Now a synth wave base, there are basically no pun intended three types of bases
So you have your, you know, the famous stereotypical synthwave base, which is the running base
which sounds like this. Then you've got
a more of your sweep, sweeping kind of bass, right? This is like think the theme song for Stranger things
And then I found a third kind of base is more of an ARP type bases where
the bass is kind of moving around more. So for my bass is a big shout out to synth control
And as I'm using again, a lot of his presets here, his serum presets uh for a lot of my tracks here in this song
uh from his synth wave and retro wave and outrun sample packs
These are really awesome. If you want to check these out for yourself, you can use my affiliate links in the description below
So for my running base here, I am using dancing in the dark preset here and I've got it copied and I have one that
is filtered to be just the high frequencies. The other one is just the low
So I can have a sub base here. Uh The reason I did that was so I could put some chorus on the higher frequency
base because um doing stereo widening on your sub frequencies can lead to phase issues which you don't want as you can get sounds canceling
out and a whole bunch of problems that you don't want to deal with. So uh I'm just
that's why I kind of split these out and so together, it sounds like this and I've got a side
chain type compression on here just using one knob pumper by waves
So um you don't have to do it this way, you can actually, you know
use side chain compression where you put a compressor on and you side chain it to the kick drums
So every time the kick drum hits the volume of the bass drops depending on whatever settings you set up
I've got a full tutorial on how to use side chaining. I'll have that linked in the description below
This is very common in like E D M and modern electronic music
And uh it's also pretty common in synth way music these days. So I'm using that there um to create that pumping action and I
think I use some on the pad as well during the chorus here
Now, sign sound design ways. If you want to actually know how to create this running type synth base
I've got another video on this, so I'll have that linked in the description below or uh also my free Synthwave cookbook guide walks you
through how to create this. So that is also for free that you can download in the description if you haven't caught on yet
There's a lot of goodies in the description. Sorry if I sound like a broken record
but we are making synthwave music and records are retro. So next
let's look at my verse base here, which is kind of my ARP base here
Uh I just played this pattern on my, my keyboard. So let me turn the ARP off and you can hear what it sounds like
Pretty simple. And I originally had this note up here because I was just following the root notes of my chords here
So right here. Um Something I just like to do though, I like to have the final note here of my base
have something different going on. Can I have it lead back in? So I just dropped it down here
And so that is that and you can hear it with the chords how it sounds
Not bad, but I just thought it was kind of boring. So I just put an ARP on here using the
the Midi ARP plug in here and logic. So if your, your doll has some kind of ARP plug in
you can use that. So it's using the 8th 8th note rate it's going up and I'm just using the first variation here and I'm
doing a two octave range. So it adds in more notes in a higher range
So now we'll hear that. So
I just thought made it a little more interesting and fun plug-in wise. I'm just adding a tiny bit of compression here
kind of smooth things out. Uh And then I am using this E Q an API style E Q
by the way, with all the E Q S I'm using in this tutorial. If you want to know a free alternative
I have a complete guide on the best E Q plugins uh for each type of E Q because there's a bunch of different E
Q types. And I also have free alternatives for all of these. I have that linked in the description below
But anyway, I found this really nice um kind of adding some kind of high mid increase here and then also increase in the base
I just thought it had a really nice flavor to it. Um especially in the low end here
it really gave a boost to the base without it sounding too muddy
And I've also adding in some subtle you got some subtle analog um um saturation going on here because this is an analog model tool
Um This is by waves. Um So I'll, I'll kind of highlight this without it and then with it in that
just sounds really nice. Um So there's that I've got some R E Q here by waves kind of doing the same thing again
I'm just giving another kind of layer to it because um a digital E Q versus analog model
And then this is really big. I use this on base a lot, the R base
So we hear it without it and then with it in so
you can just hear like without it, it just sounds kind of thin even with my E Q
right? We've, right. This is, we've already had those two E Q plugins. I showed you boosting but still sounds a little thin
just really warms it up, makes the bass fatter. It's really nice. Um And then lastly
I've got some chorus on here because this is big with way music bass
Now it's retro, that's how you make a retro base. You just throw on some chorus basically
Um And so that is the synth wave art base. And finally
I have got this sweeping base. I'm using the preset. Odd. Look here from the outrun pack that synth control has
um really cool. Again, if you want to know how to create AAA Base sweep or a sweeping style of synthwave bass
then grab my free synth wave sample pack in the description and you can look at my synthwave sound design cookbook and kind of just
copying the same settings from my other base with the compression with the API E Q
the R E Q I don't have the R base on here because I thought it sounded fine as is I'm adding some of the
magma channel strip here. Um Some of the tube saturations, a tiny bit of E Q
a decent amount of compression. Um All the com from my running base. I have all the same plugins on those as well
And for my base bus here, I've got a little bit of E Q I guess just boosting at 2 20 and doing a high
pass at 45 because you don't really need below 40. Really Hertz
Um, so I'm high passing that. Um, and then you have boosting at 2 20 a bit and then for fun
if you're on some more one knob plugins because I never really used these
So I felt like using it. Um, so I add some drive. I thought that sounded nice
Just a little bit of grittiness. Just turn up the knobs, one control
use one knob fatter too. So I guess it makes things sound a little fatter
So I guess this is like the waves equivalent of the sausage fatten
which is so popular among E D M producers and electronic producers
And then otherwise I've got the filter for different automation that I'm doing
Basically just the first course I have some filtering going on and one knob pumper
like I said for when I'm doing that, which is only during the choruses because I don't want my art or my sweeping
bass to be pumping. That makes my verses and my bridge a little bit more uh gives them a different field than the chorus is
when the chorus is, everything's jumping. Um It just helps give a different feel if you found this video helpful
be sure to blow up that like button like your Luke Skywalker attacking the death star
And if you want more help creating synth way music, be sure to click the video playing on the screen right now as this includes
my full in depth tutorial on creating a synth way song from start to finish with that
Have an awesome day and keep creating