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Yao,

Wondering if anyones got any tips on how to spice up a sinewave sub. I look at producers like Sigha and Spherix and their subs are so deep and warm. I can somtimes get the warmth into the sub using harmonics from other sounds but they never sound as deep. Mine sound too clean and crisp, its hard to explain.

Any tips, ideas or techniques that can be offered?

PS: Not looking for a wobble. Thought i'd throw that out there.

Try layering with a low passed saw - maybe have the sine as -1 octave and the saw at 0... lowpass to around 70-120 and you get a nice bottom end growl.

Good thread, been meaning to post something like this myself (assuming we're talking about a sinewave sub as the main bassline here, rather than a sinewave sub layered under masses of wobble)...

Will post something when I have a few minutes...

Sine waves are a great starting point for many nice basses.

Use a clipper or waveshaper to make the sine sound more like a square wave.

Use saturation to get a 'phat' bass.

Use a sinewave waveshaper to get FM like tones.

Use a reverb to add space for those Youngsta style basses.

sinewave + distortion/saturation + lowpass filter + a little bit of compression = nice

Project B ! Word homie!

as stay before lowpass a saw or sq waveform.

Or ..

High pass 2 saw's, detune them, nice reverb, and someone some flanger not too much tho, and use this snyth as variation. Fitter it in and out off the mix.

Out of interest, what plugins are you lot using for distortion / saturation / waveshaping / overdrive etc? I use Blockfish for compression and saturation, but I've never really looked into this sort of stuff properly...

Atomsplitter Audio Distroyr
Blockfish Compressor
CamelPhat
dblue Crusher (prior to this, CMT Bitcrusher)
E-phonic Lo-Fi
Mb Crushy
Melda Multiband Waveshaper (prior to this, Computer Music Edition of Imageline Waveshaper)
Medla Multiband Saturator
Melda Multiband Ring Modulator (prior to this, Novaflash RSP10)

Except for CamelPhat and the multiband Melda plugins, that's all freeware.

Camel Audio offer a cut down version of CamelPhat in the form of Camelcrusher. Camel Crusher is bundled with Music Tech and Computer Music magazine each month.

Melda do a freeware version of each of their distortion plugins. Check 'em out!

futures_untold wrote:Atomsplitter Audio Distroyr

This one

As has been argued, not all sine waves sound the same.

I find Sytrus puts out an extremely solid but clinical sub. Very very solid.

But was just trying out strobe from synthsquad, and I made a sub in there with a sine sub, with a triangle an octave even lower. The tringle was just barely audible on my sub woofer, but it seemed to give the sub some sort of breath or growl, not the fuzzy kind of upper harmonics of all the above mentioned types of distortion. I don't know how such a sound would translate to vinyl, but you know, it was extremely low wobble your balls low.

Some great stuff here, cant wait to try some things out.

I'm all for creating pressure and a vibe to my tracks, the low sinewave basslines are great for this.

im going to try some of those plugins mentioned above, i like the sound of this waveshaping buisness!

You should also try lowpassing a triangle wave with a sine on a 2osc synth to about 60hz, sounds a wee bit like a bass guitar. Also try changing the attack on the amp envelope and you get a cool sucking sound

little detune and and dabble of distortion

nowaysj wrote:
I find Sytrus puts out an extremely solid but clinical sub. Very very solid.

.

hmmm i'll have to give this one a go.

Im going to have a play with techniques later today, i'll post up a quick track when i'm done for yall to check

if your looking for thick and warm rather than crisp & clean, why start with a sine wave at all?

use squares or saws and lowpass them. with the right settings you will end up with a lovely thick sub bass.

personally i much prefer that sound to a sine bass.

I also like to alter the pitch envelope so each note will move semi tone (or even less) - it gives the sub a moving sinister sort of feel. What is also great for a swinging sort of feeling is to have the volume envelope so that the note starts half a second late or so - this sounds particularly good on tracks where there is a close kick - sub relationship

if you want motion, detuning is always good-- it's a very different flex from straight sinewave sub tho.

i do always find that distorting and lowpassing a sine leads to something that translates better across all systems-- tho it depends on the key you're writing at.

but tbh, the lower you get in the spectrum, the simpler the processing usually winds up being for me.

Sharmaji wrote:if you want motion, detuning is always good-- it's a very different flex from straight sinewave sub tho.

i do always find that distorting and lowpassing a sine leads to something that translates better across all systems-- tho it depends on the key you're writing at.

but tbh, the lower you get in the spectrum, the simpler the processing usually winds up being for me.

yeah man and the less harmonics it has as well, unless you want it to have more then it does... if that makes sense

well, heres my fiddled sinwave track.

i didnt use alot of techniques posted here, im saving those for somthing else.

was just trying to create depth and embrace.


Soundcloud

Cheers for taking the time to post here everyone, ive copied it all down for future reference.

P.S: hope it wasnt against any rules to post my soundcloud link there.