Favorite "traditional" synth bass tracks

[mikehalloran]

Synth bass has one advantage over acoustic and electric basses in that there are no live and dead spots due to neck resonance going up and down.

I always used about 2dB compression in my live rigs to compensate—not an issue now that I use GB basses when I play live. My go-to is the Liverpool bass. I like the Upright on some rockabilly tunes and the synth basses on a few tunes.

[Shooshie]

Synth bass is one of the rare things that synths do better than acoustics. Not saying I don't like acoustic bass, but synth bass can be so... interesting. I've used synth basses in otherwise all acoustic recordings, just to fatten it up. Of course, I don't do that if "acoustic" is an important criteria for the album, but when I can get away with it, I love to add synth basses, even if it's just barely there for effect.

Shoosh

That's cool and surprising Shoosh. Isn't that cheatng, though??

My wife was a like a little kid at rehearsal yesterday beaming from ear to ear. She loves it and even mentioned playing synth bass exclusively. What I like is being able to carve out an exact tonality and touch response that fits each song perfectly. "Just a tiny bit less resonance" "A little taste of that octave up" - that sort of thing. It borders on sound design (sorta) and cooking metaphors come to mind.

When it can be construed as cheating, I don't do it. But... there are other ways. You can always double a track, using an Aux, and add plugins to it with things like MaxxBass, other compressor/limiters, or ones that add harmonics, and what-have-you.

Again, if acoustic is the keyword, I even avoid those methods. But there are varying degrees of "acoustic," and "cheating" is subjective!

Shoosh
PS: to be clear, I've never actually done that in secret. It's always been with the approval of the artist.

[monkey man]

Another big shout out to Monkey Man for taking the time to make such a cool list!

I admit I'm skipping a couple of the Michael Jackson ones though, as I heard those EVERY SINGLE BREAK at a club we played 6 nights a week for a couple of years!

LOL Hey, they're just, as you said, reminders, many of them, whilst others may be new to you, Phil.

I'm terribly stoked that you're happy I did the list, brother! Awesome,

I'd like to add, that often an FM-based bass can be more effective and might blend better.... especially when there's already at least several other layers of analog synthesis going on.

MOST of the 80's hits -- including the ones mentioned by MonkeyMan -- were Yamaha DX7 and its descendants, and for good reason.

So true, and of course the layering-thing is why even bands like TOTO made extensive use of the DX range. One can simply fit more layers into the mix, if need be.

I reckon, to a degree, that this, let's call it "Yamaha tradition", carried over even as far as the MOTIF range and beyond is concerned, even 'though they were all sample-based. That accurate, tonally-nailed, balanced Yamaha sound lends itself well to heavy layering, whereas, as you'd know, the warm, tubby Roland ROMPler sound does not. Interestingly to me, I could even extend this observation to Yamaha's pianos. Bright, balanced, accurate and articulate, they too have the ability to cut through and tolerate layering better than any other IMHO, except perhaps for PianoTeq, which I've only heard demos of. I could go even further than that and say that this applies to Yamaha saxes too, at least based upon what my ears tell me; you and Shoosh will either agree or shoot me down with the reed-based authority you've both earned and well-deserve to have.

Heck, it wouldn't surprise me if their trumpets fall into this category too, although to my ears they're a little too much on the bright side - just a tad, but sometimes overbearingly so.

Gino Vannelli for sure, as well as Thompson Twins. Really heavy Moog bass. I love my Juno 106 for that type of sound!!

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OMG!

How could I have forgotten about the Thompson Twins? [Slaps forehead]

"Hold Me Now" is freakin' epic. Iconic, definitive baseline IMHO, both in terms of sound and delivery!

Great call, Martini Hill!

[philbrown]

My lovely and talented wife behind the lovely and talented Moog Sub 37.
Ft. Tia the loyal studio dog.
Seriously the Moog is great. We love love love it.

[Shooshie]

...and don't forget the lovely and talented iPad!
The music stand will never be the same again!
But through it all, the noble studio dog remains steadfast and unchanged!

Shoosh

[Martini Hill]

Oh absolutely Monkey Man!! I'm a total sucker for Thompson Twins! Ear Candy Galore!!!

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[monkey man]

Absorootly, brother!