In melodic house, if your low end does not work, nothing else matters. This breakdown covers two basslines that actually hit: a deep, groovy bass in the style of Oskar Med K, and a sustained, warm bass in the style of Ben Böhmer.
The Deep and Groovy Bass
A syncopated line that starts on the one, hits the groovy fourth-16th position, then an offbeat. The balance of groovy and offbeat positions is what makes it move.
Key settings:
- MIDI: a syncopated pattern balancing groovy (2nd and 4th 16ths) and offbeat positions, with the groovy notes dragged slightly late for swing
- A versatile saw wavetable (ICanHasKick), phase and randomness at 0 for a consistent result; edit the bins in the wavetable editor to shape it
- Leave ENV 1 as is, use a plucky ENV 2 on the filter
- Add lows to pull the sub out, then control it on the channel with an EQ and sidechain
The Sustained and Warm Bass
A warm, sustained bass in the Ben Böhmer style, playing the root of a simple three-chord progression, with a pitch-glide move and plenty of drive.
Key settings:
- Ableton Wavetable: OSC1 a slightly adjusted saw, a sustained amp with a bit of attack; ENV 2 opens the filter fast then closes with a decay, sitting around 400 Hz
- ENV 3 to pitch by -33 for that Ben Böhmer pitch glide; a 279 ms glide set to mono to avoid overlaps; a quiet square-ish layer to enrich it
- Two instances of Erosion, barely audible, for subtle texture
- Auto Filter on the OSR circuit for a drive knob and crunch, then a pumping sidechain, an EQ rolling off below 30 Hz, and a second Auto Filter with the PRD (Moog ladder) filter for more crunch
Getting the Bass to Sit
Loudness is a relationship, not a number. The bass should dance with the kick, sitting just below it.
Key settings:
- Bass just below the kick, never overpowering it: too loud clutters the mix, too quiet feels thin
- Check on a free analyzer like SPAN, with the kick around -7 dB and the bass below it
- Match the kick to the key: for a track in C minor, a kick in G (the fifth) sits harmonically
Grab the full course
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Watch the full breakdown
See both basslines built in the video:
Reference artists
Artists to reference for this style are:
- Oskar Med K
- Ben Böhmer