Instruments have the fundamental frequency (the lowest note) and overtones, which are higher frequency parts of the sound that define an instrument’s tone. The most common is subtractive EQ. SPL TwinTube by Plugin Alliance. You’ll be able to use it on all your projects, but specifically, anything to do with Hip-Hop. If you haven’t heard of the Roland TR 808 drum machine, it’s where the 808 bass originated from. It went totally unnoticed, but was rediscovered decades later with the fascinating realization that it had foretold the genre of Acid House by more than five years.). For creating classic trap bass (808 bass) we will use ES2 synth from Logic Pro X.The main things in creating 808 bass are: sine wave + ADSR envelopes which will be generate the unique character of this type of sound. By the 90s, the sonic landscape shifted. Alright, let’s make an 808 bass in Logic Pro X! Notice that there is a huge presence in the 50-100 Hz range, which is right in the middle of “bass frequencies.” It is also audible in the 20-50Hz range, the “sub-bass” which is felt more than heard. This example has both the Saturation and Harmonics engaged, with both set to about 75% of the way up. To use the 808 sound is to recall hip-hop history, and to take pop new places. By the mid to late 80s, The Roland TR-808 was essentially synonymous with hip-hop music. Required fields are marked *, I recently distributed one of my tracks through RouteNote so I thought I’d share my experience! Every synthesizer I’ve worked with in the past had this option. Synth and sample heavy productions had oversaturated the airwaves, and were perceived to be less futuristic and more embarrassing. But the 808 is not a simple thing to use. Once you’ve inserted your instrument plugin, you’ll need to open the GUI so we can start working on our “preset”. Using Alchemy to create the foundation; Making an 808 bass in Alchemy; How to make an 808 bass: Modulation; How to make an 808 bass: Envelope; Should I use compression on my 808 bass; The essence of Hip-Hop music; Using Alchemy to create the foundation . Adds a bucket load of front to 808 bass lines in need of some encouragement. Drag and drop the sample in the piano roll. (And for a strange diversion, while researching this article I discovered an album worth checking out. Great, our 808 bass is coming along nicely, but we still need to address our “modulation”. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments section. Rangeofsounds.com also participates in other affiliate programs. So how do you still hear the bass and kick tracks? Other Tips to EQ an 808 In fact, when “808” is used in the shorthand, it refers to the kick specifically. The answer is distortion. Apple’s Logic Pro X comes with a variety of powerful software instruments. Distortion adds a sonically pleasing layer of overtones to a sound. 2000-5000 high-mids. A lot of instruments’ “tone” is in this range, but too much is tiring on your ears. Now that you’ve got yourself an 808 bass, I suggest you save this “preset” as your own. The next thing to try is the SPL TwinTube Processor. Yes, that means that when you listen to music on a small speaker, you are actually not hearing the bass frequencies at all. And the 808 is a unique challenge. In an effective mix, the tracks that extend down to the bass frequencies (250 Hz and below) should have their own separate frequency ranges. By default, you’ll already have a “patch” loaded in Alchemy. If you haven’t gotten the chance to use Alchemy yet, this will serve a great introduction! This could give you a “clicky” sound that honestly isn’t that satisfying. 500-2000 Hz mids. Now we need to target our “master tune” to make a few changes…. If you haven’t heard of the Roland TR 808 drum machine, it’s where the 808 bass originated from. Where you hear the fundamental frequencies of bass and kick tracks, generally. This is what you’ll get by default, but once again, we have a few small modifications to make. If you would like to preserve this quality, ignore this step…. Next, we’re going to be looking at Alchemy’s “filter” section…. Be careful, because too much in this range creates a “woody knock” tone. The first thing to note are the specific plug-ins that support sidechaining, most notably the Compressor plugin, but also Noise Gate, Auto Filter and the EVOC 20 TrackOscillator. If we simply ignored this, our 808 bass would be affected by how “hard” we hit our keys. Being able to monitor bass frequencies is important here too. Recording Levels: Digital Recording | Should you be Tracking at -18 dBFS? We’re going to use the EXS24 808 kit that comes with Logic, although if you have some more interesting, processed 808 libraries on your HD, then even better. You’re not sure why you have it. You can also personalize your 808 by adding some saturation as well. With this configuration, you may not need to touch the EQ. professional mixing and mastering service, Best Electric Guitar Strings for the Fender Stratocaster, Best Talk Boxes for Guitar, Keyboard, Synthesizer, and More. 808 Sample with Tube Screamer in Ozone EQ Analyzer 2. However, recreating this iconic sound is easier than ever, so today we’re learning how to make an 808 Bass in Logic. We respect your privacy. This is the synthesized “impact” tone of the 808. And this graph shows the decay of the 808, captured a second or so after the attack. This graph shows the attack- the frequency response of the drum at the moment it plays. Alchemy has some integrated effects, but you can use any plugin you like. It had been coming for a while, but when Kanye West released an album titled 808s and Heartbreaks it was official: The 808 is a legend. Notice that almost all of the sound above 200 Hz has already decayed, but the huge 50-100 Hz bump sustains. Simultaneously, hip-hop was developing rapidly as a genre. Your Home for Audio Engineering Information and Services. 808 … If you are using an 808 in place of a bass and kick, then you probably don’t have any issue. If you’re using different software, you’ll want to click “initialize preset” as well. 808 Hat Improver – Maserati GRP Brightens up your 808 hi-hats to really help them poke out in the mix. Furthermore, the kick, snare and hihat sounds were distinct from other genres at the time, which allowed hip-hop to carve out its own distinct sound and identity. And there’s a slow slope downwards all the way to the highest frequencies. Remember the frequency charts above. Start with the unprocessed sound, which is audible in this video. All Rigths Reserved. A documentary about the 808, imaginatively titled 808, was released in 2015. So the first thing we’re going to do is swap that “saw wave” for a “sine wave”. Hit “edit”. An 808 sound or imitation thereof is available in countless sample packs, but many samples already contain their own processing. Open up EXS24. This is what your synthesizer should now look like…. The TR-808 was a natural tool for the hip-hop ethos, the ability to express oneself without a huge budget or formal training. We’re only going to be needing ONE oscillator to make an 808 bass (although Alchemy has FOUR). It’s much more subtle than the Tube Screamer. Where you feel the “warmth” of your track’s tones. Your email address will not be published. Logic Pro Tutorial Apple Logic Logic Pro X Gaming Room Setup Sound Studio Ableton Live Recorder Music Good Tutorials Kicks More information ... People also love these ideas Now the tone of your 808 will come through more clearly over smaller speakers. There are TWO main components to the sound we will be creating…. Since the Roland TR 808 drum machine was NOT velocity-sensitive, we need to reproduce this. How to Use a Synthesizer | The 7 Main Components of a Synthesizer, RouteNote Music Distribution Review | Decibel Peak Academy, How To Switch Music Distributors | Decibel Peak Academy, Standing Desk for Music Production | Decibel Peak Academy, Loudness Standards for Music | Decibel Peak Academy. That’s a very important way to understand EQ- if you inherently understand how different feelings translate to different ranges, you can mix with your ears and not your eyes. Perfect, now let’s just add some “release” time in our “AHDSR envelope” and we’re done. Let’s move on to the top portion of our synthesizer (Sources, Filter and Master). Boost here for a warmer sound, cut for a cooler sound. Try applying the distortion directly to the 808 track, or apply it to a high-passed parallel track so that the low frequencies are clean. The 808 takes up the 50-100Hz range comfortably, and you may even try boosting 100-200 or 100-250 a bit to give the 808 a rounder, fuller feeling. More tone information, and some percussive snap. In my opinion, the test for producers is how skillfully they handle bass frequencies in their tracks. I mix on Yamaha HS8 monitors, which have pretty good bass response, and sometimes I use spectrum analyzers to monitor the bass visually as well. Though pay attention to the release times and amount of compression. To use the 808 sound effectively, you must first understand it. Right now, your “preset” should sound pretty close to an 808 bass, but we’re still missing that “click”. Now that we understand these principles, let’s look at how it’s implemented in Logic.