Bass basics

If you think about it, the bassline within any track is probably the most important aspect, in line with the drums. You can do without chords, you can even do without melody up to a point (if it’s minimal and techno-like), but miss a trick with your bass sound, up against a good set of drums, and your track will definitely be lacking. So, this month, we take a little look at bass sounds and how to get them to sound great with some basic patching.

The richness of a Saw, with the hollower-sounding Square beneath it, makes a rich texture

A very good friend of mine often ribs me, in that playful way that friends do, when I state that my preferred starting point for many an analogue bass sound is a Sawtooth. Why does he rib me? Because he likes Square waves, and actually, I get that (but he’s