"French Touch Bass"-examples included

SWAN · Post by **SWAN** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:58 pm

Not sure if this is the right place but Im asking:

Anyone of you electronic maestros know how to get the classic "French Touch" bassline as used in tracks such as Daft Punk - Voyager or these posted below (obtained from blogs)

http://www.omnikrom.net/pagette/Intro-Original_Mix.mp3

http://havefunclub.info/hyperbole/Chrystal%20City.mp3

Above are classic Alan Braxe and Fred Falke tracks-and the bassline sounds like its real bass-but I understand its not....have a listen

Synthprophet · Post by **Synthprophet** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:08 pm

Are you sure it's not just an electric bass? It sounds like any other typical disco bass.
The same kind of bass is even presented in the original track that Daft Punk sampled for One More Time. That track was a non-electronic track I think.

Amos · Post by **Amos** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:04 pm

I believe that Daft Punk are famous abusers of the side-chaining compressor - basically, run the bass line through a compressor and run the track's kick drum to the compressor's "side chain" input - adjust your levels right and this will cause the compressor to squash the bass whenever the kick hits, allowing the bass to "bloom" in between kicks. I've even heard the result (when applied to disco music) described as "french" production.

Also, given that Daft Punk are touring with four Voyager RME synths, it's possible that this was the source of the bass sound on the Daft Punk track "Voyager" ... just a guess...

whiteyhouston · Post by **whiteyhouston** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:42 pm

voyager is an old track though...

but, yeah, sidechaining is the way to go...
it is also heavily used on static chorded pads that pulse in the gaps..
like on 100000 tracks

Amos wrote:I believe that Daft Punk are famous abusers of the side-chaining compressor - basically, run the bass line through a compressor and run the track's kick drum to the compressor's "side chain" input - adjust your levels right and this will cause the compressor to squash the bass whenever the kick hits, allowing the bass to "bloom" in between kicks. I've even heard the result (when applied to disco music) described as "french" production.

Also, given that Daft Punk are touring with four Voyager RME synths, it's possible that this was the source of the bass sound on the Daft Punk track "Voyager" ... just a guess...

Synthprophet · Post by **Synthprophet** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:34 pm

Voyager was a track from the times before the 4xVoyager pyramid. You can probably make a similar sound on a synth, I just think it sounds too organic in the Alan Braxe track for instance to be a synth.

hageir · Post by **hageir** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:30 am

Synthprophet wrote:Are you sure it's not just an electric bass? It sounds like any other typical disco bass.

^^^
You should get yourself some 80's analog synth, when synths were used to make "emulations" of real instruments..

that's your best bet, IMO..

anyways, low-pass, resonance for the upper "moving" thing and little dash of glide/portamento?
and good EQ-ing+compression?

OriginalJambo · Post by **OriginalJambo** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:38 am

Sounds like some funky electric bass playing to me - finger style.

Post by **Stab Frenzy** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:28 am

If you want that cheesy cliched sound just slam a compressor like you don't know how to use it.

The sidechain method that Amos mentioned is one way to do it, otherwise you can mix with a compressor over the master bus and have the kick up too high so it's pumping the whole mix. Only works with 4/4 kicks though.

But anyway, I'd avoid that sound if I were you, it's very 2006.

PS, French Touch sounds dirty.

gryphon · Post by **gryphon** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:24 pm

yeah that bass on both tracks is so completely an electric bass that using a synth to do the line would be a bit tacky...

it would have a very different vibe, even if you were exhaustive about the sound design. a vibe like you can't play the bass guitar, which could actually be useful in some scenarios.

part of it is that you don't always sidechain everything the same or at all. the bass actually isn't sidechained much or at all, but other elements (in the braxe track it's the chords and vocals) are heavily compressed against the kick.

"new french touch" is definitely dirtier.
like listen to some sebastian. no electric bass to be found there unless it's hidden under a trillion layers of distortion. and of course the side chain. it's like part of house music now lol

SWAN · Post by **SWAN** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:58 pm

I think you guys might be right-the Braxe tracks may be real bass-and dont actually fall under the 'french touch' moniker. I mistakenly connected two different french sounds.....

Voyager is an example fo the old 'french touch' sound. I have now found out that the Voyager bass was done with an MS20...

And the track below is apparently 'french touch'-done with a Pro One-wait a bit into the track. Its a remix Para One did for this Japanese superstar. A bit random (and dodgy)-he got asked to do it and thought why not (prob got $$$)...dunno about the combination of Japanese pop and french electro.....

http://www.palmsout.net/music/remixsund ... mix%29.mp3

Its quite a low-slung sound-with punchy presence...anyone have any idea what might be going on let me know...

th0mas · Post by **th0mas** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:04 pm

whiteyhouston wrote: it is also heavily used on static chorded pads that pulse in the gaps..
like on 100000 tracks

boom ah boom ah boom ah boom ah