Modeling synth bass as a beginner

[AgFx]

Hi,

 

I've just bought an HX Stomp as a relatively-beginner-bass player. I like the challenge of diving into things and going up a steep learning curve, but I have trouble finding some tutorials, books, lessons, anything on the basic terminology used.

 

The big thing I'm trying to do is to recreate the sounds that are in this video:

 

Doesn't have to be perfect, but I'm having REAL trouble getting something even close.

 

Octaver is okay, Chorus is fine (Ian actually uses an HX Stomp for that), the equivalent of the Doom 2 is sort-of close by tinkering with fuzzes, but the envelope filter? I'm just totally failing there. I'm playing around with the autofilter, but I don't really understand what all the settings truly mean and their relationship to each other. I have a rough idea, but truly understanding Q, Sensitivity, Frequency, Direction... what does it really mean in this context? And the order of the blocks, should I do something there? Use compression? And where?

 

(On another note: IRs, amps, cabs. I just have a simple Rumble 40. Why would I care about these things? Should I?)

 

So yeah, really basic stuff for most of you, I guess. Any tips on where to find "The Beginner's Guide to Sound"?

[zappazapper]

"Envelope Filter"

• a filter is sort of like another word for equalizer, something that affects the frequency content of a sound. Equalizers often have a parameter called "Q", which is sort of the opposite (inverse) of "bandwidth", which is the number of frequencies around the center frequency being affected, which is set by the "Frequency" parameter, obviously. So a high Q would affect only a few frequencies around the center frequency, and a low Q would affect more. So for a really focused filter, you want a higher Q.
• an envelope is the dynamic characteristics of a sound. By "dynamic" I mean the difference between quiet and loud. So an envelope filter is sort of like an equalizer that is triggered by the volume of the sound. Different sounds coming from different instruments have different dynamic properties, which is why an envelope filter would have a "Sensitivity" parameter, so you can have the filter be triggered properly by YOUR instrument.
• "Direction" is whether or not the filter cuts or boosts the selected frequency.

"Compression?"

• compression is a dynamic processor, which means it affects the difference between loud and soft. As the name suggests, it COMPRESSES or reduces the difference between loud and soft. There really are no hard and fast rules, but on first glance, it seems to me that a compressor before the envelope filter might make it more difficult to hear the effect of an envelope filter since an envelope filter is looking for the difference between loud and soft. On the other hand, it might be a great thing to put an compressor AFTER the envelope filter to even out the peaks created by a filter with a high Q.

"IRs/Amps/Cabs"

• The Helix is a modelling processor. "Modelling" means it's trying to sound like different real-world pieces of equipment. That really doesn't have anything to do with the amp that you're using. Basically what it means is that if you create an Amp+Cab block of a Ampeg SVT, the Helix is going to try and make it sound like your bass is plugged into an Ampeg SVT, and then mic'd in a studio setting. It doesn't mean that you can only use an Ampeg SVT model if you own an Ampeg SVT. But your amp has its own characteristics that can't be easily negated, so what you'll actually end up hearing is the sound of your bass plugged into an SVT, mic'd in a studio, and then the mixer in the studio plugged into your amp. As you can imagine, that probably won't actually end up sounding like an SVT. Part of the issue is all the tone controls on the front of your amp, so some people try and negate that by plugging the Helix into either the FX Loop Return or Power Amp Input of their amp (most amps have one or the other, some amps, like my own bass amp, have both...  the basic difference is whether or not the FX loop comes before or after the Master Volume on the amp). However, speakers also have a huge affect on the way things sound, so some people use what are called FRFRs, which is short for "Full Range Flat Response". What that means is that "Full Range" the speaker can reproduce frequencies in the entire audible range (many speakers found in guitar amps have a pretty severe high-frequency roll-off, which is part of the classic sound of a guitar...  many bass amps actually have tweeters in them, which makes bass amps come a lot closer to being FRFRs than guitar amps), and "Flat Response" it reproduces those frequencies in more or less an equal way across frequencies, so no high-frequency roll-offs and no huge cuts or boosts. This type of system does a good job of reproducing the sound of an amp being mic'd in a studio. There are other approaches that take the whole concept to a whole other level (Line6 Powercab is designed to recreate the sound of a real amp in a room, not mic'd in a studio, by using a specially designed guitar speaker and "speaker modelling" that can emulate the sound of a variety of real-world guitar speakers; and the "4-cable method" is where you connect the output of the Helix into the FX Return of your amp and then put the preamp of your amp in the FX Loop of the Helix), but these things are probably all too advanced for a beginner. At this point, I would say don't worry too much about the Amps, Cabs, and IRs ("Impulse Response" - a way of capturing the tonal characteristics of, in the context of the Helix, a speaker cabinet and a microhphone...  basically a way to add more Cabs to the Helix). Go ahead and experiment with them - there are no rules, and maybe you'll find something you like. But realize that you don't at this point have an amp that will do a very good job of sounding like, say, an Ampeg SVT, and as a beginner, you don't need to sound like that anyway. I would suggest playing around with the basic effects to get a feel for how things work, how effects should be ordered. Play with the distortions, the wahs, the filters. Experiment with the mods and delays. Reverb might not be much use for a bassist, but again, there are no rules. Put one effect type before another, then switch them around (press "ACTION" and move the Lower Knob left or right to move blocks around in the signal chain) and see how the order of effects changes the sound. Remember, there are CONVENTIONS to how things are typically done, but there are no rules. The Helix is a great way to experiment with a TON of different effects.

Hope that helps. Have fun!!

[datacommando]

11 hours ago, AgFx said:

Any tips on where to find "The Beginner's Guide to Sound"?

Hi,

 

You could try this:-

 

Hope this helps/makes sense.

 

[AgFx]

@zappazapper and @datacommando, both thx for the tips. It has helped me to at least get the basics so I'm starting to google the correct search terms :-).