For our latest tutorial video, Sound Design instructor Chris Carter steps up to the plate with a video on creating a morphing bass sound using Native Instruments’ hugely popular Massive synth. Chris has a wealth of industry experience, working with the likes of respected American guitarist and singer Little Axe, Shara Nelson of Massive Attack fame & Asian Dub Foundation, as well as the legendary Adrian Sherwood of On-U Sound. He has released his own productions on the labels TCR, Botchit and Scarper and he’s also a DJ/remixer and music library creator. Our production courses at diploma level or above all feature sound design classes.
To demonstrate these twisted, distorted bass sounds Chris loads up the wavetables in Native Instruments’ Massive, selecting Kangaroo, which is well suited to distorted sounds and Carbon. Oscillators create a weighty, ‘sub’ character and to get the movement going he increases the number of voices and pan position, creating a wider stereo effect.
From here the list of variables gets pretty tasty: modulating wavetable positions using LFOs or envelopes, assigning macros, introducing shapers and insert and send effects all variously bend and pull apart the distorted sound he started with. Though Chris does emphasise caution to avoid completely destroying the definition of the sound, the potential for weirdness is great, especially when feedback and filters are introduced. There’s a lot of fun to be had here – another reason to get your hands on Massive and get creative with it.
This video is part of the sample course of the BA (Hons) in Music Production and Sound Engineering which is also available online. We also recommend you check out our newest degree programme, the BA (Hons) in Music Production and DJ Practice which launches next semester. Don’t forget that clearing is now open, so it’s not too late to apply for a September start date. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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** Editors note: Things have moved on significantly since this article was published 🙂 Please head to our blog homepage for the very latest tutorials & masterclasses at pointblank.