Synthesizing Bass For 3 Different Genres With Moog Minitaur

On this tutorial, we use Moog’s restricted version Minitaur to make basslines for techno, home and bass music tracks.

Moog Music’s Minitaur is a devoted analog bass synthesizer with a surprisingly lengthy pedigree. It’s the fourth incarnation in a sequence of low-end-only devices that started with the Taurus in 1975. This was a synthesizer with pedals that you just performed along with your toes, it was meant to sit down on the ground, releasing up your palms. The Taurus II adopted in 1981 and a 3rd, restricted version one, in 2010. The Minitaur (get it?) does away with the pedals and homes all the pieces in a desktop field.

In the present day we’re going to make use of this little powerhouse to synthesize bass sounds for 3 genres of music: techno, home and hardcore rave.

Listed below are the completed examples:

N.B: We suggest following together with headphones or studio screens. As ever, click on any picture to see a bigger model.

Why Use A {Hardware} Synthesizer?

Earlier than we go any additional, let’s handle the elephant within the room. Why trouble with a {hardware} synth when you have already got a pc stuffed with plugins? Doesn’t it do the identical factor?

The brief reply is not any, and so is the lengthy reply. If you need to ask why you may want a Moog fairly than a VST, you’ve clearly by no means heard a Moog in motion. It’s like asking “why have a steak as an alternative of a Massive Mac”. The tone is strong and full, with a palpable quantity of weight. You might be able to get the same sound with a plugin and plenty of processing however a Moog will all the time sound attractive proper out of the field.

{Hardware} synths may also carry a way of uniqueness to your productions – everyone seems to be utilizing Serum however how many individuals are working with a Minitaur? Lastly, it may be helpful to have a large palette of sounds out there to you in your studio. Analog poly, FM poly, wavetable, modular, and bass synth – all of them carry one thing completely different to the desk.

A Fast Overview Of The Moog Minitaur

Moog’s Minitaur is a two-oscillator monophonic bass synthesizer. Every oscillator has two waveforms, sawtooth and sq., and Oscillator 2 will be detuned in opposition to the primary. It has the basic Moog Ladder filter with cutoff and self-oscillating resonance.

There are two envelopes, one for amplitude and one for cutoff. Just like the Minimoog, the envelopes are restricted to assault, decay and maintain, with launch tied to the size of the decay. Lastly, it has an LFO that may have an effect on the pitch and filter cutoff in addition to glide (portamento).

It’s a reasonably fundamental synth by way of parameters, which makes it straightforward to make use of. Nonetheless, there are a variety of hidden extra parameters that may be accessed with just a few button pushes or by way of the editor. We’ll be utilizing the editor to show at this time’s patches for the sake of readability.

Rolling Techno Sub

For our first style train, let’s create rolling sub-bass to sit down beneath the kick in a techno monitor.

Step 1: Set Up

Begin by creating a brand new audio monitor in your DAW. We’re utilizing Ableton Stay however any DAW will work. Open the Minitaur editor plugin on the monitor after which create a separate MIDI lane with the Exterior Instrument plugin pointed on the Minitaur. See the Moog web site for extra data on how to do that.

Select an initialized patch (Init) and attract some notes in your DAW. Lastly, go to the Underneath The Hood part within the editor and click on on the NOTE SYNC button within the Oscillators part. This may reset the section of the oscillators with each new word performed, ensuring that every word has loads of punch at its onset.

The bass sequence in default mode:

Step 2: Oscillator

Let’s arrange the oscillators subsequent. We’re going to make use of a single oscillator for a clear sound, so ensure that VCO 2 is turned down within the Combine part. The amount of VCO 1 is at present set at midway – let’s carry it as much as full energy. Lastly, press the number one waveform button to vary it from sine to sq..

Now with a sq. wave:

Step 3: Filter

That’s actually brilliant. Convey the Filter Cutoff right down to about midway. We are able to add somewhat resonance as effectively. A setting of 9 o’clock sounds good.

With lowered cutoff:

Step 4: Amplifier Envelope

Our bass sound is far too brief. Let’s form it with the envelope. Within the Amplifier part, elevate the Decay/Launch knob to round 3 o’clock for a protracted, boomy sub. We are able to decrease Maintain to round half means as effectively.

With VCA envelope:

Step 5: Filter Envelope

We would like the bass to pump across the kick. We are able to obtain this with the filter envelope. First, within the Filter Envelope part, elevate the Assault to round 10 o’clock, Decay/Launch to 11 o’clock, and Maintain to the identical place because the Decay. Within the Filter part, flip the EG Quantity knob to the left. This may reverse the polarity of the envelope form and trigger the filter to pump out and in. Superb-tune the pumping to the beat. A setting of 10 o’clock sounds good.

The bassline now with the Filter Envelope utilized:

Right here is our completed bassline within the context of a monitor with compression and EQ plus samples from Splice’s Pressure – Techno pack:

Traditional Home Bass

Subsequent, let’s dial in some basic Moog bass for a home monitor.

Step 1: Set Up and Oscillator

First, arrange the Minitaur as we did within the techno part above, with a default patch and NOTE SYNC on. Attract some notes for a bassline.

We would like a pointy, buzzy sound so we go together with a sawtooth wave for each oscillators. We carry up VCO 1 LVL to full and VCO 2 LVL to midway. Lastly, we regulate the tuning of VCO 2 till we hear only a small quantity of motion within the interaction between the 2 oscillators.

The bassline to date:

Step 2: Filter

Let’s add a few of that Ladder filter mojo. Flip the Cutoff right down to round 320Hz, carry up the resonance to 10 o’clock for some good squelch, and up the EG Quantity to 2 o’clock as effectively so the Filter Envelope will have an effect on the Cutoff.

Now with filter modifications:

Step 3: Amplitude Envelope

We’re after a brief and punchy bass sound this time. Depart the Assault at zero for a handy guide a rough onset, Decay at round 10 o’clock and Maintain only a hair under that. Make sure and switch off the Launch for a staccato sound.

The bass to date:

Step 4: Filter Envelope

Lastly, let’s use the filter’s envelope to push some squelch into the bass. Maintain Assault at zero and lift Decay and Maintain to 9 o’clock. There’s that Moog magic.

The completed bassline:

Right here it’s with compression and EQ in a monitor with samples from Splice’s Basement Home and Terrace Home alternatives:

Dread Bass

For the final bassline, let’s recreate a basic, the dread bass from Lifeless Dred’s ‘Dred Bass’, and use it in a 160bpm hardcore monitor.

Step 1: Set Up and Oscillators

Arrange your DAW as earlier than, play in a bassline, name up a default Init patch and choose NOTE SYNC.

Change each oscillators to sq. waves for easy bass sound. Flip up the extent of VCO 1 all the best way within the Combine part, and mix in VCO 2 till you hear the 2 oscillators start to section in opposition to one another. Round 10 o’clock sounds good to us.

Sq. wave bass: