RBass, what are your tricks?

[WoodysProduce]

I have an on and off relationship with RBass. Sometimes it adds great harmonics and sometimes it makes the sound a bit too much. Any tricks? Like has anyone ever cut off frequencies below 64 and used RBass?

[Chris Lago]

My trick is to use an EQ and not Rbass, or if It's a sample (kick), let the sample be, and mix it at the proper levels, without EQ or compression.

[E.rOk.stA]

There's no trick really. Just find your fundamental frequency and set it. Raise the intensity 'till you can hear it then drop it -3 db 'cause what sounds good at first impression is always too much later. Just use it modestly.

You can't make an EQ do what it does. It's a completely different science.

[SPORT]

Originally Posted by Chris Lago

My trick is to use an EQ and not Rbass, or if It's a sample (kick), let the sample be, and mix it at the proper levels, without EQ or compression.

Please not reveal the secret.

[Chris Lago]

Originally Posted by SPORT

Please not reveal the secret.

oh Ooopps! So sorry! I should be quiet about it

[zzz]

Originally Posted by SPORT

Please not reveal the secret.

weak shit..

[PettyCash]

Originally Posted by WoodysProduce

I have an on and off relationship with RBass. Sometimes it adds great harmonics and sometimes it makes the sound a bit too much. Any tricks? Like has anyone ever cut off frequencies below 64 and used RBass?

If you're using RBass, and the effect sounds like a bit too much, regardless of what settings you use, it means you don't really need RBass on that sound in the first place.

The best kept secret to becoming a better audio engineer is....................

.........Stop doing sh*t for the sake of just doing it! Stop using plug-ins just because you have them there for use!

Now, that will be $19.99 plus taxes, where applicable.

I for one only use RBass in situations where there is a sub bass sound that will break the vibe of the track if it's not heard on smaller sound systems. EQing won't do what is needed to save your ass in those type of situations.

[e-are]

Originally Posted by PettyCash

If you're using RBass, and the effect sounds like a bit too much, regardless of what settings you use, it means you don't really need RBass on that sound in the first place.

The best kept secret to becoming a better audio engineer is....................

.........Stop doing sh*t for the sake of just doing it! Stop using plug-ins just because you have them there for use!

Now, that will be $19.99 plus taxes, where applicable.

I for one only use RBass in situations where there is a sub bass sound that will break the vibe of the track if it's not heard on smaller sound systems. EQing won't do what is needed to save your ass in those type of situations.

Very well said. I use rbass when I can't get what I can get from it with an EQ. Basically, when I'm not hearing a low freq sound in small speakers. Rbass takes care of that.

[Hobbs_Won]

my trick is zero in on the frequency...... turn it up til it sounds good.

[marcreeves]

Originally Posted by Hobbs_Won

my trick is zero in on the frequency...... turn it up til it sounds good.

that is pretty much all there is to it - and like others have said, it should only really be used when you have a deep bassline etc and it's not cutting through on small speakers.

[Hobbs_Won]

I use R-Bass kind of like an octave pedal on guitars... it works really well for subharmonics

[ncoak]

you can also use it to add some weight to breaks, depth to sampled basslines, things like that.

[The Marrvel]

Originally Posted by ncoak

you can also use it to add some weight to breaks, depth to sampled basslines, things like that.

[Karloff70]

It likes living on the end of a send.

[rickrock305]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

It likes living on the end of a send.

Yea, thats about the only "trick" I can think of for it. Otherwise its pretty straightforward, common sense plugin.

I find I use MaxxBass when i want a more midrangey bass tone, and RBass when I want a lower bass tone.

[Igotsoul4u]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

It likes living on the end of a send.

old school vitalizer style

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by Chris Lago

My trick is to use an EQ and not Rbass, or if It's a sample (kick), let the sample be, and mix it at the proper levels, without EQ or compression.

So if you've got something with no upper harmonics to EQ, how do you get it to poke out on small speakers, without distorting it or using a bass processor like RBass or MaxxBass?

I'm all for simplicity in engineering, but there's a time and a place for every tool, and simply giving a smartarse comment makes you look daft because you're not considering there's a valid time and place to use something. It may not be a permanent go-to, but you can't just write it off with an "I use EQ and mix properly" smug comment.

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by rickrock305

Yea, thats about the only "trick" I can think of for it. Otherwise its pretty straightforward, common sense plugin.

I find I use MaxxBass when i want a more midrangey bass tone, and RBass when I want a lower bass tone.

Now I have both, but I only ever really use Maxxbass. Maybe I should give RBass a whirl sometime.

Originally Posted by Karloff70

It likes living on the end of a send.

Interesting as well! I'm guessing in this situ, you'd turn down the direct bass and only have the sub bass signal coming through, as if you were using a 120XP on a send, and just having the subbass output coming back to your mix...will have to try it this way, I usually just have it on the output of the bass buss and a blend happening!

[Karloff70]

No, just send to it like it was reverb. I don't like my whole signal through it for some reason....

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

No, just send to it like it was reverb. I don't like my whole signal through it for some reason....

I'll have to try it that way! That is exactly how I've seen the 120xp used...send as usual, buy just the subbass returning (ie 100% wet).

[ncoak]

Originally Posted by psycho_monkey

Now I have both, but I only ever really use Maxxbass. Maybe I should give RBass a whirl sometime.

used to use maxxbass, but when i switched to rbass i haven't gone back. something about maxxbass sounds a little bit funny to me even in moderation. maybe it's just a placebo effect from the gui or something

i'll have to give that send idea a try, i've always just stuck it right on the track/bus.

although i believe you can't have a 100% wet signal in rbass like you can in maxxbass, right?

[Karloff70]

Originally Posted by ncoak

although i believe you can't have a 100% wet signal in rbass like you can in maxxbass, right?

More like you can't have any dry signal....which is why it belongs on a send me thinks......

[ncoak]

right, but isn't the end result a mix of the original signal and the generated harmonics? using as a send you'd wind up with the original signal and the blended original/harmonic signal from rbass, as there's no function to remove the original signal within rbass (as there is in maxxbass).

guess it's not really an issue, but i've always just turned the 'intensity' way down with the plug directly on the track/bus to achieve the desired effect - so not really seeing the advantage of using it on a send.

[taturana]

everytime i use it ... i end up taking it off later on... don't like it much really, but i will try the send idea... maybe i can get something half useful like that.. to me it just messes the phase up and makes the sound muddy and undefined... even in low amounts. if i was making sound specifically to play on small speakers then i think it could be useful.

it's my basic approach that anything that adds unwanted distortion and mud is normally left out of any of my mixes...

so my rbass secret is to leave it out of the mix( the same goes for maxxbass, bbe maximizer and a whole list of others that seem to do more damage than good at any setting)

[Karloff70]

Originally Posted by taturana

everytime i use it ... i end up taking it off later on... don't like it much really, but i will try the send idea... maybe i can get something half useful like that.. to me it just messes the phase up and makes the sound muddy and undefined... even in low amounts. if i was making sound specifically to play on small speakers then i think it could be useful.

it's my basic approach that anything that adds unwanted distortion and mud is normally left out of any of my mixes...

so my rbass secret is to leave it out of the mix( the same goes for maxxbass, bbe maximizer and a whole list of others that seem to do more damage than good at any setting)

That's basically why I put it on a send, as any other way I can't use it. But on a send it works nicely, regardless of theory.

[3rd Degree]

As a beat maker, I often will layer two identical synth patches at 2 octaves. If I am sampling, their are many times where I want to use the original bassline over recreating it, or creating a new one. RBass is much easier and gets better results for me than rendering my filtered bass, the pitching it up an octave (or down) and stretching it to keep the tempo.

It also works in a pinch if the sample is pitched to high, or too low so the filtered bass isn't totally sub, or really getting into the mid range.

There are many plug ins that allow you to take old techniques and improve on them. I wouldn't use this on a synth bass sound, as a beatmaker, because I can very easily use other methods to do this. Using old tricks and techniques, I often find a use for a plug in I would otherwise not be too fond of.

[e-are]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

More like you can't have any dry signal....which is why it belongs on a send me thinks......

That sounds like a good ideas. I will try it that way as well.
Thanks

[DesmondA]

My 808s and Basses are usually to my liking but sometimes I use RBass for that extra sub.....Also if im using a sample and use a LPF for the bass ill use RBass to bring up the bass.


I.e. on this beat. MP3 Player SoundClick

[ltjohnrambo]

I was using R-bass yesterday to try to get a kick drum to translate on smaller speakers better. I tried Max-bass too, but in the end I just made another kick sample to layer on top.

I was using R-bass a lot before, for somethings nothing can beat it, but for kick drums specifically I've been using Decapitator on the Ampex setting and the new Waves MPX tape plugin.

Oh and a Distressor with the distortion mode set to type 2 works really well for me. I'll smash the signal, and mix it back in with the dry kick so it doesn't sound crazy distorted.

When R-bass works, it works really well but sometimes you have to consider options.

[kozlikha]

In/Out button is there for a reason