Squarepusher Sound (Song Specific)

rnilson · #1 05-14-2008, 09:26 AM

I have run a search and come up with no real specifics on this.

What effects is Tom using on:
Budakahn Mindphone for Iambic 5 Poetry and Fly Street
Music is Rotted One Note on Don't go plastic (At the end starting at 3:14 into the song.) If I knew how to post clips I would.
I am talking about the low end sound here.

I would add clips, but I don't know where to find them on the web. (sorry)

I am new to the effects world and really want to make my sound close to this.
What pedals would you get to achieve these sounds?

TaySte_2000 · #2 05-14-2008, 09:33 AM

He uses software based effects on a laptop for most of his sounds.

Tecx would be able to recommend pedals that would get you close to his sound.

fuNKmaster83 · #3 05-14-2008, 09:34 AM

tom rarely uses efx on bass!!!
it some times gets confusing to know what the bass actually is in his music... i know that a few of my friends once compared my efx sound with a clavinet part in one song... and it was hard to convince them that the bass was another part in the song they didn't hear

i have carefully listened to all squarepushers albums... i have them all... and really a chorus or a delay/reverb is all that is effected as far as his electric bass go... but other sounds are another story...

rnilson · #4 05-14-2008, 09:54 AM

Yeah,
I'm on to the computers/midi and all that stuff. But I am talking the bass lines in these specific tunes. I think they are simple effects. Wah, delay, stuff like that.
There is that deep synth(?) part in Fly street.
I just don't know what things sound like exactly because I new to effects.
Example (Envelope Filter VS Synth)
I realize this may be a trial and error basis, but I would like to tap this knowledge base be for I start hemoraging $$$$$

Taylor Livingston · #5 05-14-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuNKmaster83

tom rarely uses efx on bass!!!
it some times gets confusing to know what the bass actually is in his music... i know that a few of my friends once compared my efx sound with a clavinet part in one song... and it was hard to convince them that the bass was another part in the song they didn't hear

i have carefully listened to all squarepushers albums... i have them all... and really a chorus or a delay/reverb is all that is effected as far as his electric bass go... but other sounds are another story...

I don't claim to be a Squarepusher scholar, but I can say definitively that this is not true. He uses ring mod all over Ultravisitor, and envelope filters constantly on all of his albums. I believe he is using a midi pickup to do a lot of the stuff on Ultravisitor that sounds like a combo of bass and guitar, using the midi pickup to trigger the guitar sound.

To the OP, I don't have the records you're talking about, and couldn't find those tunes on youtube. You can use free software called Audacity to post a clip. Just open the song, select the part you want, then File->Export to mp3. Then you can post it on Sendspace or similar. With clips, people will be able to give you more specific help.

Bjazzman · #6 05-14-2008, 04:55 PM

I've read that he uses cycling max/msp software for a lot of his effects

Tecx · #7 05-14-2008, 05:17 PM

Tom uses a mooger EV Filter and ring mod, all other effects are from software (reactor, max msp) on his mac book. One of the big Squarepusher sounds comes from running an expression pedal into both the mix and frequency inputs so as the tone transforms from dry to clean the pitch raises on the ring mod. Another classic SP tone is the EV filter running into the ring mod for that voice like squawk.

Alex

Tecx · #8 05-14-2008, 05:22 PM

Oh and BTW... The sound on Don't Go Plastic is the Moog EV Filter.

Auchenorrhyncha · #9 05-14-2008, 05:29 PM

yeah its the two moogs + expression pedlols + MAX/MSP

Basses are stingrays, Warwick Fortress II Six string, jazzes

fuNKmaster83 · #10 05-15-2008, 06:05 AM

thats the new album /latest... and it sound crap compared to his previous work...

the envelope sounds are TB303 or Roland SH201 in most cases and some times a clavinet with auto wah can sound like a bass but listen close where the bass is at... this i am saying for the old records
in general its hard to know what the bass part actually is in electronic music juts by listening... it could be a funky keyboard line or a simple side by side with the kick... the only one that knows this is the one that did the record... others like us can just guess

Taylor Livingston · #11 05-16-2008, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuNKmaster83

thats the new album /latest... and it sound crap compared to his previous work...

the envelope sounds are TB303 or Roland SH201 in most cases and some times a clavinet with auto wah can sound like a bass but listen close where the bass is at... this i am saying for the old records
in general its hard to know what the bass part actually is in electronic music juts by listening... it could be a funky keyboard line or a simple side by side with the kick... the only one that knows this is the one that did the record... others like us can just guess

Hmm... no. Ultravisitor is not his latest record; it's 4 years old now. I am positive that some of the fast enveloped sounds are him slapping his Warwick, and you can see for yourself if you look up some live videos on youtube.