Now, let’s check out that classic prosumer drum machine from Japan — the Roland TR-808 — and, specifically, the iconic subby sound of its beloved kick drum. The evolution of bass continues to this day. Here are some other examples of effective melodic mid-range bass lines in hip-hop. The first option for writing hip-hop bass lines is to utilize the low to low-mid range. Want to get all of Soundfly’s premium online courses for a low monthly cost? If you don’t take care in choosing good samples than your production and your mixes will not take care of you. The other option is to use a synth. The type of sample or synth you use will also determine how you shape the line. In today’s production world, it’s hard to find a big hip-hop hit without an 808 or sub bass. Learn the nuances of producing beats, arranging tracks, and creative sampling, drawing on the rich history and influence of hip-hop. After all, it should mirror your kick, maybe even exactly. Create a more musical internet with us, one email at a time. Another way you could attack the sidechain technique is to only take out the low end of the 808 instead of all the frequencies. It’s also a good idea to think about the role 808s typically fill in your sub-genre.

I like the tape saturation for this because really there’s a couple things that it’s doing for me: It’s rounding off the edges and softening them up (making them less sharp) and it’s also adding a subtle amount (or a lot) of distortion that thickens the lower mids. Most samplers will automatically start resampling the sound so that its pitch is adjusted as you play it in. Nowadays, the subby 808s are most commonly found as a bass tone that’s been layered with a punchy kick sound. In all honesty, you can have as many or as little parallel faders as you want.

By repeating the root note of the chord a few times, the bass part defines the underlying harmony (E minor to A major, two bars each), before continuing into a funky outline of the scale. Here is the drum and bass MIDI for the Future track, if you’d like to pull it into your DAW and explore it further!

If you put a compressor on the bass, but feed its sidechain with the 808, everytime the 808 hits the bass line… I would just sit there and massage the two faders until I got the sound I wanted. It’s best to stick with the sample that feels like it has to be in the record and work on finding another one that compliments it. What Are the Best Songs That Use the Same Exact Sample? He has studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the New England Conservatory (B.M. If you are going to go with wideband compression for your sidechaining endeavors, just try to be tasteful with it.

Start by copying down the kick MIDI, or try playing your bass sound like it’s a kick drum. That’s It! In some tracks, the 808 might only play two notes, and they’re both likely roots. It really does a nice job in creating fat bass sounds. It’s definitely worth a read. This is something that seems to get overlooked a lot, but truth be told it is the starting point. Occasional course announcements and special offers Every time the cycle repeats, that low E root is right there to support that downbeat. Showcase Your Music! Great bass lines should be singable! It is an art in itself but I’m confident you can figure it out. Weekly digest of new Flypaper articles. Sounds counter-intuitive, I know. As a last bit of advice, sometimes the 808 you are dealing with just really sucks and will never sound that great. If you produce your own track, just choose great sounds, and you will have an easier time mixing. Second, notice how the bass provides a harmonic foundation.
Get music news and tips delivered to your inbox once a week. Now when it comes to fattening things up, I like to use low end EQ and some form of tape saturation.

The combination of those 3 elements can really help to tighten up an 808. This punchier kick layer typically has less bass content and is there to help create a crisper attack. The 808 is literally one specific drum machine with a specific soundset. Period.

Some are super long. We use the term loosely, but 808s reference the historic long bass drum sound first made popular by Roland’s TR-808 drum machine.
Keep in mind, these bass lines are simple — they’re not going to have the same fluidity and movement as the electric bass lines we looked at on the previous page.

Occasional course announcements and special offers. The most important relationship that we need to forge, however, is the one between the kick and the 808.

Tutorials, Gear Reviews & Beatmaking Videos! Remember, good bass lines hit on the first beat of the loop. An excellent electric bassist can bring a track to life, so it’s always worth considering recording a live bassist.

If you’re not super familiar with synths, check out our free course series, Demystifying Synths. This is not the place for a ton of different pitches — none of that funk chromaticism. At the same time, it follows standard rules for writing a good melody — it has a balance of stepwise motion and leaps, and stays within a comfortable singing range (in this case, less than two octaves).