Hi all,
I do like bass on my techno tracks. Nevertheless I always seem stuck with some simple thing. I was looking the internet for midi packs, to boost my knowledge. But hard to tell which one. Does anyone have/had similar issues. Would like to know what you did
Why not just find some bass lines in songs you like, work out how to play them, then modify by riffing on them, this way you can end up improving your skills and not sounding as generic as midi packs.
I agree with @darenager. Listening and emulating will teach you a helluva lot more than copy/pasting midi notes.
Alternatively, for 303 / acid bass, I find it nice to check out these:
When in dobut. Root and 5th. Works every time
For techno just repeat the same note and play with timbre or timing, or forget scale and and play anything. If it is dissonant it will either work anyway or you will just know if it’s off
If following chords use those notes.
Midi packs? What? When the bass is just an afterthought for your track, you can just stick to the root.
For more advanced bass, program a rhythm that compliments the drums and then mess with the pitches. I think that simplifies the process.
A mix of short and long notes is also nice.
Lots to think about. Also very important is the vibe of the song and its purpose
Another good tip, especially for Elektron boxes: never make just a one page (16 step) bass - even a small variation helps kill the repetitive feeling.
I like using just 5 or 7 steps for bass with little note variation and very slow modulation of one or two parameters.
The rest of the pattern tracks (kick/lead/hats etc) are often 16 (or a multiple)
I think repetitiveness is key for techno, but it takes work to do that the right way.
Great tip. Slow moving lfos can help with this also. Even the simplest musical phrases benefit from slight variation in pitch, velocity, and timing. I like to use conditionals too, like 2/4 or 4/4 to add an extra note or two at the end of a 128 or 256 step sequence.
yes I know… I know the alternatives.
I know all the alternatives. Especially the copy paste one. But I’m just trying to find whether there are any relevant provides.