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Noob here, I have to say there is a lot of awesome knowledge on this site. Anyways, I was wondering how you guys produce your bass lines? I have seen several different approaches, like resampling and playing on a drum machines to automation lines in your daw. Just trying out different methods, I have not made anything good yet and honestly my creativity is stifled mostly because of my noobness. Thanks guys

Start with good sound design, you better don't mix mixing and sound design when writing a bass line. The more automation and morphing your sound has the Less you have to worry about musical scales. Anyway depends on the genre you are making, Maybe give us some hints ty.

I just play them on a keyboard and then move it around on the grid If I'm not that happy with the result, for my sub I usually use a sine sample from an old analogue synth and lowpass it abit. They just sound fatter than a sine in a vst or other plug in. ( one eception is the basic analog wavetable(set wt position to 0) in Thor on reason which is also pretty fat)

Ok then, sub lines are quite simple. examples are better than a thousand words. Take some headphones Low pass your favorite tracks at 50hz 24 Db per octave and just listen to the volume and the Pitch. You'll suddenly notice all Those changes in Pitch and the notes played.
Have fun.

If it's a Sine Anyway it doesn't need Low pass

I see you are more interested in deep stuff than bro right?

make a patch i like
set to record
jam in a few notes
record a few takes
find one i like
adjust or quantize (slightly) any errant notes

duplicate patch channel
adjust patch slightly and eq differently
copy pattern and adjust slightly to create layer

send both channels to bus
apply small amount of compression to bring together if required

My bad I didn't mention I was talking about dubstep bass, I love datsik and excision style bass. Is it better to resample and adjust, and keep resampling wubs or do people just chain busses and use automation lines now? Or both?

Kill_kill_kill wrote:My bad I didn't mention I was talking about dubstep bass, I love datsik and excision style bass. Is it better to resample and adjust, and keep resampling wubs or do people just chain busses and use automation lines now? Or both?

Well, resampling is a good way to achieve Those basses. It's better to automate 4 or 5 parameters at time bounce and repeat. With long chains it's Very Easy to get lost.
Don't forget to use volume automation too.

Hashkey wrote: If it's a Sine Anyway it doesn't need Low pass

Not true, only true if the sine used is a pure sine like from a signal generator, the ones I use have added harmonics. Also the lowpas removes any clicks AMD pops from zero crossing fuck ups and any other shit

Samuel_L_Damnson wrote:

Hashkey wrote: If it's a Sine Anyway it doesn't need Low pass

Not true, only true if the sine used is a pure sine like from a signal generator, the ones I use have added harmonics. Also the lowpas removes any clicks AMD pops from zero crossing fuck ups and any other shit

But if you take out Those VA analog harmonics I don't see the point. Clicks and pops can be taken out with proper adsr in sampler.

Make a sound I like then work out a rhythm that will fit it. I've got no keyboard so I have to guess, quite annoying

test_recordings wrote:Make a sound I like then work out a rhythm that will fit it. I've got no keyboard so I have to guess, quite annoying

Try this instead: Create a great drum part and THEN create your killer sound to fit the drums.

killabytez wrote:Create a great drum part and THEN create your killer sound to fit the drums.

terrible way of working imo

start with the drums and youll be forever trying to fit in the melodic elements around the drums

whereas imo its better to do the organic bits first

and then they dictate to you where the drums should go to complement it

Hashkey wrote:

Samuel_L_Damnson wrote:

Hashkey wrote: If it's a Sine Anyway it doesn't need Low pass

Not true, only true if the sine used is a pure sine like from a signal generator, the ones I use have added harmonics. Also the lowpas removes any clicks AMD pops from zero crossing fuck ups and any other shit

But if you take out Those VA analog harmonics I don't see the point. Clicks and pops can be taken out with proper adsr in sampler.

I only lowpass down to a certain degree, u don't have to lowpass it right down. Also try it, I garuntre it doesn't sound the same as a pure sine.

soronery wrote:

killabytez wrote:Create a great drum part and THEN create your killer sound to fit the drums.

terrible way of working imo

start with the drums and youll be forever trying to fit in the melodic elements around the drums

whereas imo its better to do the organic bits first

and then they dictate to you where the drums should go to complement it

I actually do what killabytez said, works for me. I prefer more rhythm-driven tracks myself, look at loads of jungle and DMZ stuff and they are moving the bass and drums in polyrhythms

Hashkey wrote:Start with good sound design, you better don't mix mixing and sound design when writing a bass line. The more automation and morphing your sound has the Less you have to worry about musical scales. Anyway depends on the genre you are making, Maybe give us some hints ty.

Yeah I'm usually using just an EQ and some distortion but automate the hell outta them to give them some life.

arpeggiator automation

Samuel_L_Damnson wrote:

Hashkey wrote:

Samuel_L_Damnson wrote:

Hashkey wrote: If it's a Sine Anyway it doesn't need Low pass

Not true, only true if the sine used is a pure sine like from a signal generator, the ones I use have added harmonics. Also the lowpas removes any clicks AMD pops from zero crossing fuck ups and any other shit

But if you take out Those VA analog harmonics I don't see the point. Clicks and pops can be taken out with proper adsr in sampler.

I only lowpass down to a certain degree, u don't have to lowpass it right down. Also try it, I garuntre it doesn't sound the same as a pure sine.

Yeah this. Look at the low passed analogue sine in an oscilloscope and it's got a very vague square element to it.

@ op. You might want to check out the Neurohop forums, they're big on bass over there. Not saying it isn't here of-c, just that there's a really good resource over there too. Also seconding what other people have said. You need good sound design skills which takes a hell of a lot of practice. you need to develop you ear and learn your tools and you'll eventually learn how to approach the kind of sound you have in your head. I know that sounds really vague but it's the only way you can put it really. You get to a point you hear a sound and you can 'hear' the most likely way it's been made. You'll hear things like EQ peaks, filter sweeps, how it's had compression applied, distortion, comb filtering, Chorus automation, short delays. whether it's been built off a simple or complex wave, whether it's been cut from foley and processed through granular synthesis e.t.c. All these things have pretty distinct sounds. So after a while and enough experimenting and listening to your results you'll begin hearing the same in the bases you hear in other tracks and go "ok, so let me try that by doing 'this this and this' and you'll slowly get more of a grasp on it as time goes on.

So much of it is about getting an interesting timbre before you've even done any processing. the way you do this are a multitude of options. Keep researching and practicing, it comes with time. I'd say I use every aproach at one time or another, it depends on the kind of sound you're going for. For example, granular bass sounds more 'future-techy' and Neurohoppy. Simple waveform based bass is your more traditional wobby/reece stuff. Complex waves are your bro step territory e.t.c.

soronery wrote:

killabytez wrote:Create a great drum part and THEN create your killer sound to fit the drums.

terrible way of working imo

start with the drums and youll be forever trying to fit in the melodic elements around the drums

whereas imo its better to do the organic bits first

and then they dictate to you where the drums should go to complement it

i know you're just voicing your opinion, but imo telling someone that starting with drums is a terrible way to work is a bit....perplexing to me. maybe you're not terribly great or comfortable starting with drums, but i've known plenty of producers that prefer to start out this way. nothing terrible about it all.

that's why I added imo on the end

to indicate its my opinion and not an actual rule

I always start with drums. Riddim is the foundation yout.