The reason that the fundamental of a square wave cuts through more than that of a saw wave is because the even harmonics of the saw wave in the sub region are masking the fundamental. The square doesn't have those. A touch of even harmonics will help the square sub to become even more powerful but too much and it'll lose the deep feel.
It's good to note this if you use saturation too. picking a type that is primarily odd harmonics will sound more subby than ones with a lot of even harmonics
Yes! also if any body is wondering which wave shapes have odd only, or both odd an even harmonics; any wave that is symmetrical - meaning it look same when turned end for end or upside-down contains only only odd numbered harmonics. So a triangle wave would fall into this category but it's higher harmonic frequencies decrease in intensity above the fundamental much more rapidly than the square, giving it that beautiful mellow 'hollow' sound.
honestly a video I really needed to hear! I always focus on harmony in my music but was always worried my basses weren’t interesting enough, but it turns out I don’t need crazy basslines as long as everything else is working in tandem - now I know I can cut things back and focus on just the bass if I need to
Great video! Thanks for sharing. Subscribed! “Conversational” exchanges of phrasing is definitely a powerful compositional tool, and a great way of describing it. I think the term “point / counterpoint” is similar, though maybe that’s used more within a given part as opposed to from part to part. Also you made a great point about that semi-religious experience of bathing in gigantic sound waves. There’s plenty of music (or rather musical decision making) that wouldn’t exist without the help of the amps and such that writers hear them through. Doom metal as a genre couldn’t have happened without huge tube amp rigs. Gear can be a critical part of the feedback loop of songwriting that makes those droning notes and simple harmonies exciting to explore. It would’ve never happened if those bands were playing on little amps. All those gear purchases are worth more than just the face value of the sound quality, they’re opening up new compositional opportunities.
Oh man, Anthony Marinelli has some synth bass tips for the minimoog and arp2600. His work is legendary! But thanks for all the work you do! I’m always working on composing longer structures using synths.
I think what you're saying about using the bass to lock in everything above it is demonstrated really well by some legendary bass guitarists in rock, jazz, and funk. The two immediately coming to my mind right now are John Entwistle and Aston Barrett, both of which frequently serve as absolutely perfect musical anchors and the glue that holds a song together without overwhelming everything else going on.
I feel like when I feel stagnant with what I'm writing you come out with a video with some sort of instrumental that inspires me - while I learn! Thank you sir!
I love this bass "trick". It gives you upper structure triads, sometimes a dissonance to resolve....or the bass dictates the harmony to move to a different center/mood
Haven't checked out your ebook but of course, a solid grasp of harmony provides all the stuff you're talking about. For example, if I voice a G-7 in my right hand, by changing the bass note to Eb, I know I'm creating an Ebmaj9 sound. I then move the bass to C and then I've got a C11 sound. This kind of stuff is invaluable in composition.
thanks for this. im really curious to try out some new combos. The roland SE-02 I have has some interesting waveforms....a sawtooth plus triangle blend and a reverse triangle on OSC 3. that with the Xmod feature should lead to some interesting sounds.
I have a hunch that T Anderson blends in an electric bass (5 string) with never ending decay (compressor and loop), especially when I listen to my favorite track titled Nightingale on album Nuit. The rumble sounds natural, its controlled and totally earth shattering, even on Soundcore ear buds.
This video prompted me to open the STAFF view (Cakewalk Sonar) so I could see a staff line for "keys" and "bass" allowing me to compose the bass line to move as you should Bach did with pedals and manuals. I prefer to look at staff view than piano roll when composing/improvising.
The logical way forward, would be a lesson in counterpoint. I had no musical education and I can't do the dots but I hear harmony and I feel it just as you describe; as q resonance in the body, a rightness. When I hear contrapuntal playing, from a Bach fugue to a Shostakovich string quartet to Juju music, for me it's about being important but not getting in the way so that others can be important too but also the space between th notes ( a big lesson).
May I ask which VST plugins you would recommend for Ableton for the kind of music you play on "Static Deviations"? Like mystic and deep and dark sounding kind of sounds
I like boring bass.Boring melody Boring rhythm.Boring everything.I'm boring and that's boring.Boring sine waves.Boring square waves.Boring harmonics.Boring fundamentals.I'm even bored with boredom.I have a boredom based company and we have regular bored meetings and i'm chairman of the bored.I even box boredom - in cardbored boxes - and bore people with cardbored unboxing videos.I drill down for boredom and create bore holes and i can tell you - that's bloody boring ! I've even bought a ship just so that i can say " All abored ! " - that's how boring i am.And you think bass is boring ! ?
I've been trying to keep away from music theory (to not ruin my organic music making process, whatever that means), but your excellent videos are making it really difficult to not dive in.
I second this! I find your approach to these videos is bridging the gap between my own classical music education and what I'm learning in mid-life about synthesis, voicing, composition, mixing, balancing, etc. I am finally REALLY seeing where all the theory, harmony, counterpoint, etc. can get put to work!
I think that's a myth told by those who don't want to learn theory. It's not for everyone, but it doesn't ruin anything. But, for some people (myself included) more theory knowledge can lead to overwhelm and analysis paralysis if they're not sure how to apply it to a creative process. It's why I try to approach things from a creative/compositional perspective rather than an analytical/theory perspective. It's about combining the head knowledge with the intuitive, exploratory aspects of making music. For me that happened when the theory became almost subconscious and started helping me make decisions without actively thinking about it.
@@JamesonNathanJones You creative / compositional approach really helps since it's practical and hands-on. I just learned about paradiddles, I didn't read too much into the theory, but instead just made a track with the basic idea and made myself figure it out on my own. It was fun, interesting, and productive.
Slightly out of tuned saw tooth waves, beat locked PWM on the sub octave, feed first filter (12db) with FM from a sexy woman talking dirty and resonance at 50%, feeding second filter (24db) with slight dynamic envelope and resonance at zero.
Sorry but if someone can't get a bass to cut through a mix they have no business mixing cause frankly its trivial to do so. The most likely cause is the acoustics in the room stink or the speakers stink. Also the reality is if the acoustics in the room are bad and the speakers are not that great the sound design is going to be bad as well.
I mean, this video isn't really getting at mixing as much as it is arrangement. Leaving space for more interesting bass lines is compositional, not mixing. Personally, I'd been making electronic music for about two years before I was happy with my method of mixing low end. I also didn't have monitors, but getting open back headphones was a big help.
Good headphones. Most people listen to everything thru headphones these days,. Now headphones are good enough to mix and master. Now I'm using AKG 702, and Phillips Fidelio for a good reproduction of a fuller rounded speaker setup. Just don't turn them up LOUD to protect your ears in the longer-term, I'm good after 30 years using headphones, mixing and gaming. Only mid and large speaker systems used for any final eq tweaks, if needed.
For more free harmony--related goodies I like to use in my own music➡bit.ly/FreeHarmonyGuide
The reason that the fundamental of a square wave cuts through more than that of a saw wave is because the even harmonics of the saw wave in the sub region are masking the fundamental. The square doesn't have those. A touch of even harmonics will help the square sub to become even more powerful but too much and it'll lose the deep feel.
It's good to note this if you use saturation too. picking a type that is primarily odd harmonics will sound more subby than ones with a lot of even harmonics
I remember watching an Anthony Marenelli video where he said to layer a Saw on top of a Square and adjust the volume to get a rich bass
Yes! also if any body is wondering which wave shapes have odd only, or both odd an even harmonics; any wave that is symmetrical - meaning it look same when turned end for end or upside-down contains only only odd numbered harmonics. So a triangle wave would fall into this category but it's higher harmonic frequencies decrease in intensity above the fundamental much more rapidly than the square, giving it that beautiful mellow 'hollow' sound.
honestly a video I really needed to hear! I always focus on harmony in my music but was always worried my basses weren’t interesting enough, but it turns out I don’t need crazy basslines as long as everything else is working in tandem - now I know I can cut things back and focus on just the bass if I need to
Great video! Thanks for sharing. Subscribed!
“Conversational” exchanges of phrasing is definitely a powerful compositional tool, and a great way of describing it. I think the term “point / counterpoint” is similar, though maybe that’s used more within a given part as opposed to from part to part.
Also you made a great point about that semi-religious experience of bathing in gigantic sound waves. There’s plenty of music (or rather musical decision making) that wouldn’t exist without the help of the amps and such that writers hear them through. Doom metal as a genre couldn’t have happened without huge tube amp rigs. Gear can be a critical part of the feedback loop of songwriting that makes those droning notes and simple harmonies exciting to explore. It would’ve never happened if those bands were playing on little amps. All those gear purchases are worth more than just the face value of the sound quality, they’re opening up new compositional opportunities.
0:20 somewhere out there, Rick Beato's ears started itching and he doesn't know why
It's Rick's world and we're all just living in it.
Oh man, Anthony Marinelli has some synth bass tips for the minimoog and arp2600. His work is legendary! But thanks for all the work you do! I’m always working on composing longer structures using synths.
This was incredibly insightful and well put together!
I think what you're saying about using the bass to lock in everything above it is demonstrated really well by some legendary bass guitarists in rock, jazz, and funk. The two immediately coming to my mind right now are John Entwistle and Aston Barrett, both of which frequently serve as absolutely perfect musical anchors and the glue that holds a song together without overwhelming everything else going on.
The best part is the humble humour and then the content is top shelf
Yeah
Nick Batt / synth memes reference 🤣😜🙌
The PWM King himself
If you are in the UK look up Norwich Arts Centre synthfest happening in february !
I feel like when I feel stagnant with what I'm writing you come out with a video with some sort of instrumental that inspires me - while I learn! Thank you sir!
These videos are super helpful thank you for covering these! I don't think it gets talked about like this enough!
There's something about the sound of the Moog Sub37 that literally melts me.
Better grab a sponge
I love this bass "trick". It gives you upper structure triads, sometimes a dissonance to resolve....or the bass dictates the harmony to move to a different center/mood
Haven't checked out your ebook but of course, a solid grasp of harmony provides all the stuff you're talking about. For example, if I voice a G-7 in my right hand, by changing the bass note to Eb, I know I'm creating an Ebmaj9 sound. I then move the bass to C and then I've got a C11 sound. This kind of stuff is invaluable in composition.
Great down to earth advice.
thanks for this. im really curious to try out some new combos. The roland SE-02 I have has some interesting waveforms....a sawtooth plus triangle blend and a reverse triangle on OSC 3. that with the Xmod feature should lead to some interesting sounds.
I have a hunch that T Anderson blends in an electric bass (5 string) with never ending decay (compressor and loop), especially when I listen to my favorite track titled Nightingale on album Nuit. The rumble sounds natural, its controlled and totally earth shattering, even on Soundcore ear buds.
Amusing Dialogue. Subbed
2 minutes in and I'm so glad I happened to be playing this through my mains
Square is my go to bass, pwm for something extra
I love the Hank Hill/Tom Anderson impression there in the beginning lol
Great video good sir
This video prompted me to open the STAFF view (Cakewalk Sonar) so I could see a staff line for "keys" and "bass" allowing me to compose the bass line to move as you should Bach did with pedals and manuals. I prefer to look at staff view than piano roll when composing/improvising.
The logical way forward, would be a lesson in counterpoint.
I had no musical education and I can't do the dots but I hear harmony and I feel it just as you describe; as q resonance in the body, a rightness.
When I hear contrapuntal playing, from a Bach fugue to a Shostakovich string quartet to Juju music, for me it's about being important but not getting in the way so that others can be important too but also the space between th notes ( a big lesson).
Check out Tipper, and NI Razor.
Watching what you were doing with your feet on the organ blew my mind so hard it made me grumpy.
This made me laugh! 🎶🤣
May I ask which VST plugins you would recommend for Ableton for the kind of music you play on "Static Deviations"?
Like mystic and deep and dark sounding kind of sounds
4:21
That's true
Based on the melody and harmonies I'm hearing you play, I feel like you should check out the Bloodborne soundtrack. Enjoy!
Some very dry humour going on here❤❤❤❤❤😂😂😂😂
the return of the *youtube shorts!
It's hip to be square 🙃
I like boring bass.Boring melody Boring rhythm.Boring everything.I'm boring and that's boring.Boring sine waves.Boring square waves.Boring harmonics.Boring fundamentals.I'm even bored with boredom.I have a boredom based company and we have regular bored meetings and i'm chairman of the bored.I even box boredom - in cardbored boxes - and bore people with cardbored unboxing videos.I drill down for boredom and create bore holes and i can tell you - that's bloody boring ! I've even bought a ship just so that i can say " All abored ! " - that's how boring i am.And you think bass is boring ! ?
#notallbass
Very helpful video. Thank you. But as a German I had a hard time listen to your pronunciation of Bach and Fuge 😅
I've been trying to keep away from music theory (to not ruin my organic music making process, whatever that means), but your excellent videos are making it really difficult to not dive in.
It makes things easier. It’s like trying to get to a place in the woods without a map. It can be done, but why would you want to. 🤷🏾♂️.
I second this! I find your approach to these videos is bridging the gap between my own classical music education and what I'm learning in mid-life about synthesis, voicing, composition, mixing, balancing, etc. I am finally REALLY seeing where all the theory, harmony, counterpoint, etc. can get put to work!
I think that's a myth told by those who don't want to learn theory. It's not for everyone, but it doesn't ruin anything. But, for some people (myself included) more theory knowledge can lead to overwhelm and analysis paralysis if they're not sure how to apply it to a creative process.
It's why I try to approach things from a creative/compositional perspective rather than an analytical/theory perspective. It's about combining the head knowledge with the intuitive, exploratory aspects of making music. For me that happened when the theory became almost subconscious and started helping me make decisions without actively thinking about it.
@@jjbing3 Maybe I just want to get lost in the woods while trying to find that place?
@@JamesonNathanJones You creative / compositional approach really helps since it's practical and hands-on. I just learned about paradiddles, I didn't read too much into the theory, but instead just made a track with the basic idea and made myself figure it out on my own. It was fun, interesting, and productive.
My Blofeld is my “bass”(BSP is “bass player”)…..
OK, but hear me out. What if I want to create music to induce profound boredom and ennui in my listeners? This could be a real use-case!
Boring to WHO?
Slightly out of tuned saw tooth waves, beat locked PWM on the sub octave, feed first filter (12db) with FM from a sexy woman talking dirty and resonance at 50%, feeding second filter (24db) with slight dynamic envelope and resonance at zero.
RUclips shorts 😂
Sorry but if someone can't get a bass to cut through a mix they have no business mixing cause frankly its trivial to do so. The most likely cause is the acoustics in the room stink or the speakers stink. Also the reality is if the acoustics in the room are bad and the speakers are not that great the sound design is going to be bad as well.
I mean, this video isn't really getting at mixing as much as it is arrangement. Leaving space for more interesting bass lines is compositional, not mixing.
Personally, I'd been making electronic music for about two years before I was happy with my method of mixing low end. I also didn't have monitors, but getting open back headphones was a big help.
Good headphones. Most people listen to everything thru headphones these days,. Now headphones are good enough to mix and master. Now I'm using AKG 702, and Phillips Fidelio for a good reproduction of a fuller rounded speaker setup. Just don't turn them up LOUD to protect your ears in the longer-term, I'm good after 30 years using headphones, mixing and gaming. Only mid and large speaker systems used for any final eq tweaks, if needed.