10 Tips For Synth Bass

[@bradfordkeithmadison953]

Oh my god! There are so, so many videos on “how to use a synthesizer” but HERE is THE GUY with just one video showing us “how to BE a synthesist”!!! This is just absolutely incredible stuff. THANK YOU!

[@c0ldc0ne]

I take it that modular synths are not your cup of tea?

[@Synth2000]

@@c0ldc0nethey are great for sound design but imho not that great for creating music, capturing the vibe of the moment for requires it to be an easy and quick process. My personal preference is for semi modular monos + classic or digital polys.

[@sashaSwetlowski]

ya. well put

[@gothdark616]

we are all blessed that He is giving all these tips for free here!! what a humble person with all his trajectory and being here for us!

[@DawlessHouseMusic]

He is a kind of a Saint.

[@richardleissler4333]

I know it’s crazy!!!

[@cathridge]

Indeed. I never miss an opportunity to learn from a master. Plus I'm always afraid someone will take these videos down and try to charge me for the knowledge and information which everyone is trying to do these days.

[@Synthfidel]

Learn from the best of the best? Subbed!

[@Gabrielrose.mp3]

There’s ads in the video. He’ll be making tons of ad revenue cash because his content is great. My bass is already sounding fatter.

[@monstera677]

Truly worthwhile synth content for those who want to learn!

[@anthonymarinellimusic]

Thank you so much

[@NexxuSix]

I like the fact that Anthony literally speaks to all levels of people, whether you have hardware, or a VST, beginner, or seasoned pro. This stuff is absolute gold! Thank you Anthony!

[@neonblack211]

Yeah he really focuses in the fundamentals, great teacher

[@RayyMusik]

Not only a synth wizard but also a brilliant teacher! I‘ve been a synthesist for 50 years and still can learn something from this legend.

[@joxer96]

Another long time synthesist here. These tips are pure gold, aren’t they? If you’re anything like me, you’ll get stuck in a routine and forget some of the basic stuff. It’s great to get a refresher, AND new info from a seasoned pro.

[@LovevonMelenEkman]

Much appreciate these videos. It doesn’t feel like someone trying to be a “content creator”, it’s just straight knowledge and experience shared with us all

[@richardjones2189]

Here here!

[@birdy369]

Makes things SO much easier to follow along with and understand! When you're a good teacher and know what you're talking about through and through, you certainly don't need any of the "bells and whistles" that alot of other yt video creators end up drowning themselves in, when making their videos. The only bells and whistles needed here are the kind Anthony can create from his synthesizers lol I'm so glad this man has made this channel to share his incredible knowledge with us - for FREE too!

[@nicholasmarshall6361]

More helpful than 99% of synth tutorials. Thank you!!

[@freddiebozwell7049]

I wish more artists would do video's like this and pass on their knowledge. Steve Porcaro did some in the 90s. Great stuff, many thanks from England.

[@ronroyer1888]

So great that you’re sharing your knowledge & experience with us ! As a young bass player in the early seventies I saw a n ARP 2600 in a music shop. $2500 ,but I could swing that. Sales man came up and he said you have to be able to play keyboards well to use this… and that cooled my jets. Funny thing is nowadays you can get free synths on our computers and all this 70’s knowledge is relevant again!

[@joshjones9749]

Those who know synth bass hold on to their secrets so tightly. Glad to find something here that might ACTUALLY help me going forward.

[@RaquelFoster]

It's super refreshing to see someone who actually knows how things work. I know you can make an 808 kick super fat by adding sine wave sub-bass under it. But I never knew why a square wave sounds better on a 303 but a sawtooth is ideal for a supersaw with some reverb. I've never seen anybody connect waveforms to harmonics except when they're talking about why a Boss SD-1 sounds different from the Tube Screamer it's based on. Because the guys building guitar pedals understand that the words 'phasing' and 'chorusing' actually mean something. Most producers have no idea that phaser/flanger/chorus are each a specific kind of simple circuit. The average synth nerd on YT knows a million random details about these classic synths, but that's all it is - random details. They certainly don't have the experience to know how to do real work with the equipment. Most of those guys learned to produce in Ableton by just copy/pasting/transposing 50 tracks then sidechaining till it thumps and saturating till it feels 'warm' or whatever. They certainly didn't learn to produce with synths. They learned how to use a DAW, and when they use a synth they're just fumbling with the thing trying to make a preset that sounds like something they liked in some VST. And maybe that's fine, but it's not a video I want to watch.

[@marioherrero71]

This is the most wonderful side of the internet. People like Anthony who offer us their wisdom in such a human, sincere and clear way. Honestly, this is the best video I have ever seen on synthesis and not only for the technical aspect, but for highlighting being yourself and developing musical personality, something that is sadly often lost. Thank you very much for everything, Anthony. Yoy have all my respect and admiration

[@Doctormix]

Whoah!!! Thank you for sharing this knowledge man. I really really appreciate it 🙏

[@andretonelli]

There's KZbinrs, and then there are true music pros and masters. On the rare occasions when the latter talk, it is a good idea to listen carefully. Thank you so much Anthony!

[@jlahr10]

This is quickly becoming my favorite synth content on YT.

[@Breakbeats92.5]

Synth bass is the soundtrack to my youth. ZAPP, S.O.S Band, One Way etc. That sound was so ingrained in my psyche that when I started making music as a young adult, I had subconsciously gravitated to synth bass in my compositions.

[@messybuttons7525]

This man is giving us the recipes FOR FREE! I’ve been programming synths for 25 years and I still learn something from him. King 🤴🏽

[@Pintosonic]

This is quickly becoming my favourite synth KZbin channel. I've always struggled with bass synth sound. I was stuck 80% of the way with absolutely no idea where to go to from there. This is the kind of content that an average joe that plays synth just can't come up with. These are pro level tips right there. I really appreciate what you do here because unlike 80% of synth KZbinrs, who only make sponsored video that are geared to make us buy stuff, your content is geared exclusively to educate and make us use the equipment we already own. So thank you for this.

[@Aroverlord]

Anthony, your channel is so appreciated. This kinda content for us synth geeks is just not prevalent online!

[@tntshuffle-9799]

I'm just now starting my synth journey in my 50s. I was military in a previous life and never had the time to take up an instrument. I've always been amazed by synth more than anything else. Now that I know who Anthony is, I will be following. I have a tiny microfreak synth and started taking paino lessons just so I can play the synth using a midi keyboard. Hoping I can one day pick up either moog grandmother or an OB-6. Thanks for the vid Anthony! Awesome!

[@monsterjazzlicks]

These video demonstrations are so highly professionally presented. There is nothing as good as these anywhere, period! 😁

[@eraldlesi]

Been searching for answers when it comes to the fat / thin sound with different notes and never found an explanation. Thanks for the Tip #2. You are a legend.

[@sevchyk]

Indeed. That thing happens a lot in Arturia Prophet 5, some notes' attacks disappear with phasiness..

[@Station2Station-du2gh]

31:45 a side note: The Model D re-issues have the ability to turn on multi-trigger mode by powering on the unit holding a D Major chord in the highest treble octave (D3), and conversely return to single trigger by holding a Dm chord (3). It re-triggers the filter and all EG's as well. Another handy thing is that they have high, low, or last note priority using similar power-on techniques.

[@neolyth]

imagine being taught by an actual synthesis master in 2023. pure gold! thanks antony ';)

[@Slope114]

I was using triangle as dominant wave. Thank you! Switching to sine just fixed my sound! Thank you Anthony!

[@WoolwichHouseStudio]

Such a wonderful teacher. Patient, unassuming and delivering useful content in a comprehensible way. A lot of KZbinrs could learn a lot from Anthony.

[@MikeLindup42]

Marvellous masterclass, Anthony. I know some of these things (by trial and error), but never have I seen them so coherently explained. You had a "synth teacher"! They must be like hen's teeth! And I appreciated Tip #2 especially, although for lead sounds I sometimes love phase cancellation. Will share.

[@ChangShuyeGuqin]

✋😯🤚 *We're Not Worthy!* ✋😯🤚 *We're Not Worthy!* This is such an incredible gift, Anthony, to share your expertise like this. As an amateur wannabe synthesist, this is gold and wealth and love all rolled into one. Thank you!

[@simonjefferytaylor]

I've been messing with synths for 40 odd years and still have my juno 60 from 1983 (plus a wall of modular, etc)... this is a great channel ❤❤❤

[@Rr0gu3_5uture]

I like using a 4-Op FM synth like my old Yamaha DX-21 as a base for my bass. I'll then blend the DX with an old analog like an SH-101 that's playing in unison. This way I can easily tune the much more temperamental analog SH-101 to the more stable digital DX. You can record 2 bars then phase invert one channel to see if they're cancelling each other out. I really like this sound, the grungey sounding DX gives a real solid punchy foundation, while the analog gives it overall more character.

[@timmartin6035]

I could watch this gentleman 24/7. You are the greatest!!

[@Mojorising1328]

This Channel should have a lot more exposure! Their's so many pretentious hipsters with tons of followers that act like they know what they're doing and taking the magic out of creating. I've been playing synthesizers on and off for 10 years and still consider myself a beginner. I love seeing true professionals taking such a humble and intuitive approach to making music with these wonderful instruments. THANK YOU!

[@gavingetsit]

Great video! Learned a bunch of cool stuff.

[@YippeePlopFork]

These tips are absolute gold. I’ve never encountered advice like this anywhere else and I’ve been playing synths for a long time! So many questions answered in one video…bravo Mr Marinelli. I especially liked the tips on favouring oscillators, the use of guitar effects and brightness and the "personality" tip. Synth bass lines are something I really struggle with. I’ve never - once - come up with a charismatic or even interesting synth bass line and always end up moving to bass guitar or cello to try to disguise lack of bass line musicianship with an interesting sound. All of this advice is really useful; thank you.

[@Andy-sq3im]

This video is exceptional Anthony... I've learnt more about synth bass from your video than any others I've watched.. you're particularly good at explaining not just the "How" but also the "Why". Any more synthesis explanation videos (leads, pads, whatever...) will be hugely appreciated, and I've subscribed to support you...

[@Roscoewade369]

Thanks for 40 years of the Magic

[@bis5260]

BIG THANK YOU ANTHONY FOR THIS!! 🚀🚀👍👍

[@davebellamy4867]

11:00 As an very amateur synth player I remember getting a really lovely upright bass sound practically accidentally on the Prophet-6 using square waves with a touch of PWM. 11:60 Wow, I never thought to use the envelope instead. Sounds great. 12:00 Sounds huge with just one oscillator!

[@JSoulKeys]

What an absolute legend we have here. I have no words to explain how grateful we are to have you teaching us. The 80s was the pinicle of great quality music and talent. There were no shortcuts, using loops, midi packs etc. If you wanted to be good at producing music you had to put in the hours to become great at it, by sitting down and learning how to play an instrument. Now a days people just put together a half assed drum loop and throw a midi sample over it and call it a day... no real skill or talent required. Thats why the music has downgraded. Thank you for setting the bar so high for us to reach to. You are a legend.

[@davebellamy4867]

4:19 I'm guessing that maybe it also helps to have two different waveforms as you have here. It's nice how on the longer notes you hear the beats a bit.

[@SoundProtocols]

I really appreciate how you discussed adding sustain and the use case for it. I’ve never heard anyone given an example like that, but it makes so much sense holding the higher note instead of having it instantly decay like the rest of them was a great example.

[@QuabmasM]

To learn exactly what i needed(& all I didnt know that i didnt know) & from the best person to teach it(the MJ Thriller bass programmer guy) & for free is just one of those amazing things about modern times & treasure hunting online. Im certain I wouldnt find all these tips as convenient & well explained short of some long lost pirated 80s vhs tape rip that used to cost $100 per 25 min volume lol...& even that wouldnt be up to date & straight to the point well articulated. THANK YOU! Music may very well start to get better again thanks to videos like this. I leveled up watching this back to back 3 times. And as it all sinks in, mad respect for the need for pro keyboardists & synth programmers(let alone the better keyboards you guys own)....worth more than your weights in gold.

[@arnowouap2477]

The synth bass wizard, it's cool to give us all these tips. It's really a pleasure to try out and finally be able to listen to and appreciate these bass lines. 👍

[@martattacks]

Thanks, Anthony. The "Favor One Oscillator"-Tip almost had me pull my hair out! 😅 Of course, you only get completely phased out notes if the amplitude of the two waves is equal. So easy, but someone had to tell me.

[@anthonymarinellimusic]

Thankyou !!

[@thepanicroommastering2062]

Thank you so much Anthony!! …its just amazing to get these Informations & Lessons direct from yourself. Your Sounds and programing on the legendary MJ Records (and many more) are so timeless. Be blessed ✨

[@basmatine]

I wish I could give more than one thumbs up. 30 years of composing electronic music I figured out most of these tips through trial and error, but not all of them, thanks dude!

[@DX5]

Thanks for these wise tips, Anthony. I retain this after watching the video: "Make your sounds being personal, like you are contributing to a certain track with more musicians in the studio"

[@zeusifurrious]

I've been programming analog synths for nearly 30 years and thought I knew almost everything by now, but watching this, I still picked up some really great and useful ideas on how to really fine tune a good bass patch. Thank you for the fantastic content.

[@davebellamy4867]

Interesting. This ace dude was taught synthesizers in 1976? Doesn't look old enough. Lucky man and highly talented. I'm loving this channel since I saw him talking with Doctor Mix.

[@BloodyChunX]

As an old punk guitarist that has taken an interest in synths, this video was wonderful. So well explained and kept simple. It's given me a new understanding of how the vst synths that I have been messing with work. I'm going to be looking into making my own patches rather than just tweaking presets from now on. Thank you!

[@bejeweledpro]

This is a trove's worth of industry knowledge that only comes after years of trials and tribulations in the business, and you're making it all accessible for free. That's what I'm talking about! Thank you for prioritizing the health of the synthesist ecosystem, and for providing all of us with such amazing techniques. Videos like these help me a lot when I'm in a creative rut, and give me some general direction as I'm trying to figure out what to make next.

[@sokkpupptz]

this video changed my life! 🤩 played guitar/bass/keys all my life in bands but new to proper synth sequencing and live integration these 40 mins have given me more insight into how to unlock the hidden basslines sitting in my random collection of cheapie and and mid level synths i have had laying around for ages - tanks so much Anthony for taking the time to share the wisdom and musicianship you have learned through pure dedication to your craft! Happy Solstice - Andy ink xxx

[@TheKarmageddon]

I always wished a synth teacher. There you are 🎉

[@jimdalton01]

I just discovered him and I can’t stop watching these videos! He is truly a generous master sound designer and keyboard player. I am on my way back to watch him some more!

[@DJKL]

Wonderful, honest, helpful, generous! Thank you for sharing this with us all.

[@MDoublejux]

Honestly, that's an awesome tutorial! It's not just: "Put that patch cable into here, the other end there and voila!," it's way much more! There's so much background information - Thank you, Mr. Marinelli!

[@davebellamy4867]

6:06 It's certainly a nuisance to be beholden to randomness!😂 The louder oscillator idea is one for the notebook bigtime. Sounds great.

[@lqr824]

This is a fantastic distillation of decades of experience. I may have known most of this stuff innately but I would never have been able to summarize so clearly in a small number of bullet points. I don't know if I've ever had something nice to say on a how-to-synth video in my life, but I'll say it now: nice!

[@watkins7086]

The first tip about keeping one Osc at the center favored and two other detuned Oscs lower in volume is great

[@fanusbogey]

I love how genuinely enthusiastic you are when describing this stuff. I would absolutely love to just come over and hang out with you man. But also, I've learned so much from this video; the information is so concise and accessible. Thank you so much!

[@stogiesarchives]

Please make more videos like this Anthony!!!!! Thanks for your wisdom!!!❤

[@513BRAM]

Your approach is well rounded and accessible. You've helped connect the dots and remove the mysterys of synthesizers . That you share the wealth of your knowledge is top notch!

[@martinmatthews1589]

Wow, superbly balanced explanation and demonstration of technical insight and musicality. A 40 minute upload with over 40 years worth of content. Much appreciated 👏👏👏

[@slimyelow]

This is by far the best 2600 tutorial I have ever seen. I am able to follow along with my Cherry Audio version. - so much fun.

[@zacm6173]

i’ve been on a years long journey to understand synthesis and these videos are the perfect resource, the exact thing i was looking for at this point in my synth-ucation

[@decibel.sintetico]

Thank you, Anthony, for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us. What a great tutorial. It's always a good idea to approach sound programming strategically, rather than just fiddling with the controls until you hopefully accidentally produce a good sound. And it is always the sum of many individual details that distinguish an excellent sound from an average sound. I would like to see similar tutorials from you for pad sounds and lead sounds to top it off.

[@brerkris]

I don't even use my synth because I'm so tired from work. I LOVE THIS VIDEO because it's what I could do. This is such an awesome channel and show. I love watching it. Top tier stuff.

[@arryaxx263]

I've always used sampled instruments when composing electronically, but your videos really communicate the appeal of synths and sound design well.

[@DaveMcGarry]

I feel like we should be paying for these tips from an absolute legend! How amazing is KZbin that we can watch this sort of content for free. So many thanks Anthony from an Englishman in Australia 🌏

[@giles3000]

Amazing stuff Anthony, we salute you !

[@anthonymarinellimusic]

Thankyou so much! I really love making these videos

[@volkmarmohs4200]

Wow, that was probably the highest quality sound design video I've ever seen on KZbin! Great! You can really feel the decades of experience! Thanks for the insights. I will probably watch it 2-3 more times. Many, many thanks, it was extraordinary! Standing Ovations to you, Anthony! I bow to you!

[@Fuzzy_Logix]

I have just gotten into synths with a Korg minilogue and drumlogue…I was doing great but this just absolutely just took me to the big leagues! Thank you so much!!

[@monsterjazzlicks]

Wow, I never knew that about the piano Wyoming Tuning! 👍

[@ICKXBerlin]

Thanks for your work, Anthony! I like your way of keeping things simple when explaining, yet applied those tips make a huge difference.

[@lmuckler]

As a bass player who as gotten into the world of synth bass over the last few years, your videos have been so huge for me. So much great knowledge shared just in this one alone! Thank you so much, please keep these videos coming!

[@herberdth]

Your content is Da Bass. I am always excited after watching and try out the tips. Suddenly, 4-5 hours gone, or spend having so much synth fun. Literally tried it all on ms2000, model d, b2600, pro800. Thank You!

[@yokelectronic]

I happened upon your channel via Dr Mix. I did as he suggested and checked you out. These videos are superb, and this one is pure gold. I've learnt more in 20 minutes of watching your content than I do from any other channel... Thank you for passing on your knowledge and experience. Respect reachin out!!

[@VenomShadows305]

The favouring one osc bit blew me mind, I hadn't really thought about it in terms of favouring diff octaves like that. Really great stuff!

[@Lonersquare]

Pure Gold for synth heads! And respect to for acknowledging the VST users who don’t have any actual synth(s) for various reasons! This video deserves enough likes to break the internet. 🚀🚀🚀🚀

[@MrMikomi]

This has to be the best video on music production that I have ever watched. Thank you so much.

[@basssynthcover]

Dude, this is fantastic. These tips you taught I learned with hard hours playing without knowing exactly what I was doing. Now it became clearer to me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@leondevries478]

This is so helpful, thanks. My bonustip (tip 11) put your lead sound through a Boss SE-70, especially the Enhancer gives your sound an edge and some pleasant phasing…

[@jeremy8936]

Wow, just wow! .. When you are learning a new set of skills you engage with many talented people through books and videos, but occasionally you find that one person that cuts through it all and explains the fundamentals so clearly it all just gels.. You Sir, are one of those people! I can not wait to try these tips out on my new Novation Peak arriving next week, so many options for sound design utilizing your experience shown here. Thanks mate! Subscribed ! ! !

[@micinput]

This was great stuff. A few I’d worked out for myself, a few that refined what was just starting to dawn on me, and a few new ones. One thing not addressed probably needs its own video: Building these bass sounds out of the context of a track is risky. The tendency with these old synths is to build up these big fat delicious sounds that cover the sonic spectrum and completely crowd out everything else in the mix. I go back and listen to some of my old recordings and realize “this is a celebration of the Moog ladder filter, not a component in a complete arrangement.” Every other instrument is elbowing the others out of the way for a bit of sunshine. I was too in love with that bass to EQ/compress baby back into the corner. And I’d make it worse by making it stereo so it dominated both the frequency spectrum AND the soundstage.

[@Pulse2AM]

Great tips! #10 is my favorite, I forgot which producer/mixer said this maybe Dave Pensado? I can teach you to make something sound good but I can't teach what sounds good. He was making the point I think that what sounds good in the piece of music is what matters. My first synth was a Pro One, I had a guitar tuner pluged into it at all times to tune it up when playing.

[@bitegoatie]

Very well said. All these ideas support musical synthesizer programming and performance and can benefit anyone building a bass part. It is a pleasure to hear someone explaining his subject matter so thoughtfully, without rigidity on the details but with a fundamental sense of generosity. Thank you.

[@iconoclast1970]

As someone learning synthesis as a hobby, the content here is incredible. This is what I have been looking for. I learned so much from this that I needed to watch it a second time. So appreciative of the content Anthony - many thanks. You got a new subscriber.

[@davebellamy4867]

Best synthesizer tutorial I've seen period. Total gem.👍👍👍👍 Great to hear the classic instruments too.

[@nachobassman]

I could be here watching and listening to you talking about synths all day. Thank you.

[@jason3898]

10:18 "This is a great example of what a bad patch cord sounds like" 🤣

[@philippeblondeaux5566]

Thank you so much Anthony for sharing this, your tips and tricks are invaluable, so please keep on posting them

[@warp2600]

So generous of you to share all those great tips. Thanks.

[@hendriks_]

Thank you so much for this! This changed the way I was thinking about synth bass fundamentaly! Not only are you very knowledgeable but also a very good teacher. I have applied your tips right away and now my bass sounds are so much better! Your channel deserves much more attention! Please keep it coming!

[@RFmath_]

Not a lot of people on youtube are able to give these types of tips. These are very universal and solid.

[@paulsmith1807]

I understand very little of it, but it's fascinating to watch a true legend giving you so many tips and so much information ❤

[@joxer96]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge with us. It’s very much appreciated when a seasoned pro takes time from their busy schedule to create this type of content. Thanks again!

[@suga4all]

Wow! That was extremely useful. Especially #2 with the favoring of one OSC! I never thought about it, but it is so obvious now. Thanks for sharing 🔥👌

[@itsChris.x]

This dude is a legend

[@JM_2019]

This is really adding a lot of value to the entire synth/bass community. Thank you so much!

[@rccc5806]

What a master! I am not sure if I will ever use these but still what a treasure.