two songs I've produced so far came down to blind luck and several days of tinkering and getting nowhere before I finally came up with a decent bass drop. My question is, what sort of techniques do you guys implement when writing your bass lines? I find it's often the hardest part for me when arranging a piece and I often spend days trying to put it together, sometimes scrapping it all in the end. Where do you start?

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this for me and others who may be struggling in this area.

I come to this same problem a lot but I've found some way to mitigate it.

-Try writing a bassline first, like take a sub and write a nice sounding rhythm. If you can get that sounding good, you just sort of put the midrange parts over it. some luck involved, but usually if the sub bassline sounds nice, the midrange on top will also sound nice.
-Said you were already doing it, but using a couple patches that are well modulated and can morph into a lot of different sounds can make it easier to piece together
-Process with similar fx, compress all mid bass relatively the same, use similar reverb/delays, and all that good stuff (think about it like, if you've got two foods that taste very different, dipping them in the same sauce will make them taste a bit more alike)

you should try and make sure that these new parts are harmonically relevant... like use some new notes in key to build a hook or melody of some sort so it becomes a phrase and not just a repetition with a different tone

Sinergy wrote:I come to this same problem a lot but I've found some way to mitigate it.

-Try writing a bassline first, like take a sub and write a nice sounding rhythm. If you can get that sounding good, you just sort of put the midrange parts over it. some luck involved, but usually if the sub bassline sounds nice, the midrange on top will also sound nice.
-Said you were already doing it, but using a couple patches that are well modulated and can morph into a lot of different sounds can make it easier to piece together
-Process with similar fx, compress all mid bass relatively the same, use similar reverb/delays, and all that good stuff (think about it like, if you've got two foods that taste very different, dipping them in the same sauce will make them taste a bit more alike)

Interesting, I usually do my sub bass last, however I also run into problems doing that, so maybe I should write it first...Does your sub bass usually have the same notes as the melody or do you play the same notes as your bass?

Nevs wrote:

Sinergy wrote:I come to this same problem a lot but I've found some way to mitigate it.

-Try writing a bassline first, like take a sub and write a nice sounding rhythm. If you can get that sounding good, you just sort of put the midrange parts over it. some luck involved, but usually if the sub bassline sounds nice, the midrange on top will also sound nice.
-Said you were already doing it, but using a couple patches that are well modulated and can morph into a lot of different sounds can make it easier to piece together
-Process with similar fx, compress all mid bass relatively the same, use similar reverb/delays, and all that good stuff (think about it like, if you've got two foods that taste very different, dipping them in the same sauce will make them taste a bit more alike)

Interesting, I usually do my sub bass last, however I also run into problems doing that, so maybe I should write it first...Does your sub bass usually have the same notes as the melody or do you play the same notes as your bass?

Same notes different rhythm

Brothulhu wrote:

Nevs wrote:

Sinergy wrote:]Interesting, I usually do my sub bass last, however I also run into problems doing that, so maybe I should write it first...Does your sub bass usually have the same notes as the melody or do you play the same notes as your bass?

Same notes different rhythm

I do my sub bass last as-well. Normally I will create all my sounds first with the idea I have for the track. Then if I'm starting with the drop I will have the most basic Kick on 1 and Snare on 3 pattern. Then I will just start droping in notes over the different sound until I get the feel I have in my head. Normally once I get the first few bits of the phrase going I will just here the rest in my head. Some times I might have to make a new sound to fill in a gap or match my idea.

If I already have a intro, I like to complite the build up first like the track was finished. Then I will play the last few bars of the build up into the simple Kick Snare pattern and just try and here in my head what the first few notes should be. Then i'm good to go again. I find if you have a intro already and you just loop the drop you might find your intro dos'nt flow right into your drop.

I do it like this:

1. Beat (this gives me a general groove and energy)
2. Sub (this gives it some weight and movement)
3. Mids/Bass (this gives it something interesting)

I'll quite often make the mids similar or the same to the sub bassline.

I also really like the mids working with the main kicks, and snare. If I have any other intermittent kicks, then I like to have the modulations work with these hits.

If the OP is trying to get the complextro style of arrangement down, it takes legitimate practice. A good starting point is Ryan Enzed's videos on youtube. Dude has done 3 that I know of. All of which will cover what you're after...Some better than others, but yea man search MOAR

I think you literally get the hang of it eventually, the idea of arranging all the little bass sounds together used to baffle me but it just clicks at some point

Start with a basic bassline and a drum pattern with a kick on 1 and a snare on 3. you can switch up things later to match your drum pattern to your bassline.
I wouldn't start with your sub (after drums) as some people suggested in this thread. at least a sub for me is a sinewave around 40-x hz and is hardly audible. yeah, well... it's not hardly audible but a saw with all those harmonics is easier to identify and a lot clearer. create a basic pattern with your saw bass and flip notes later on... a lot of it is trial and error....

manudiao wrote:Start with a basic bassline and a drum pattern with a kick on 1 and a snare on 3. you can switch up things later to match your drum pattern to your bassline.
I wouldn't start with your sub (after drums) as some people suggested in this thread. at least a sub for me is a sinewave around 40-x hz and is hardly audible. yeah, well... it's not hardly audible but a saw with all those harmonics is easier to identify and a lot clearer. create a basic pattern with your saw bass and flip notes later on... a lot of it is trial and error....

You're meant to feel the sub not hear it

manudiao wrote:Start with a basic bassline and a drum pattern with a kick on 1 and a snare on 3. you can switch up things later to match your drum pattern to your bassline.
I wouldn't start with your sub (after drums) as some people suggested in this thread. at least a sub for me is a sinewave around 40-x hz and is hardly audible. yeah, well... it's not hardly audible but a saw with all those harmonics is easier to identify and a lot clearer. create a basic pattern with your saw bass and flip notes later on... a lot of it is trial and error....

Get a subwoofer mate

Dubstep is all about those subliminal frequencies - unless you're creating that whack subgenre called Brostep. Hence, getting the sub right early (imho) - is super important. That's harder to do when you're distracted by mids and bass processing.

oh yeah, wait. I forgot that it's impossible to layer and transpose things in octaves. you can't tell me that it's easier to identify low frequency content then having harmonics and even a higher pitch :p you're still able to copy that bassline, change wavetables and transpose afterwards

I just think it's easier to get your sub bass right when that's the only thing you're focused on - in addition, most of my stuff sits very low in the spectrum in general (some people call it deep, lol) - hence the sub having a pretty heavy focus.