How would you pull off this bass line live?

Swimming Bird · #1 09-30-2010, 12:46 PM

Hey all,

There's been an awful lot of dubstep talk here the last couple of months, mostly focused on the wobble. There are a variety of existing ways to get different wobble sounds and a couple of dubstep-oriented lpfs are being designed by Iron Ether and Copilot FX.

That said, a lot of dubstep has way more than just wobble. Case in point, UKF's dubstep tutorial. This example has a handful of wobble/synth tones which alternate for the main riff. Especially near the end, the tones vary quickly and with stutter/glitch sounds tossed in.

How would you play that live?

-Alex

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #2 09-30-2010, 12:54 PM

It's certainly possible with some advanced MIDI- setting different CC points to alter the sweep's sound or function could make it plausible. That would only be plausible if you were running your bass through a set of software plugins though. I doubt there's any combination of existing pedals that would make it easy to both get those sounds with expression control AND toggle through them that quickly.

BassInUrFace · #3 10-01-2010, 06:05 AM

very interesting, my guess is you would need a lot of money.

rottenramone · #4 10-01-2010, 10:33 AM

u need a talent pedal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXqnp4Q2uQo

iamdenialNJ · #5 10-01-2010, 10:37 AM

you need to program some midi stuff for that.

Swimming Bird · #6 10-01-2010, 01:31 PM

Just remembered I have a Kaoss Pad. I talked to my local dj store (MC Audio in Madison WI) and they're going to help me test out whether or not I can use a midi controller with the KP3 to get the sounds I want.

Best customer support evah! Also, they said they'd help me out even if I hadn't bought the KP3 from them -- they just wanna support local musicians!

If this works out I'll pick up a Behringer midi floor unit. Will update to this thread.

To get back on track, has anyone been able to pull it off with any multi fx boxes? Looks like the line 6 M13/9 might be able to do it if you can find a good filter setting. Thoughts?

Proton Lenny · #7 10-01-2010, 05:07 PM

I can get pretty close to that, albeit not quite as complicated.

I use a variety of fuzzes for differing textures of grit. But for something like that I'd use OC-2 into either the Orbit or WMD into my LPF with the envelope on. Control the wobble speed with beat matched LFO's on the MP-201 via the exp pedal. Differing the LFO's up with the exp mixed with the differing amounts of "high fizziness" by how hard I pluck gets me pretty close.

Swimming Bird · #8 10-01-2010, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proton Lenny

I can get pretty close to that, albeit not quite as complicated.

I use a variety of fuzzes for differing textures of grit. But for something like that I'd use OC-2 into either the Orbit or WMD into my LPF with the envelope on. Control the wobble speed with beat matched LFO's on the MP-201 via the exp pedal. Differing the LFO's up with the exp mixed with the differing amounts of "high fizziness" by how hard I pluck gets me pretty close.

Neato. How much tap dancing are you having to do? Is it all pretty well synced up with your MP-201?

Also, my singer just found this. Looks like a Roland V-Bass, but I can't see the floor at all.

autopilot · #9 10-07-2010, 06:41 PM

from the video posted, i think the best thing it will be a sequencer controlling the speed of the lfo modulating the filter, manually triggered, sync it to a drum machine, because with the pitch tracking it will has the consistency but you're limited to the notes you're playing . The funny thing is that the orginal gyroscope was kinda like that, a 3 step sequencer modulating a modulated filter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdoxBh2hR2g (sorry the video is with a guitar)

I'm borrowing a bass next week so i can get back to work on the project

antelopeboy · #10 10-20-2010, 02:52 PM

i used to do some dubstep with my last band, its tough to get the same tones but you can get some really interesting stuff going with an SYB-5 with an expression pedal to modulate the LFO rate, a Boss Heavy Metal, EHX Pulsar, and an octave pedal (i have a Arion MOC-1, its really glitchy and perfect for this stuff)

Obviously your not going to get the exact same sound but you can def do some cool stuff

DerHoggz · #11 10-20-2010, 09:06 PM

Square wave -> some sort of modulating filter (filtershaper vst plugin works well) gives a pretty good approximation. I assume you could find a square waver and a filter with CV that you could then modulate with an advanced sequencer. Square waves allow you to filter out to all different textures and fizzyness,

khabalah · #12 10-21-2010, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proton Lenny

I can get pretty close to that, albeit not quite as complicated.

I use a variety of fuzzes for differing textures of grit. But for something like that I'd use OC-2 into either the Orbit or WMD into my LPF with the envelope on. Control the wobble speed with beat matched LFO's on the MP-201 via the exp pedal. Differing the LFO's up with the exp mixed with the differing amounts of "high fizziness" by how hard I pluck gets me pretty close.

similar to my setup , except im still "struggling"

with a CP251 and only two feet

Joe Nerve · #13 10-21-2010, 04:27 AM

I heard if you play a hofner with your fingers that's what it sounds like.

Ursus Tyrannus · #14 10-21-2010, 05:15 AM

OK. Dont hurt me, I never heard of dubstep before, but I had to say something. The post title peaked my curiosity and I am stunned. I didnt know people did this with their basses. I'm a garage rock metal head dinosaur who over the years has amassed a sizable collection of odd and of kilter effects and make very similar noises. Every guitarist, keyboardist, and drummer I know plays classic rock or country western...save me! I feel like I'm suddenly able to see a new color! Where there was no place for what I do in my circle of friends I see a whole new world for me. I haven't been this excited about my playing in 15 years! Sorry for the long post but I'm bursting at the seams and I cant express how excited I am to any one I know in person who would understand.

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #15 10-21-2010, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ursus Tyrannus

OK. Dont hurt me, I never heard of dubstep before, but I had to say something. The post title peaked my curiosity and I am stunned. I didnt know people did this with their basses. I'm a garage rock metal head dinosaur who over the years has amassed a sizable collection of odd and of kilter effects and make very similar noises. Every guitarist, keyboardist, and drummer I know plays classic rock or country western...save me! I feel like I'm suddenly able to see a new color! Where there was no place for what I do in my circle of friends I see a whole new world for me. I haven't been this excited about my playing in 15 years! Sorry for the long post but I'm bursting at the seams and I cant express how excited I am to any one I know in person who would understand.

While the bass in the original post was produced by computer plugins, people do make very similar stuff with just their basses and effect pedals. Check out the band Nerve- their bassist John Davis posts here regularly. You can find a bunch of clips of them on YouTube- John does amazing dubstep/modular synth-sounding lines with his basses and a relatively small number of effects. Here's a clip of them working out some recordings in the studio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQ992Ekcm0

khabalah · #16 10-21-2010, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

While the bass in the original post was produced by computer plugins, people do make very similar stuff with just their basses and effect pedals. Check out the band Nerve- their bassist John Davis posts here regularly. You can find a bunch of clips of them on YouTube- John does amazing dubstep/modular synth-sounding lines with his basses and a relatively small number of effects. Here's a clip of them working out some recordings in the studio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQ992Ekcm0

good call

John Davis is an inspiration !

Bassblisters · #17 10-21-2010, 01:56 PM

Could one use an EHX Ring Thing with input modulation coming from an Ipod with the 99 cent "Oscillator" application?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tjc_zeoL2s

Deluge Of Sound · #18 10-21-2010, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

I heard if you play a hofner with your fingers that's what it sounds like.

Exactly. Everyone that's posted on TB for at least a year knows that tone is in the fingers.

KarateKid25 · #19 10-22-2010, 01:32 AM

It also helps if you move around the stage like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoAlWDVe2hw