Wonder bass
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Chest Rockwell
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 7:10 am
- Location: Kent, UK
Wonder bass
Does anybody out there know how to make a Stevie Wonder bass sound, I'm quite new to analog synthesis and would appreciate the help! Also, how do I get a really squelchy lead sound? Many thanks people...
Try finding a preset either close to what you want or that has a clear characteristic that you are chasing, then tweak away noting the preset values and the effect of your tweaking to see what brings you nearer to or pushes you away from the sound or characteristic you want.
If this sounds very hit and miss, sorry that it is, but it is fun and you do learn from "doing".
Hopefully, others may give a more technical approach.
Ian Waugh's brief book Introduction to Synthesis is a good starter for theory, the "Synth Secrets series from Sound on Sound are definitely worth a look at www.soundonsound.com.
If this sounds very hit and miss, sorry that it is, but it is fun and you do learn from "doing".
Hopefully, others may give a more technical approach.
Ian Waugh's brief book Introduction to Synthesis is a good starter for theory, the "Synth Secrets series from Sound on Sound are definitely worth a look at www.soundonsound.com.
Post Subject
Hello,
I agree with the previous post in that if you are new to synths, it would be helpful to use some reference materials on synth basics, as this will give you a better idea what the various modules on the synth are doing soundwise. Part of it can be picked up by experimenting however, learning
some theory makes it a bit easier to know what parameters you need to edit to get you to the sound you are hearing.
The Voyager owner's manual gives you a quick primer on synth basics to get you off and running.
Also, what bass sounds in particular are you referring to? Stevie Wonder's
keyboard setup changed over the years. The setup he used on later albums
such as Square Circle was quite different from the setup he used during the
classic four (Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Fulfillingness First Finale, and
Innervisions) era.
regards,
LWG
I agree with the previous post in that if you are new to synths, it would be helpful to use some reference materials on synth basics, as this will give you a better idea what the various modules on the synth are doing soundwise. Part of it can be picked up by experimenting however, learning
some theory makes it a bit easier to know what parameters you need to edit to get you to the sound you are hearing.
The Voyager owner's manual gives you a quick primer on synth basics to get you off and running.
Also, what bass sounds in particular are you referring to? Stevie Wonder's
keyboard setup changed over the years. The setup he used on later albums
such as Square Circle was quite different from the setup he used during the
classic four (Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Fulfillingness First Finale, and
Innervisions) era.
regards,
LWG
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Chest Rockwell
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 7:10 am
- Location: Kent, UK
Hey there, been experimenting non stop, coming up with some interesting sounds, which is definately the point and the beauty of this instrument. Still can't get the sound I'm after. Not too familiar with post Songs In The Key Of Life and it was the four classics you mentioned where Stevie used Moog and Arp synthesizer's I meant. The bass sound(s) I'm trying to get my head around are from songs like Superwoman, You've Got It Bad Girl, Jesus Children Of America and They Won't Go When I Go. Any advice would be gladly appreciated.
Thanks
Thanks
Post subject
Hello,
Yeah, the four classics are masterpieces in the art of writing, arranging,
multi-tracking keyboards, etc.. The bass parts are largely (probably all) played on the Minimoog and the higher flutelike and brassy sounds are probably the Arp 2600.
Malcolm Cecil (creator of TONTO) and Robert Margouleff are credited for Moog programming.
The previous post offers an effective way of getting a sound you want, by
starting with a preset that resembles what you are looking for and shaping it into the patch that you are working toward. This is probably the more
direct approach.
Another method of setting up your sound is by creating a template patch
based on the original instrument that the patch you wish to emulate is based on.
In this case, since you know that the bass sounds were done on the Minimoog, this approach would require you to create (and store) a template patch based on the Minimoog's feature set to get you close enough to a satisfactory approximation.
The most critical part is setting up the template, but the plus is that when you are creating a patch based on a sound originally done on the Minimoog or any other synth, you'd use the template as your starting point, eliminating the need to work within a larger group of functions.
Are you at all familiar with the Mini's feature set?
regards,
LWG
Yeah, the four classics are masterpieces in the art of writing, arranging,
multi-tracking keyboards, etc.. The bass parts are largely (probably all) played on the Minimoog and the higher flutelike and brassy sounds are probably the Arp 2600.
Malcolm Cecil (creator of TONTO) and Robert Margouleff are credited for Moog programming.
The previous post offers an effective way of getting a sound you want, by
starting with a preset that resembles what you are looking for and shaping it into the patch that you are working toward. This is probably the more
direct approach.
Another method of setting up your sound is by creating a template patch
based on the original instrument that the patch you wish to emulate is based on.
In this case, since you know that the bass sounds were done on the Minimoog, this approach would require you to create (and store) a template patch based on the Minimoog's feature set to get you close enough to a satisfactory approximation.
The most critical part is setting up the template, but the plus is that when you are creating a patch based on a sound originally done on the Minimoog or any other synth, you'd use the template as your starting point, eliminating the need to work within a larger group of functions.
Are you at all familiar with the Mini's feature set?
regards,
LWG
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Boeing 737-400
- Posts: 684
- Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2003 12:16 am
- Location: Oxford, UK
It can be a bit daunting to have a ton of reference materials thrown at you. I used a few when I started out, but the Voyager's manual had a quite good description in. I'm not too keen on the idea of tweaking patches until you get what you want. You only learn half the functionings of a synth. That's one of the first mistakes I made. Starting a sound from scratch is the best idea. Once you've done it a few times, you get a hell of a lot better at it.
Post Subject
Hello,
I agree that the best method of programming sounds is to start from an initialized patch, as this is my own favored method for creating original patches however, if your intent is to emulate a patch already created on another synth, getting a general idea of the feature set of the synth you are emulating can narrow down the parameters you need to use.
A Minimoog doesn't have the same feature set (or sound) of an Arp Odyssey, and if it is your wish to create a patch previously done on either instrument, having a blank patch sheet (they are commonly posted on synthsites) or reference for both synths tells you what parameters you need to use and which ones to eliminate if you're doing emulations of them on another synth. For example, the Oddy doesn't have a triangle wave, therefore, you wouldn't use one if you're doing an emulation on the Voyager. The template merely provides a baseline of features particular to the instrument you're emulating.
Tweaking an existing preset apparently works for some, as there are many
well-known musicians who like working with synths, yet are not necessarily into delving deeply into programming per se. That it may be different from the approach others use, doesn't make it less valid.
In the end, most of us just want to make enjoyable music.
regards,
LWG
I agree that the best method of programming sounds is to start from an initialized patch, as this is my own favored method for creating original patches however, if your intent is to emulate a patch already created on another synth, getting a general idea of the feature set of the synth you are emulating can narrow down the parameters you need to use.
A Minimoog doesn't have the same feature set (or sound) of an Arp Odyssey, and if it is your wish to create a patch previously done on either instrument, having a blank patch sheet (they are commonly posted on synthsites) or reference for both synths tells you what parameters you need to use and which ones to eliminate if you're doing emulations of them on another synth. For example, the Oddy doesn't have a triangle wave, therefore, you wouldn't use one if you're doing an emulation on the Voyager. The template merely provides a baseline of features particular to the instrument you're emulating.
Tweaking an existing preset apparently works for some, as there are many
well-known musicians who like working with synths, yet are not necessarily into delving deeply into programming per se. That it may be different from the approach others use, doesn't make it less valid.
In the end, most of us just want to make enjoyable music.
regards,
LWG