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Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:44 pm
by setspeed
Dub Fiend wrote:It's not science people, it's music!! No need to start formulating your keys, write in a key that makes you happy! :mrgreen:


Dub Fiend
generally true, but...

write your next tune with a root note of C1, drop it in a busy club with an average soundsystem, watch as everyone looks confused wondering why you're playing a tune that has no sub-bass, then come back and see what you think ;)

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:31 am
by grooki
setspeed wrote:
Dub Fiend wrote:It's not science people, it's music!! No need to start formulating your keys, write in a key that makes you happy! :mrgreen:


Dub Fiend
generally true, but...

write your next tune with a root note of C1, drop it in a busy club with an average soundsystem, watch as everyone looks confused wondering why you're playing a tune that has no sub-bass, then come back and see what you think ;)
the cold voice of reason.

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:04 pm
by digital cause
So what do yall reckon? cos I have recently done a sketch of a track, and I think the bass note (single bass note track) is G. I have found this to be too low as when I compare it to tracks with higher bass notes it does not come through as well on several systems.. but as I mentioned before it is about the A note that the bass does start to come through well, but higher than that and it just dont sound like sub...


Thanks

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:10 pm
by setspeed
digital cause wrote:So what do yall reckon? cos I have recently done a sketch of a track, and I think the bass note (single bass note track) is G. I have found this to be too low as when I compare it to tracks with higher bass notes it does not come through as well on several systems.. but as I mentioned before it is about the A note that the bass does start to come through well, but higher than that and it just dont sound like sub...


Thanks
reckon you'll be fine mate - I can't really hear F1 on my speakers but I know it comes through on a real system! :)

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:12 pm
by grooki
digital cause wrote:So what do yall reckon? cos I have recently done a sketch of a track, and I think the bass note (single bass note track) is G. I have found this to be too low as when I compare it to tracks with higher bass notes it does not come through as well on several systems.. but as I mentioned before it is about the A note that the bass does start to come through well, but higher than that and it just dont sound like sub...


Thanks
It depends on whether what you are monitoring on can reproduce those low notes. If you got a sub, (or my monitors with 8inch cones do well down to F) then you will beable to hear more frequencies.

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:57 pm
by the dub lemon
Strong sustained bass notes in my tracks don't tend to go below F, I'll use E sometimes but it's pretty rare. I'll have shorter less important notes sometimes go down as far as E flat or very rarely D but never lower and these are always short notes. So I guess my answer really is F, I like to write with the root being F or F#.

While I wouldn't really write a tune in C major/minor you can write in C (or any other key) but in different modes so F/F#/G are the main bass notes which can be fun and have a slightly more interesting sound.

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:39 pm
by Depone
all of this also applies to how acoustically sound your room is, ie not a small box.

some bass freq's will resonate around your room giving the impression that a certain note is more prominenet.

as a rule of thumb, i will rarely go below 30-40hz

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:44 pm
by wirez
Depone wrote:all of this also applies to how acoustically sound your room is, ie not a small box.

some bass freq's will resonate around your room giving the impression that a certain note is more prominenet.

as a rule of thumb, i will rarely go below 30-40hz
Modal resonances :)

http://forum.studiotips.com/viewtopic.php?t=3315

http://www.diracdelta.co.uk/science/sou ... ource.html

Get to know, people!

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:46 pm
by JFK
Depone wrote:all of this also applies to how acoustically sound your room is, ie not a small box.

some bass freq's will resonate around your room giving the impression that a certain note is more prominenet.

as a rule of thumb, i will rarely go below 30-40hz
Spot on. Same.

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 2:30 am
by madmeesh
Rob Sparx - Going Back..an absolute stunner in my opinion uses a low C, and damn, it makes my room shake. A sacred frequency that.
Maybe the popularity of dubstep will make club sound systems get with the program and extend their low end to the 30-40 range. :D

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 3:47 am
by dankface
i generally wont go below the brown note

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:21 am
by digital cause
OK. I understand everything about standing waves and room acoustics etc , but what I was trying to get at was that below C say, it just is not bass anymore... and that extends a bit higher than C in my opinion.. I dont use D anymore, and usually not E either. I can just about make myself use F, but just dont sound as sexy as A in my room and in the car system.... hmmm.

But anyway thanks for your input, just needed some reassurance!

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:08 am
by Sirius
i was surprised when i noticed there were so many people saying f. F1 is my favorite single note, it seems to resonate everything on a big system!! im all about resonating shit... sometimes i spend hours with earmuffs on just watching water in bowls/bottles & shit falling off ma speaker cabinet!!chea

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 5:11 pm
by HORSEFORCE
that other chart stops before you get to any of the good notes!

here is a better one

http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html

The lowest bass note you can hear is an E or an F. Most PAs dont get down below 17Hz.

Coincidentally, most gnarly dubstep tracks are in E or F. Wonder if producers know this, or they just keep lowering the note til it really resonates....

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 5:22 pm
by Sirius
HORSEFORCE wrote:that other chart stops before you get to any of the good notes!

here is a better one

http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html

The lowest bass note you can hear is an E or an F. Most PAs dont get down below 17Hz.

Coincidentally, most gnarly dubstep tracks are in E or F. Wonder if producers know this, or they just keep lowering the note til it really resonates....
see you just confirmed what i have been thinking for ages. F is the power chord!!pure bass!

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 5:30 pm
by FSTZ
diagrams wrote:but once the science becomes second nature it's music again :D
^^I like that

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 5:40 pm
by Sirius
k.... just figured out why F is the best bass chord. F0 is 21.827 Hz, so its as low as ya can take it audibly!!CHEA!!

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 5:46 pm
by HORSEFORCE
Sirius wrote:k.... just figured out why F is the best bass chord. F0 is 21.827 Hz, so its as low as ya can take it audibly!!CHEA!!
yep, human hearing is 20-20,000 Hz. (though most adults dont hear much over 17k)

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 6:03 pm
by Sirius
HORSEFORCE wrote:
Sirius wrote:k.... just figured out why F is the best bass chord. F0 is 21.827 Hz, so its as low as ya can take it audibly!!CHEA!!
yep, human hearing is 20-20,000 Hz. (though most adults dont hear much over 17k)
preaching to the choir bro.

Re: What is the lowest note you use for bass?

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:18 pm
by the dub lemon
Sirius wrote:k.... just figured out why F is the best bass chord. F0 is 21.827 Hz, so its as low as ya can take it audibly!!CHEA!!
I don't think anyone here is talking about F0, F1 is the one we're talking about.