Sub-Bass samples?

[monq]

Is there anyone who could point me towards any good sub-bass samples? I have followed a few good tutorials and suggestions to create my own sub-basses, BUT I have a bit of a big problem: my gear is crap, I have a 15 quid headphones and the only way in which I can get some relatively decent bass is in my car.. but it is still not brilliant.

I would like to have a proper sub-bass sample to be able to re-create something similar from a visual (aka using a spectrum analyser) point of view, and by replicating it in my car altogether with the new sample.-.

Cheers!

 

[*State]

what DAW are you using ( logic,fl studio etc..) ?

 

[monq]

I am using the non-commercial version of Reaper - so basically, a wav file would be my ideal... cheers!

 

[*State]

Are you asking for a sub sample? Creating a sub is easier than you think man, you could even lowpass a kick drum and extend that.

 

[monq]

I think that my problem is that I am not really sure how exactly it should sound in an isolated manner, due to the low quality of my gear, and what I tend to do is to layer up too many elements, without really knowing what I am doing...

I.e. my last attempt was to grab a 808 kick + a nice korg bass sample. It seems ok, but once it goes into my main track I am unsure if I am either powering the bass too much or the opposite.

A relatively good, "pure" and isolated sub-bass would give me a visual representation on how a sub-bass should "look" more than sound...

I guess I will be always be limited coz I am tight and I refuse to spend > 1000 quid for a proper monitor, and I might create stg that sounds nice in my computer or car but it sounds horrid in anyone else's monitors...

 

[subprime]

You could always post a quick sample of what you have so far and get opinions. I agree that sub is easy to create but I also know it's hard to monitor. Like my monitors don't go below 50hz, so hey.....and with room acoustics as well sometimes the same sub pounds out and other times it disappears. It's tricky unless you have access to a good system. I don't know how much luck you're going to have with an analyser. I'd be interested to know how you get on tho....

 

[*State]

Assuming youve got a way to check the levels yeah?

From what ive gathered and put into practice, the sub should be anywhere between -10Db to -6Db ish, depending on the volume of the other heavy elements like the kick for example.

There will always be a sweet spot for the sub which is govened by the nature of a specific tune/style of sub genere.

The sub will almost always sit from 100hz and under which creates warmth and body to the overall combinations of basses. Do you have an anyliser?

 

[monq]

Sounds good, thx for the advice subprime and state!

Ok, this is an image of the spectrum analyser when the kick peaks. State, reading your post I guess that I have far too much high frequencies in there for a sub-bass IMHO?

This is an image of what I have done in reaper (basically two tracks, one for a korg sub bass and another one for a small freebie called subAtomic (de La Mancha)

And finally, the wav itself:
http://www.monq.co.uk/d&b/try1.wav

Any feedback would be welcomed!

David

 

[subprime]

Hang on, are you talking about subbass, or just a sub layer on your kick?

 

[*State]

Yes you want to cut all the freaquencys above 100hz... all it will do is interfere with your midrange (kick,snare etc).

That bass would be too quiet in the mix too, needs to be louder. The bass note i just listened to decayed after about 1.5 seconds which seems way too short... well its suited for jungle. what kind of tune are you gonna make? do you know how to sustain the note for longer using your software? if you were were using FL i could tell you how to straight away but ive got no experience with reaper mate.

 

[monq]

Hang on, are you talking about subbass, or just a sub layer on your kick?

Ah. That's why I am probably confused here! I guess that some of the music I have been listening to combine a bass line with the sub-bass "embedded" on it...

Reading your post, do I deduce that the actual sub-bass is almost non-audible, and quite a lot of d&b has a bass line / kick / sub-bass starting at the same beat?

Urgh... am I making any sense here?

 

[*State]

Ah. That's why I am probably confused here! I guess that some of the music I have been listening to combine a bass line with the sub-bass "embedded" on it...

Reading your post, do I deduce that the actual sub-bass is almost non-audible, and quite a lot of d&b has a bass line / kick / sub-bass starting at the same beat?

Urgh... am I making any sense here?

Yeah think of D&B bass as a sandwich, sub/mid/upper. All the layers of bass fill the sound spectrum and are all played at the same time.. so to speak.

 

[monq]

Yeah think of D&B bass as a sandwich, sub/mid/upper. All the layers of bass fill the sound spectrum and are all played at the same time.. so to speak.

Good analogy... and I guess it's quite defined in one of my fav tracks (LTJ). The main section contains a brilliant break, a high freq pad, and a three note "bassy" section that it's what I understand by sub-bass... This is the sound I am after somehow...!

http://www.monq.co.uk/d&b/subBass-LTJ.wav

(this is a tiny sample, I hope I am not incurring in any copyrhighty issue here, if I am, mods please let me know!)

David

 

[subprime]

There's two different things. You can add a sub-bass (read very low musical tone) to your kick, which hits in time with the kick and has a short decay, or there is the sub bass that follows (closely or in key with) your main bass synth melody.
Because you provided a screen shot of a 'kick peak' I 'm not sure exactly what you mean.

 

[subprime]

Good analogy... and I guess it's quite defined in one of my fav tracks (LTJ). The main section contains a brilliant break, a high freq pad, and a three note "bassy" section that it's what I understand by sub-bass... This is the sound I am after somehow...!

http://www.monq.co.uk/d&b/subBass-LTJ.wav

(this is a tiny sample, I hope I am not incurring in any copyrhighty issue here, if I am, mods please let me know!)

David

ok, that's a seperate bass line, distinct from the kick. Imagine you are playing a bass guitar, or what ever the equal is in classical music. That is the sub bass. It will reside below 80 hz on an analyser but don't worry if it creeps above that. All sounds have a wider imprint on an analyser than what you actually hear. That is my understanding anyway.
The rest of the bass synth is the middle sized brass section and the middle sized strings. The lead synth is the midget bits. Piccolo and stuff.

 

[Welsh Junglist]

Mate, you need a decent pair of speakers, I'm not saying go out and buy a £1000 pair of studio monitors but you will need a fair pair cause your producing and a decent pair of speakers will help you so much. You can pick a pair of fairly decent studio monitors for £150-£200 man. It makes life so much easier if you can hear your creations coming through a good pair of speakers, specially if your trying to pick out certain levels and seeing how it all sounds together.

 

[*State]

Good analogy... and I guess it's quite defined in one of my fav tracks (LTJ). The main section contains a brilliant break, a high freq pad, and a three note "bassy" section that it's what I understand by sub-bass... This is the sound I am after somehow...!

http://www.monq.co.uk/d&b/subBass-LTJ.wav

(this is a tiny sample, I hope I am not incurring in any copyrhighty issue here, if I am, mods please let me know!)

David

Your on the right lines, the bass you showed me earlier will be ok for a sub, it was in the right freaquency range so it should work. Give it a whirl knock some drums together and make a bass melody thing with what you've created man.

 

[monq]

subprime, *state, thx for all the feedback, i feel i am going in the right direction!!!

and Welsh Junglist... I guess I will have to wait until my next birthday... 30th of May! I cannot justify such as spenditure for what it's only a hobby... shame tho!

 

[Indi]

Its easy enough to make one.

In fruity loops, use the 3x oscillator. Put all three oscillators on sine wave and tweak until it sounds ok. Sample it.
Next run the sample through the Fruity Free Filter, adjust the low pass filter down to 55hz and you should get a phat bass sounds. Sample again.
Lastly, use a limiter to beef up the bass as much as use can without it clipping.
Hey presto! A phat sub bass sample.

 

[monq]

Hi Indi, thanks a bunch, I will use poliIblit to try to generate a similar effect, although I have managed to layer out something that sounds quite good imho, it is still sample based, and I would love to be able to generate it from scratch... cheers!