Using vibrato to thicken bass

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Dektro
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Using vibrato to thicken bass

Post by Dektro »

Did you ever use a vibrato effect to make your bass sound fatter? Do you think its a good idea? I have made a simple example in which I find the bass to be much fatter with the vibrato effect on it.
http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/47573199/file.html

The first 4 measures are without, next 4 with then 2 without (1 and 2 octaves higher) and finaly 2 with vibrato (1 and 2 octaves higher).

Does the bass sound better to you with or without vibrato?
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Ingemar
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Re: Using vibrato to thicken bass

Post by Ingemar »

Hey man, havent been able to listen to your sample, but the idea itself doesnt sound ridicolous. With the risk of being a wee bit socratic; dont you know the answer to this one yourseöf aöready? Just trust yourseöf in questions like these, e.g. what sounds the best.

Making music is fun. Good luck bro.
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tone-def
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Re: Using vibrato to thicken bass

Post by tone-def »

Vibrato bass is rather big in a style of music called dubstep. They sometimes use an LFO to modulate pitch, although filter cutoff is used for the most of the time.
Dektro
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Re: Using vibrato to thicken bass

Post by Dektro »

Ingemar wrote:Just trust yourseöf in questions like these, e.g. what sounds the best.
Yeah, maybe I should, but I don't really trust my monitors. It might sound very muddy on other systems, because with the vibrato spreads out the frequencies of the bass.
tone-def wrote:Vibrato bass is rather big in a style of music called dubstep. They sometimes use an LFO to modulate pitch, although filter cutoff is used for the most of the time.

I know that, but the vibrato I'm talking about isn't really similar. Have a listen at the example, it's a much quicker modulation, and it doesn't sound like a dupstep bass in any way. Also, this bass is a pure sine bass.
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Re: Using vibrato to thicken bass

Post by oblioblioblio »

I had a similar issue recently. I've been making my lowest frequencies using 2 sine wave oscillators put through a ring mod. I thought that it might sound really muddy and without any power, as normally for sub bass people recommend a single sine. Also with a ring mod you get side bands and other things that could clutter the low end up. Anyways I went with it because it sounded so good and when I took my set up out onto a loud sound system it sounded absolutely fantastic. Really clear, full and deep.
AK
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Re: Using vibrato to thicken bass

Post by AK »

I don't imagine it would make the bass sound 'thicker', depends how it's done I guess. I like adding a bit of vibrato/pitch mod as well as pitch bend to add a feel to certain notes, esp. when writing House type stuff but can't say I have come into thinking it might add more 'thickness' or anything.

If you modulate the pitch at a pretty fast LFO rate on a single low sine wave, I doubt you could actually make it out anyway, at least to the point of it being actually noticeable. I can definitely hear vibrato on other bass patches, and I think it works better when applied to a higher oscillator in say a 2 oscillator bass patch but it depends on how exactly you mean it to be applied because there's quite a lot of possibilities that I am thinking of that may not apply here.
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hydrogen
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Re: Using vibrato to thicken bass

Post by hydrogen »

both examples sound awesome. each with their own effect. set it on fire.
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