Bassline patterns in drum and bass

Kaz1983

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Ok I hope this doesn't sound daft but I'm having trouble with my bass, not creating them but using them once made.

In other words I'm having problems creating bassline patterns and sounds that fit it..

For example I've trying to create a Hazard type bassline;

16 bars X bass and wahh,wah-wah-wah, wahhhh - then 16 of Y bass and wubb,wub-wub-wub, wubbb.

I can get wub-wub-wub but not a wah-wah-wah that 'fits' or wub-wub-wub if I start with the wah-wah-wah instead, I mean it could be me over changing settings (or changing it correctly) in the synth of the original sound before going to town on the fx's..

Another example would be wahh,wahh, wah-wah-wah-wah - then wubb,wubb, wub-wub-wub-wub.

I know the wah-wah-wah-wah is split so theres a low wah-wah-wah then high wah and you'd have the wahh-wahh oscillating at half the speed of the wah-wah-wah-wah and they hit on your kicks right (at least the lead one)?

I have read alot of threads on creating wobble bass and also listen to a fair bit of wobble as well both have been useful, it's just putting that together when trying to put together a tune. I seem to create a few good sounding basses or in this case wobbles and get stuck too often, I can usually make one good bassline but then struggle to put together a 2nd and 3rd bassline as good when I realize I need to change it up... I'm finding the hardest thing of late to figure out, there must be rules (or guidelines?) when it comes to making wobble patterns (or any other type of bass pattern), just like how when you learning the 4,8,16,32,64 rule makes things easier and gives you something to follow when starting out ..
 
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ok, this is what you do: set the wah before the wub - wub, then use the distributive property so that you have wahwub - wahwub, now you have wahwub - wahwub = bassline. Combine terms and you will find that bassline = 0.

:teeth:
 
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After re-reading my post I realize it was a question that lead no-where.

I think without knowing I answered it myself to be honest and it was just me writing what I felt at the time

-not really thinking about what I wrote.

So this morning I went out and bought a mini keyboard, I think I'm way over thinking and complicating things. I think that was 99% of my problem, over thinking and therefore complicating things. I'm also going to buy Styrus next week and put my time into learning how to use it for my bass/wobble instead of the 3xOsc which is pissing me off. I also figured after I wrote the OP that listening to what ever I'm working on way too much. I'm going to make sure I don't and listen to it at a lower volume so I really have to listen it closed rather than it blasting at you.

So to sum up:

1. I just bought a mini keyboard to help me stop over thinking/complicating stuff.
2. Going to buy Styrus and put my effort into learning it.
3. Don't listen to what ever I'm working on too much.

Hope that is a bit better..
 
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I do something like the following: I set up a couple of different midi patterns, and don't try to think too much about it. I send one of these patterns to a synth, and spend a few minutes twisting knobs and adding, removing, stretching a few notes. I record all this. I then do the same with the next midi pattern, maybe find a new synth sound, and continue to tweak the synths, change the LFO rates, etc. So I end up with many minutes of audio. Next (depending on which DAW) I add some cue points. In ableton you can do it by making lots of clones of the clip and moving the start points around. Midi map all of these. Or sometimes I use Traktor, and add cue points and jump around between them. The whole point is to be able to jump to specific cool bits really quickly by bashing away on a midi controller. I then sit for a while with a beat going and chop and remix the bassline until I find some combinations that are cool. But to be honest my basslines suck so this might be totally useless advice.
 
Sytrus in FL is a really under rated piece of kit. It's great for bass wobbles, and many other things. It's difficult to master because it's not your bog standard 3 oscillator algorythym, but once you do, you can produce some fantastic sounds! 3xosc is meant to be great too. I was in a chat with TLeaf yesterday and he was telling me how great it is, never got my head around it. But after our chat, and hearing what he has produced with it, I'm definately gonna learn it!
 
I do something like the following: I set up a couple of different midi patterns, and don't try to think too much about it. I send one of these patterns to a synth, and spend a few minutes twisting knobs and adding, removing, stretching a few notes. I record all this. I then do the same with the next midi pattern, maybe find a new synth sound, and continue to tweak the synths, change the LFO rates, etc. So I end up with many minutes of audio. Next (depending on which DAW) I add some cue points. In ableton you can do it by making lots of clones of the clip and moving the start points around. Midi map all of these. Or sometimes I use Traktor, and add cue points and jump around between them. The whole point is to be able to jump to specific cool bits really quickly by bashing away on a midi controller. I then sit for a while with a beat going and chop and remix the bassline until I find some combinations that are cool. But to be honest my basslines suck so this might be totally useless advice.

I'm gonna give some of that a go, although I'm using Fl right now -don't forget to bash away guys :D.

Nah seriously I'm spending a fair bit of time mucking around with my baselines, re-correcting them if they don't sound 'right' even though I could have gotten writing the tune and did it later on -not like it's going anywhere. And maybe that's cause when putting together a tune I listen to my stuff way too much, I dunno know? I think I need to relax and let things flow rather than trying to keep it sounding a certain way that I wanted it to sound. Talking about that I just watched a video Mistabishi off youtube, he was bashing away on some hardware -forgot what it was called, haven't used any hardware before. Towards the end he makes the comment that if your always behind your screen on cubase or what ever you become very mechanical but if there's no screen, in a dark room and your just using your, bopping away to it - the results are really immediate and quick

Here it is, check out around the 3 & 4 min marks -some fucking fat sounds :rinsed: ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OISUaEJ8xMQ&feature=related
 
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Cool video, shame that alot of the DnB community wrote him off after his CD set! Genuinely talented producer though, he makes some decent tracks and has a great sense of musicality.
 
OK since I last posted I've started to focus more on my beats than basslines, it's really helping alot actually. I think I was obsessing way too much over my basslines before, I think it's a case of 'less is more' as they say, I mean as a result my kick and snares sound 10 times better and so do my basslines..
 
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i like to think the bass powers the track along where as the drums are what gets your attention.... and then the other stuff just makes you remember it..... (only applies to jump up)
 
For example I've trying to create a Hazard type bassline;

16 bars X bass and wahh,wah-wah-wah, wahhhh - then 16 of Y bass and wubb,wub-wub-wub, wubbb.

I can get wub-wub-wub but not a wah-wah-wah that 'fits' or wub-wub-wub if I start with the wah-wah-wah instead
Another example would be wahh,wahh, wah-wah-wah-wah - then wubb,wubb, wub-wub-wub-wub.
I know the wah-wah-wah-wah is split so theres a low wah-wah-wah then high wah and you'd have the wahh-wahh oscillating at half the speed of the wah-wah-wah-wah and they hit on your kicks right (at least the lead one)?

Almost wanted to sig that.
 
i like to think the bass powers the track along where as the drums are what gets your attention.... and then the other stuff just makes you remember it..... (only applies to jump up)

Well Jump Up is what I attempt to make and your right in saying it's the drums that get your attention and the bass is what powers it..

I think that is why since I started layering my kick drums and snare - putting more effort into my drums, my bass is starting to sound a lot better.

Almost wanted to sig that.

Well shoot me, I was thinking out aloud.. :D

After reading a different thread it's pitch bending and modulation that will help get me the bass I want...
 
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