Subsonic bass: best plugin/synth ?

[rjay]

I've been using the Novation BassStation VST as my main bass plugin for really low bass sounds, but I'm finding that I can't really get the right sound out of it.

I'm looking for sounds similar to Massive Attack or Gotan Project. There's a really low bass part on Sarah McLachlan's track "I Love You" (from the 'Surfacing' album).

These are mostly real bass I think, but most real bass VST's/libraries tend to be more rock-oriented.

[MrHope]

There's a nice freeware VST called BassLine or maybe BassLiner, I forget... but with the right settings and perhaps with a MIDI controller reaching a lower octave you can get some nice bass.

Free VST plugins and effects - EVM Synths Bassline (here it is)

[CircusofMind]

Most synths can give you good bass.
The key is layering. Put the sub part of the bass as a sine wave. Cut all the higher frequencies. Then layer another bass with more dynamics on top of the sub bass, and cut all the sub bass frequencies.

[MonoBrow]

DBX 120a
Very addictive!

[SWAN808]

Originally Posted by rjay

I've been using the Novation BassStation VST as my main bass plugin for really low bass sounds, but I'm finding that I can't really get the right sound out of it.

I'm looking for sounds similar to Massive Attack or Gotan Project. There's a really low bass part on Sarah McLachlan's track "I Love You" (from the 'Surfacing' album).

These are mostly real bass I think, but most real bass VST's/libraries tend to be more rock-oriented.

there is a specific sub bass plugin avaialbe that is free which I cant remember the name of I read about in KVRaudio. Go ask there they will tell you.

KVR: Forum - Instruments

[jkamata]

Originally Posted by Fluxpod

DBX 120a
Very addictive!

weeerd Lowender plugin is nice too..

reFuse Software

[Clem Snide]

Originally Posted by SWAN808

there is a specific sub bass plugin avaialbe

What next? Synths specifically for playing in the highs? Guitars that only play in the key of C?

[robd]

Could you give me some tips about using the dbx? I've got one, but I haven't used it in months. I never tried it on synths, only on bass guitar, but I never got it to do anything to my bass tone that I couldn't do better some other way. Any advice about it would be appreciated.


Edit: I just checked out the samples on the lowender plug's site, and what it does to the bass guitar is exactly the same thing I don't like about what the dbx does to the bass. Go figure.

[richardswag]

Originally Posted by CircusofMind

Put the sub part of the bass as a sine wave. Cut all the higher frequencies.

There won't be any higher frequencies if it's a sine wave...

dfegad

[CircusofMind]

You're right. There will be no higher frequencies if it is a "perfect" sine wave. I only wanted to suggest the basics of layering sounds to the OP. If anything other than a perfect sine wave is used, there will be some higher frequency bleeding.

[SWAN808]

Originally Posted by Clem Snide

What next? Synths specifically for playing in the highs? Guitars that only play in the key of C?

maybe something more ridiculous - like a 'lead' synth

[OurDarkness]

Try Moog Taurus Pedals. (Unavailable as a plugin - Thank God).

[Clem Snide]

Originally Posted by SWAN808

maybe something more ridiculous - like a 'lead' synth

I'm sure that would fall foul of health regulations. Poisonous, doncha know.

[Clem Snide]

Originally Posted by CircusofMind

You're right. There will be no higher frequencies if it is a "perfect" sine wave. I only wanted to suggest the basics of layering sounds to the OP. If anything other than a perfect sine wave is used, there will be some higher frequency bleeding.

"Higher frequency bleeding"? That's a very strange way to describe harmonics.

Personally I think you should have the good grace to admit you were PWNED! by Richardswag.

[MonoBrow]

Try the 120a on different sources.Its nice on 808 kicks with long decay etc.If you find your spot with it you can not get enought...its dangerous but its cheap and dare i say it ...totally underrated.

[CircusofMind]

Originally Posted by Clem Snide

"Higher frequency bleeding"? That's a very strange way to describe harmonics.

Personally I think you should have the good grace to admit you were PWNED! by Richardswag.

Excuse me? I referred to the higher frequencies as "bleeding" since I was suggesting trying to filter them out (for layering a sub frequency).

Why is the forum so aggressive?

[Clem Snide]

Originally Posted by CircusofMind

Excuse me? I referred to the higher frequencies as "bleeding" since I was suggesting trying to filter them out (for layering a sub frequency).

Why is the forum so aggressive?

I think it must be the tension caused by this modern world we live in. I'm now drinking a cup of good coffee and listening to country music, so I feel a lot nicer.

[JDN]

You're clearly looking for Trilogy...amazing Bass Plug Instrument....so great

[crufty]

many a va / analog synth can pull off these tricks...probably cost more then what you were looking for. Piece of cake for the andromeda, for example...

[DJDJ]

Originally Posted by OurDarkness

Try Moog Taurus Pedals. (Unavailable as a plugin - Thank God).

Actually, this was sampled as part of Spectrasonic's Trilogy. Dunno how it stacks up compaired to playing the real thing into your preamp/audio interface, but it sounds damn nice thumbsup

[DJDJ]

Originally Posted by rjay

I've been using the Novation BassStation VST as my main bass plugin for really low bass sounds, but I'm finding that I can't really get the right sound out of it.

I'm looking for sounds similar to Massive Attack or Gotan Project. There's a really low bass part on Sarah McLachlan's track "I Love You" (from the 'Surfacing' album).

These are mostly real bass I think, but most real bass VST's/libraries tend to be more rock-oriented.

In response to the original question, I agree with the others here that you should be able to make a nice sub patch on just about any synth. THat being said, (and this is debatable), I think not all sub basses are created equal.

As far as plugins go, I've had some great success lately with the Korg Legacy MS-20 for sub basses. You may want to check it out. Oh, and as said earlier, Spectrasonics' Trilogy has some great sub sounds in it-- but it's more about knowing how to progam a sound like this than a particular synth. I've heard great subs come from reason's subtractor, or by throwing an 808 kick drum in a sampler and playing notes with it.

As said before, for clean sub bass, a sine wave played in the lower octaves is a great place to start. If you want a sub with a bit more "warmth", try lowpassing a square wave until it's deep and fat.

Mess about with some synths, you should be able to get something happening. I've heard some really huge lows come out of novation synths before.

[DannyMac]

sample a nice Fretless bass. use a sampler to pitch down. run through the smallest amp you can find, mic and resample, add a touch of low shelf. Make a prog from sample.

[JDN]

i still say trilogy...it's pretty much my be all and end all for great sub bass and several other bass sounds. When I'm in creative mode the last thing i want to do is pull out a fretless bass and make samples. I want to scroll through a bunch of really great sounds, find one, and layer and tweak if necessary later

[Clem Snide]

Though I'm not generally much of a sampler, I've got some great deep basses by sampling a cello and pitching it down, plus distortion (NATCH!).

Probably the least helpful answer ever, unless you happen to have a cello sitting there.

[Touchmaster]

Originally Posted by crufty

many a va / analog synth can pull off these tricks...probably cost more then what you were looking for. Piece of cake for the andromeda, for example...

got any tips for getting great sub bass out of the andromeda? it doesnt seem as easy for me as it should for some reason.. I can make earth shaking subs come out of my waldorf but they always sound a little dischordant and out of tune, which is fine with a dirty tune but if you want it more harmonic,,,, welll

[crufty]

ah, I EQ w/2 layers after initial tracking, or is that cheating?

andromeda sub bass.m4a

I'm sure it could be programmed into the patch, but I never thought of doing it. Or is this not the subbass we are looking for?

[Meriphew]

You can pick up a used Roland JV1080 pretty inexpensively, and add an expansion card or two. Quite a few really cool sub bass patches.

[polybonk]

Crysonic new B is fantastic! or voxengo has a sub enhancer that works like the dbx called LF-Max. Or there is a bass enhancer by waves called maxbass.
Crysonic is my fav.
Virus TI or Andromeda for making the bass.

[jude]

an s2000 with a program setup using 2 sine waves detuned 6 cents either way and a square wave filtered down. set it to a max of 3 voices and voila, deep fat DnB style bass lines. bit of LFO to get the wobble, really needed

double this with a real bass and your on a roll..... at least for the kinda music i write

Jude