all about the BASSS!

[aprzekaz]

I'm getting more into EDM(I guess thats what it's called) and have been listening to some House music and dubstep etc. And its all about he bass. Some people use hardware synths and some use Massive by Native Instruments. And some of it's probably in the mixing. Any how, I've been messing around with how to get some EaRtH ShAtTerIng BASSS with FOSS tools. And I've found some good leads. There's the MDA subsynth for the Sub. It's nice although I cant get it to work as a plugin in Ardour so I use carla(which is also nice). And I've gotten some nice sounds from AMsynth. I've even been Yelling into my Beta 52 and then pitch shifting it and efecting it in Audacity. LMMS has some good Bass instruments and cool control options for them. And yesterday i started messing with Zynaddsubfx. And It is definatly very cool and versitile. But I just wanted to get some ideeas about what other people out there are doing. Wheather it be hardware or software or mixing techniques or anything about how to get some good low end sounds.

[ssj71]

I use amsynth often for bass. Check out TAL NoizeM4ker too. I'll have to check out subsynth. I've used nekobee, its ok. One thing that helps in a mix is to LPF everything else to keep them or any noise out of the way of the bass. For your electronic stuff you probably want to use a keyed compressor to duck everything and get some pumping going. Not really my expertise so I won't elaborate and risk sending you astray.

[Capoeira]

AmSynth, Bristol

[aprzekaz]

Yeah I've been using the SC3 to Duck stuff. It works nicely. I just used TAL Noisemaker and got some cool sounds. Tried Synthv1 and it's cool too. The Bristol stuff is all great. It would be cool if more of these softsynths offered midi mapping like AMsynth does. It would be neat if there was an external/Jack tool that is like the LMMS connect to controler option. So I could connect the cutoff of TAL Noisemaker Filter to It and have it Sync to quarter notes for example. Or even have it so I could connect any knob in ZYNaddsubFX to be controled by Some other thing like the Kick drum Peaks or something. Then I could Take over the World HAHAHAHAHAHA Is there anything like this now?

[ssj71]

Some of these mentioned were designed for use as plugins in which case the host would handle the midi bindings (stop me someone if I'm mistaken). Using Carla or Ardour, Qtractor and probably several other lv2 hosts you can then take over as described.

[dednikko]

Well, in my experience with Massive, which is pretty massive (hah!), you should try Noizem4ker, as it has a hand plottable envelope section that you can treat similar to the "performance LFO" as found in Massive. I haven't used it for bass yet as I am super happy with my other options, but it makes amazing leads, pads, and general noize as well.

Beyond that, don't discount ZynaddsubFX/Yoshimi. They are awesome. Here is a song I'm finishing that only uses Zynaddsubfx for the synths, sub bass and all. Of course, this was done in LMMS with the peak controllers you were speaking of, https://soundcloud.com/endlessabiogenesis/fraught-n-2

Sorcer was just released and is being rapidly packaged by the LM gurus here.

I would also recommend you try Triceratops, as it is WAY more powerful than one would think from the preset selection alone. This is my test of Triceratops. https://soundcloud.com/endlessabiogenesis/tricero04 again, only synth used is Triceratops.

[aprzekaz]

Yes I have been getting some Nice sounds out of Zyn and Noizemaker. Triceritops is very cool too with some of the filters. Thats a pretty good sound you got using LMMS. Actually as I learn more about synthesizers and how they work I am getting better sounds from most of the synths I try(Phasex, Amsynth, Whysynth all of em I guess).

[unfa]

I use ZynAddSubFX too.
Here's one Drum'n'Bass track I made for example:
https://soundcloud.com/unfa/blending-v-05

I've just read a great article by Ian Shepherd about how Pendulum gets their bass so powerfull:
http://productionadvice.co.uk/deep-bass ... lvPZcNU.YV

I used Calf jackhost and Calf filter to try this out and it's true!
If you want powerful bass, you need to get everything out of it's way (with EQ) - even the kick drum.

[aprzekaz]

Nice article. It makes sense I guess. I'll have to try it too. I also browsed a little more and read this one
http://productionadvice.co.uk/daft-punk-mastering/
It talks about the bass being important in what made the album sound so good. Interestingly it also argued that having a wider dynamic range brings out the bass too. Apparently to much limiting and compression will distort the very low bass. I've found this to be true in my experience. When I use a sub or an 808 sound its very tricky to get it loud without distortion.

Nice track too. You used Zyn for those growling bass sounds?

[unfa]

Nice article. It makes sense I guess. I'll have to try it too. I also browsed a little more and read this one
http://productionadvice.co.uk/daft-punk-mastering/
It talks about the bass being important in what made the album sound so good. Interestingly it also argued that having a wider dynamic range brings out the bass too. Apparently to much limiting and compression will distort the very low bass.

I read that one too - didn't try what I learned in practical use though.

Nice track too. You used Zyn for those growling bass sounds?

Thk you Yes. I think Zyn is an allmighty synth - I do everything with it and I advertise it with passion.
If you want to hear more sounds like this, you may appreciate another track. It's over 20 minutes long - staring ambientich and slowly getting darker, louder, more distorted and agressive.
I love the bass and drum sounds there, it's all ZynAddSubFX:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/980857/ ... -the-phase