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Hey all, just wondering if any of you reason users could give a few hints on beefing up your bass. i love the sounds i've been getting recently, they just sound a bit flat (2d)...

The parametric EQ can be pretty good, as can the maximiser. Most of the MClass mastering units are pretty good to be honest.

slam a scream 4 on it

make another malstrom with just a pure sin and try the same settings so it gives some body... you dont only layer drums... mostly you also layer basslines or instruments so everything will sound thick.
Compress it a bit not that massive so it blend a bit. try Q'ing it (Q.. not EQ)
bit mbcompression etc.....

itll sound fat !

using CV and Gate add a subtractor using a very finely filter sqaure wave, so you have prescence but not harshness and blend it in detuned.

even simpler-- low pass frequency down, resonance up.

layering a sine under your existing bassline will make it beefier.

sine for OOOOOOMPH, other bass for 'character'

high pass 'character' bass, low pass sine wave.

I'm gonna have to take one foot off the whole put a sine wave under everything bandwagon. you can get pretty thick bass sounds with more complex waves, try combining waveforms in subtractor til you get what you're looking for. sorry could not be more helpful but there's no magic bullet when it comes to synthesis. I find that bass sounds cleaner if you start out making a good patch rather than try and fix it in post with compression and distortion.

dubbeldutch wrote:I'm gonna have to take one foot off the whole put a sine wave under everything bandwagon. you can get pretty thick bass sounds with more complex waves, try combining waveforms in subtractor til you get what you're looking for. sorry could not be more helpful but there's no magic bullet when it comes to synthesis. I find that bass sounds cleaner if you start out making a good patch rather than try and fix it in post with compression and distortion.

I agree with the not just putting a sine under theory.

I rarely use Sines ever in synthesis, its all about using harsher sounds filtered, holds much more weight standardly

if it wasnt said, mimic your track and make one only low frequencies and the other only high.. find a good crossover depending on your sound and then mix the two sepatetly in to taste

grime suspect wrote:slam a scream 4 on it

exactly that.

Fused Forces wrote:

grime suspect wrote:slam a scream 4 on it

exactly that.

slam a fun but particular un classy sounding distortion on it?

dunno if that's really the best answer

if you wanna distort the thing, atleast get yourself a copy of Vintage Warmer or the free VST Camel Crusher

Joe C wrote:if you wanna distort the thing, atleast get yourself a copy of Vintage Warmer or the free VST Camel Crusher

but first get a DAW that loads vst and then figure out how that confounded rewire function works!

hassle much?

dubbeldutch wrote:

Joe C wrote:if you wanna distort the thing, atleast get yourself a copy of Vintage Warmer or the free VST Camel Crusher

but first get a DAW that loads vst and then figure out how that confounded rewire function works!

hassle much?

if learning how to open the daw before reason is too much of a hassle for anyone... then yeah dont bother

use thor its better than malstrom and subtractor anyway, u have way more control and u can actually see whats going on properly.
I really can't stress this enough, some of the bass patches ive been producing have been seriously heavy and sharp.
For example, try running 2 sine waves at 2 and 3 octave, then a sawtooth at 2/3rd octave, depending on preference. Run all three through each of the three filters, at different octave per decibel cutoffs.
then try routing some FM from one oscillator to another, (or through an lfo), run the whole thing through mclass equaliser taking out the kick bass and mid bass, then run through a scream distortion (tube is very nice for basses). If u then automate frequency through cutoff and and lfo rate, u will get some very growly basses.

NoSpin wrote:

dubbeldutch wrote:

Joe C wrote:if you wanna distort the thing, atleast get yourself a copy of Vintage Warmer or the free VST Camel Crusher

but first get a DAW that loads vst and then figure out how that confounded rewire function works!

hassle much?

if learning how to open the daw before reason is too much of a hassle for anyone... then yeah dont bother

i lold.



tbh Reaper is theoritically free, and just running Reason thru it will make it sound better

erm... If you're just using reason and don't have 4 yet, then resampling is a good option, running a scream unit on an aux on the mixer and dialling in just a little enhancement stops your bass patch losing all definition, there is a very good preset on the scream 4 for sub bass enhancement..., set up, record an octave from c2-c3, bit of editing, there you go. Mclass stuff can help immensely.
would recommend rewiring if you have VSTs tho'....

Joe C wrote:

Fused Forces wrote:

grime suspect wrote:slam a scream 4 on it

exactly that.

slam a fun but particular un classy sounding distortion on it?

dunno if that's really the best answer

if you wanna distort the thing, atleast get yourself a copy of Vintage Warmer or the free VST Camel Crusher

Using the tape setting on the scream 4 adds alot more weight than it does distortion.

Take all your low end from the actual bass, and add a sub and put a bit of high end on it. Reverbs can help if you use them well also.

from my experience the 2d quality is from a stagnant waveform. so it's repititious, uncomplicated. if you watch it in an oscilliscope you may see that it's inorganic - very repetitive. you might see some changes to the waveform and dynamics due to whatever filtering is in place but it's obviously inorganic.

if you can apply parallel filtering you'll instantly see a mad increase in the complexity of your sound. keep running it through processing.
filter->distort -> phase/flange/chorus->eq repeat is a fav formula for resampling/extending fx chain (not necessarily in that order)

parallel filtering is just where you split your bass into two and process each chain independently.

chain like below.

1. bass -> spider

2.1 output one -> low pass filter at about 100hz to taste-> very very slight saturation ->eq
2.2 output two ->bandpass or at 300-600hz, maybe move it around a bit. -> distort ->phase ->flange -> filter again ->eq ->send to reverb

just a few ideas. also running a pure sine on the bass is good. just filter output one so that you also cut out very low freqs,maybe go 100-200hz and then have output two a bit higher up again.