How to make this bass for Psytrance

[hhuang9611]

Hi guys,

I think I have now got the hang of making regular saw psytrance bass, but I recently heard this track and has since been wondering how to make a similar bass sound.

https://youtu.be/tIGH8nWZXOQ?t=83


Sounds to be based on saw wave ... but I have no idea beyond that

Thanks in advance for your replies

[AnX]

sounds pretty basic
very short env times are key, but you really have to mess around to find the perfect settings

its also very popular to sample the notes and play them in a sampler to keep the osc phase tight

[hhuang9611]

sounds pretty basic
very short env times are key, but you really have to mess around to find the perfect settings

its also very popular to sample the notes and play them in a sampler to keep the osc phase tight

Thanks, Anx.

Well... I have tried to recreate the sound with falcon and spire with short envelope and saw wave, no success yet, but I think I'm getting close. I think there is also supposed to be a very short attack time but I could be wrong. Anyway, I don't know how to proceed further. (I will post a demo of mine later)

then, I went ahead and purchased the track from iboga record and I actually managed to isolate a sample containing just the bass. I have attached the waveform image, which I think, might (or might not) help to analyze the sound better. I can see a vague form of a sawtooth wave, so I believe you are correct

P.S. I would like to attach the bass sample, but I am afraid of copyright issues.

[recursive one]

I think it might be a saw wave processed with something like Saturn. If you add 3-4 bands even without any distortion/saturation this already will deform the wave in a way that may look similar to your pic, and by setting the crossover points to the right places you can make the bass really punchy and "rounded", i think this trick is very often used in making the psybass.

As Anx said, it makes sence to resample the bass for better consistency, it also allows you to edit the amp envlope more precisely.

[GRUMP]

Just stumbled upon this post and thought "let´s have a look on what the people call Psy-Trance today". It´s pretty much the same as it has always been - Psytrance - just like in the good old days (90s). The Bassline is - indeed - a very classic one, not exclusively Psytrance, but rather used in hundreds and thousands of Clubtracks from that time. It sounds pretty much "Frankfurt Style".

We all had - despite of an analogue Synth - EQ, Compressor, Filter these days. The Rest is maybe not worth mentioning. Maybe - ok - the term "Filter" meant something different these days.

By the way I don´t think it´s a Sawtooth. Probably not. Try a more odd one. Psytrance is not about Harmonics!

[hhuang9611]

I think it might be a saw wave processed with something like Saturn. If you add 3-4 bands even without any distortion/saturation this already will deform the wave in a way that may look similar to your pic, and by setting the crossover points to the right places you can make the bass really punchy and "rounded", i think this trick is very often used in making the psybass.

As Anx said, it makes sence to resample the bass for better consistency, it also allows you to edit the amp envlope more precisely.

Thank you! I added the saturn to the sound and it indeed pushed the sound a little bit further into the right direction

Just stumbled upon this post and thought "let´s have a look on what the people call Psy-Trance today". It´s pretty much the same as it has always been - Psytrance - just like in the good old days (90s). The Bassline is - indeed - a very classic one, not exclusively Psytrance, but rather used in hundreds and thousands of Clubtracks from that time. It sounds pretty much "Frankfurt Style".

We all had - despite of an analogue Synth - EQ, Compressor, Filter these days. The Rest is maybe not worth mentioning. Maybe - ok - the term "Filter" meant something different these days.

By the way I don´t think it´s a Sawtooth. Probably not. Try a more odd one. Psytrance is not about Harmonics!

Thank you! Could you please talk a little bit more about the waveform? Should I do something to a basic Sawtooth, like FM, AM or maybe some wavetable treatment?

[perfumer]

This is not psy trance, this is bullshit tarnce. Find something better to listen to. And don't ask stupid questions.

BTW, use aggressive sounding synth like Dune or Corona.

[hhuang9611]

This is not psy trance, this is bullshit tarnce. Find something better to listen to. And don't ask stupid questions.

BTW, use aggressive sounding synth like Dune or Corona.

Okay...these are some strong words. Thanks for the tip about the choice of synth

[Distorted Horizon]

Basic plucky bass plus layering but not sure about waveform.. You can hear at 8 minutes that most top layer that's been spread left and right. Bass mono, mid layer spread a bit and top layer to taste.

Of course there MIGHT be forementioned playing with the phase etc.

[recursive one]

This is not psy trance, this is bullshit tarnce. Find something better to listen to. And don't ask stupid questions.

BTW, use aggressive sounding synth like Dune or Corona.

This thread definitely needed someone like you to tell the OP that he was listening to wrong psytrance

Probably the only thing i really hate about psy is that there always is someone telling you that this or that track you like is cheesy/crap/not psy enough.

Btw., Dune is one of the least agressive sounding synths i own. It may do good job at full-on octave jumping bass but for proggy bass i'd choose something else (most typically Sylenth).

To the OP - i linked the Bezonance bass tutorial in your other thread, you may find it useful.

Regarding the waveform, i believe in most cases it is a saw, you don't need FM or stuff like that. You add more harmonics by distortion and/or multiband processing so it may not sound/look like a saw anymore though. As DH said, you can add a top layer which isn't really a bass, more a kind of midrange synth. This one may use a complex waveform, some stereo processing and stuff like that. Sonic Academy have a free video from their Shadow Chronicles course, it covers this.

[AnX]

sounds like an osc with a - 1 sub osc too

[GRUMP]

I think it might be a saw wave processed with something like Saturn. If you add 3-4 bands even without any distortion/saturation this already will deform the wave in a way that may look similar to your pic, and by setting the crossover points to the right places you can make the bass really punchy and "rounded", i think this trick is very often used in making the psybass.

As Anx said, it makes sence to resample the bass for better consistency, it also allows you to edit the amp envlope more precisely.

Thank you! I added the saturn to the sound and it indeed pushed the sound a little bit further into the right direction

Just stumbled upon this post and thought "let´s have a look on what the people call Psy-Trance today". It´s pretty much the same as it has always been - Psytrance - just like in the good old days (90s). The Bassline is - indeed - a very classic one, not exclusively Psytrance, but rather used in hundreds and thousands of Clubtracks from that time. It sounds pretty much "Frankfurt Style".

We all had - despite of an analogue Synth - EQ, Compressor, Filter these days. The Rest is maybe not worth mentioning. Maybe - ok - the term "Filter" meant something different these days.

By the way I don´t think it´s a Sawtooth. Probably not. Try a more odd one. Psytrance is not about Harmonics!

Thank you! Could you please talk a little bit more about the waveform? Should I do something to a basic Sawtooth, like FM, AM or maybe some wavetable treatment?

I don´t think so. It should be smth. like a Square? It should definitely be possible to make this one with the Possibilities of a classic Analog Synth - despite of what it ends up in after Mixing & Mastering.

I recommend Compression!

[4damind]

Sounds a bit like Fullon-Psytrance and remembers me a lot to Astrix (Avi Shmailov) and he is using (AFAIK) a Moog for this kind of bass. So The Legend is your friend in combination with a bass enhancer like Waves MaxBass and some kind of multiband distortion.
There is also a Juno 60/SH type of Psytrance bass... FXPansion Strobe can do this very well and is also used by some EDM guys.

[edit]
LOL, I see this a collaboration with Astrix So my first idea is right...

[surreal]

Cool

[4damind]

Btw. It is no secret that many (especially Israeli) trance producers are using Cubase. "Quadrafuzz" has been the 'secret weapon' to give the bass more bite for years. With modern synths and emulations it may not be so necessary anymore, but I would keep multiband distortion in mind.
By the way, when it comes to EDM producers, I think of Above & Beyond, 7 Skies, etc. who are avowed FXPansion users.