Bass Sound Design: 808s, Plucks, Growls and Sub Bass

The video covers four essential bass tones in modern music production: 808 bass, punch/pluck bass, saw/growl bass, and simple sub bass.

Each bass sound will be introduced, briefly demonstrated, and then created from scratch using Serum synthesizer with fundamental concepts applicable to any synthesizer.

Serum is used as the primary synthesizer because its graphical interface helps both beginners and advanced users understand synthesis concepts.

All four bass tones are previewed at the beginning so viewers can hear the target sounds before learning how to create them.

The 808 originates from the TR-808 drum machine, but modern 808 bass is quite different. Most producers use pre-made 808 samples from sample packs rather than synthesizing from scratch.

• Start with a sine wave oscillator • Set attack to zero for punch • Adjust hold to 300-400 milliseconds • Set decay to 1.5 seconds with sustain all the way down • Increase attack slightly to remove clicking artifacts

• Add distortion to the wavetable using Bend to create character • Create a second envelope (Envelope 3) with 0.5ms attack, 35ms decay for a sharp punch • Modulate master tune with this envelope via the matrix for a kick drum effect at the start • Add tube distortion and EQ to boost low-end around 100 Hz

Increase attack to 80-100 milliseconds if the 808 conflicts with a punchy kick drum, allowing the kick to provide punch while the 808 fills in the gaps naturally.

Also called house or deep house bass due to its typical genre use. Defined by a punchy, plucky nature that works well with four-on-the-floor kick and clap dance rhythms.

• Start with a square wave oscillator for variety • Set voicing to mono to prevent note overlapping • Add a 24dB low-pass filter • Shape the ADSR with tiny attack, no hold, sustain down to minimum, and a bit of release

Automate the filter cutoff with the same envelope used for volume shaping. Drive the filter to add saturation for a cleaner, more defined pluck sound.

• Add a second oscillator with unison (5-7 voices) using a wave shape like Paul PWM Juno for higher frequencies • Keep this oscillator stereo-spread for width while maintaining the mono bass from the first oscillator • Add subtle reverb and delay with careful low-cut on the reverb to avoid muddying the low-end • Keep frequencies below 100-150 Hz in mono for better mix control

A sawtooth wave-based sidechained bass that sounds aggressive and professional. The character comes from high buzzy frequencies rather than low frequencies.

• Use sawtooth wave as the default shape in Serum • Add a filter to tame high-end harshness • Add a second oscillator with 7-8 voices of unison and detuning • Set voicing to mono

Use an LFO with a sidechain wave shape to modulate volume, making the bass pump with the kick drum. Apply the same sidechain effect to both oscillators for consistent movement.

• Set oscillator quality to highest setting to avoid stereo artifacts • Use EQ to boost low-end around 140 Hz if the sound feels thin and buzzy • Set up filter cutoff as a macro for real-time control • Add subtle delay and reverb via macro blending for extra dimension

Use a sine wave oscillator (such as Serum's analog BD sine) with one voice of unison. Pitch down the oscillator or play lower on the keyboard for proper sub frequencies.

• Set attack to around 5 milliseconds to avoid clicking at the start • Adjust release so the note dies away smoothly without a click at the end • Avoid taking attack all the way to zero or release to zero as this causes audible artifacts

Use mono mode so multiple notes flow smoothly from one to another instead of overlapping. This prevents messy polyphonic interference and maintains clarity.

The result is a simple, clean, and lovely sub bass that forms a solid foundation for any bass-heavy track without unnecessary complexity.