Autechre NTS Session 1, track - “four of seven” BASS sound

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

I’ve been trying to get this bass sound on my Analog Four MKII.
Is anyone familiar with this track by Autechre on NTS Sessions - “four of seven”?
There’s this wonderful thump-dubby bass line comes in every 32nd beat (?) “BUM”! Thick, heavy…
Been trying to create the sound on my A4 but as yet with no success… though I have found other amazing sounds in the process.
Just wondering weather it’s possible on the A4 or I’m gonna need some kind of external processor??

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#2

Do you mean the sequence that runs through the song? It’s a chromatic scale going up and down. The sound is weird, probably there’s modulation happening in each step, changing the harmonics of the notes, plus the filter cut-off opening and closing. So there are at least modulations happening in each step.

#3

Sound you want to recreate is basically a kick drum with a bit longer decay.
I think you can achieve pretty close sound on AR very fast – just BD model and filter movement on low frequency.
On A4 – start with some BD presets (EXP LFO on pitch necessarily), increase decay, make second filter HiPass and set frequency to low amount with high resonance, then add modulation to it.

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#4

It’s a sequence yes, but once every 32-48steps or so? A dull thump thick heavy bUm…
I’ve been trying to get that heavy bass on the A4 but I’m just het sharpness or dullness…NO WEIGHT which I’m after

#5

Ok, I’ll give that a go later. Thanks

#6

Ha! That’s Autechre! Love it.
They just get better with each new release

#7

I came close to the sound (well kinda sorta) with a triangle wave on osc1 (tun= -12) with ring mod from osc 2 (coarse tune to +32, pw to +28.
Osc1 pitch mod from env2 (shape 5) d=47, r=24, mod depth=7.
Amp env shape 2 a=0, d=64, r=57
I p-locked osc2 coarse tune on each step to get those variations you hear in the AE track.

Obviously the sound is still off, but all my four attempts which started from triangle osc1 with ring mod from osc2 kinda had that character.

You could try p-locking osc2 pw, or modulate, from an lfo, lfo pitch mod on osc 2 - its all about fine tuning the sound.

#8

I was wrong. After trying on a synth I realized that to get such heavy tone you should use sine wave. Here is instruction:

  1. OSC1 wave to feedback
  2. Filter 1 freq to about 30 and res about 20, with a bit of envelope, to emphasize bass
  3. Filter 2 freq to about 22 and res to max, lowpass, depth +10, so it can self-oscillate
  4. Tune AMP to like on long decay BD
  5. Use LFO to modulate F2 freq a bit, with mult 256 or 512 and fast fade (about +50)
  6. Turn on AM1 to modulate OSC1 by OSC2 (this is not real AM, just turning on/off OSC1 level in fact) tune OSC2 a bit lower about -10 and square wave, level to zero, so now FM2 and FMX modulation will take effect on final sound.
  7. With short envelope modulate FM2, FMX and filters freq to get more BD like sound. You can add it to second destination of LFO created in (5) or create FM-fast LFO with zero depth, which opens by short envelope.

4-Audio 0001 [2019-09-29 011122].aif (3.2 MB)

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#9

I don’t have an A4 but what @stankeev says make perfect sense in how to get that booming kick sound. If you like alot of those sounds on NTS, you really want to get something that does FM. It’ll make getting those sounds a lot easier. By the way, I love that track. Especially that break at the 4:15 mark. :sunglasses:

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#10

FM ! You’ve turned my head EARTH2j… Something like the DN are you suggesting?
Since reading that post I’ve checked out Cuckoo and then his NAMM 2018 video with Simon demoing DN. And I love his bobbing to that PsyTrance! What a temptation.
As much as I’m enjoying my A4 twiddling perhaps what I do NEED is something that does FM.
If I sell the guitar I have advertised here I’ll get one.
I can see me ending up back with a DT too to pair…

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#11

ae are very fm heavy in general

#12

Yes, the Digitone would be ideal in my opinion. :ok_hand:

#13

On an analogue synth with a resonant low pass filter you would tend to use a high filter resonance setting to create a very deep sine tone for bass drums. The Volca Kick is basically just the resonant filter from an MS-20.

#14

I’ve just gotten a DN.
And —- WOW!
The sounds that this little FM machine makes is making me laugh and at the same time making me shake my head with it’s weirdness. Ha!
My ears are also grating with its dissonance. :slight_smile:
I’m loving it after only a couple of hours.
But I’m wondering whether the limited flexibility compared to the A4 may cause my wonder and awe to wear off after time

#15

Check out my above comment.
You may be right!

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