FA+
Shop
Bass with the ableton vocoder
12 years ago
A technique I've been using a lot lately with my basses is working with Ableton's vocoder and putting sounds over each other.
First I was just using using audio sound samples, like the bass in this piece
http://whitetail-music.bandcamp.com/track/b-side
Was all made from projecting the "yea" sample used throughout onto a sound made in FM8 (using a sample of a guy saying "Ah!" later during the juke bit).
After that I thought "well why not use synths instead?" - I mean it's easy to make silly talk basses and stuff in Massive, but it's not exactly easy to make them sound good - Massive's just kinda really thin and gross in it's low end, which FM8 instead really accells at. FM8's kinda complicated and unpredictable but it can make some reaaaally nice and thick sounds down low
So my technique I've worked out recently for bass is to make random expressive sounds in Massive
I then use Ableton's audio effect rack to put 4 seperate vocoder chains on that synth. I automate the massive synth for expression in the synth and use a FM8 bass as the modulator for the vocoder. The sound I put into the vocoder from a different synth tends to be something simple and gritty, but like big more whooshy square basses and that sort of thing can work well too depending on what you're going for.
I slightly play with the settings on the different vocoders, since slight differences is what really thickens up the sound - probably the most important thing with the vocoder would be to make sure the bands setting at the bottom is set differently for each one. I set the first one to the highest, then the second to the next highest, etc. etc. and each layer slightly alters the sound. Just one layer tends to be a really clean sound while adding more piles on the grit.
If you use ableton's instrument racks you can easily fit this all into one instrument rack which will give you easy options for automating and playing around with the sound, not to mention it'll let you save a bass as a preset to come back and play with later (which I've been doing a lot lately).
That techinque's what I've used so far in
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11870468/ and http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11711696/
Aside from other assorted doodles and stuff
First I was just using using audio sound samples, like the bass in this piece
http://whitetail-music.bandcamp.com/track/b-side
Was all made from projecting the "yea" sample used throughout onto a sound made in FM8 (using a sample of a guy saying "Ah!" later during the juke bit).
After that I thought "well why not use synths instead?" - I mean it's easy to make silly talk basses and stuff in Massive, but it's not exactly easy to make them sound good - Massive's just kinda really thin and gross in it's low end, which FM8 instead really accells at. FM8's kinda complicated and unpredictable but it can make some reaaaally nice and thick sounds down low
So my technique I've worked out recently for bass is to make random expressive sounds in Massive
I then use Ableton's audio effect rack to put 4 seperate vocoder chains on that synth. I automate the massive synth for expression in the synth and use a FM8 bass as the modulator for the vocoder. The sound I put into the vocoder from a different synth tends to be something simple and gritty, but like big more whooshy square basses and that sort of thing can work well too depending on what you're going for.
I slightly play with the settings on the different vocoders, since slight differences is what really thickens up the sound - probably the most important thing with the vocoder would be to make sure the bands setting at the bottom is set differently for each one. I set the first one to the highest, then the second to the next highest, etc. etc. and each layer slightly alters the sound. Just one layer tends to be a really clean sound while adding more piles on the grit.
If you use ableton's instrument racks you can easily fit this all into one instrument rack which will give you easy options for automating and playing around with the sound, not to mention it'll let you save a bass as a preset to come back and play with later (which I've been doing a lot lately).
That techinque's what I've used so far in
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11870468/ and http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11711696/
Aside from other assorted doodles and stuff
