achieving better softsynth/softsampler bass?

[Guest aeser]

the main and pretty much only weakness i've found with software instruments thus far is their lacking bass "fullness"/"warmth"/"fatness", that (obviously) analog, and (depending on the equipment) digital hardware have.

 

example, my emu e4xt hardware sampler is a digital audio box, plays digital samples, but sounds so fucking heavy and full bass-wise it puts my software to shame, but why? it's just based on software too, what does my g5 lack that the emu doesn't to make it sound so much better?

 

i know the emu's have really good converters and that must definately account for at least some of it, and i've heard it rumored that emu's apply some proprietary compression to all samples kind of without telling you, which could also account for some of it, but i was wondering if anyone here knew of any other factors that may go into it and how i could upgrade my g5 to sound fuller/warmer/fatter basswise?

 

i think my audio interface is a major obstacle, i've noticed ever since i got a pci 424 or whatever it is card for my motu 2408mkII (it was originally on a pci 324 or whatever the old one for g4's was when i originally got it, and it didn't seem to sound as bad as it currently does) everything sounds way more digital-distorty, i can not only not push it, instruments sound way too distorted by default, in a very unpleasing way, so i have to turn all instruments down, and there doesn't appear through poking around in configs and setups to be any way to turn the audio interface down by default.

 

so i was thinking of getting another better audio interface for it, preferably something that handles 192khz and has good converters (at least good D/A converters) but i was wondering what else i could do to make my software bass sound better, if anyone else has any insight on this it would be greatly appreciated.

[Guest aeser]

by the way even though i've mentioned it about a billion times what i'm working with software-wise is digital performer 4.6 (5 is on the way), reaktor 5, kontakt 2, moog modular v, maxmsp, and peak 4. i love the sounds i get out of them and the sound quality, in every way but for bass. the highs and mids are awesome and clear as a bell. i just want more "oomph" from it. i figure it has to be possible at least theoreticly as my sampler is software/digital based and sounds incredible for what i'm talking about.

[Paulie Walnuts]

i actually find very little difference in the low-end between my emi (£50) soundcard and my RME (£expensive)... the difference isn't vast anyway tbh - it's mostly detail in the upper mids and tops you notice

 

you can get reasonable bass from software - it takes quite a bit of work - you really need a good EQ... voxengo's glissEQ and curveEQ are useful, but you still don't get the kind of bass you'd be used to if you've used an Emu h/w sampler

 

Emu tweak their sound a lot - especially the older, Classic range - they're very coloured... what they do to bass is incredible - top-end tends to lose all its realism and sound quite drum machiney... that's the reason soundcards all sound so neutral

 

Emu Ultras got the top-end sorted and still have a decent, altho, less analog-sounding bass

 

 

tbh, getting warm, full (etc...) bass from software is one thing i've never really managed... most s/w samplers aren't up to the job... they all use terrible playback filtering - EXS and Kontakt are terrible... that Jeskola XS-1 s/w sampler is supposed to be the best for raw sound quality - least aliasing, therefore, more tone you'd expect

 

i'm actually thinking of getting it myself right now because i'd like to sample some analog basses of my own

 

 

i suppose what i'd do is get a bunch of mc202 and pro one samples - find a good s/w sampler - then stick to subtractive eq

 

there's a technique some dnb guys use where they take the weak sounding bassline and send it to 3 (or more) aux channels... on one of them you LPF it (use a good EQ filter like glissEQ) down to about 90hz (or wherever) then mix that in on top of your untreated bassline...

 

with your third you can go for a deeper sub, maybe as low as 60hz, or maybe a bit more mid bass, 200hz, and mix that in

 

for some reason you seem to be able to add a fair bit of weight doing this - certainly seems to work better than additive digital eq

[Guest sinkfield]

layer your basslines...on one of the layers put an lpf and eq , take all the highs out and adjust the lows...that seems to work for me..i usually use like 3 or 4 layers...hi,mid,low

[Guest man with no name]

buy a hardware synth