Best synth basslines of all time?

by **thefonz003** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:44 am

Your opinions, please. I'll start with some nominations of my own.

"Kelly Watch the Stars" by Air---Classic, obviously. I believe it was a Moog Source?

"Gemini Dream" by The Moody Blues---I'm curious about what instrument played this. I think it sounds similar to "Kelly" so I wouldn't be surprised if it too were a Source. It's a killer song all around, though. One hook after another.

"Let Me Go" by Heaven 17---A 303 used as a proper bass synth sounds...pretty good. Different.

"It's OK" by The Beach Boys---Sounds like a Minimoog. The bassline is kind of buried and you might not know the bass part was a synth without reading the credits, but it adds just a bit of Moog flavor to the track.

"Honkin' Down the Highway" by The Beach Boys---I've read it's a Taurus I. That whole album ("Love You") had some cool synth-bass parts.

"Take My Breath Away" by Berlin---Please don't shoot me. I believe it was a DX7, but that bassline (AutoCorrect, leave me alone, I don't mean baseline!) was so sweet that it didn't really matter what 'board played it.

by **zmd** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 3:26 am

Id throw in flashlight by p-funk & Closer by NIN
Kinda obvious I know, but I like em:)

by **rodgre** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 3:52 am

I always loved the sound of "My Ever Changing Moods" by Style Council. I could never be sure if it was a ripping synth or an actual bass though.

"Wood Beez" - Scritti Politti

Roger

by Z » Tue Sep 30, 2014 4:09 am

Hands down best synth bass line:

by **BluMunk** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 4:39 am

Maybe it's cheesy, but man, I can't get enough of the bass line on Michael Jackson's Man In The Mirror. Smooth, and so in the groove. It's a master class on playing, in my opinion.

Watch on youtube.com

by **mute** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 5:08 am

my favorite bassline of all time....skip to 3:44 if link doesnt do it for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC7bKty ... page#t=228

by **Swayze** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:10 am

Watch on youtube.com

Not the most complicated bassline of all time, but this one stands out for me. It was one of the first synth heavy rock songs I heard when I was a kid. Great song and who here wouldn't like an OB-X with a Minimoog seated above it?

by **Swayze** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:15 am

Watch on youtube.com

Here's an example of a very funky bassline. A bit repetitive but that's their style and one of my favorites by these guys. I think P-Thugg's using a Pro-One on this number, correct me if I'm wrong.

There's more great bass to be heard on their follow-up album Business Casual where he uses the Mono/Poly extensively. Nobody plays that synth better IMO. He shows us that it's plenty capable of fat and funky and I think it's his secret weapon for sync bass.

Anyway, there's so much awesome bass (among other elements) on that album that I can't pick just one song, so I recommend the whole thing. In fact, I recommend Chromeo, period.

by **zoomtheline** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:17 am

Billy Ocean's Going gets tough sparks fond childhood memories of nothing in particular but being a kid and playing with transformers, ha. It is a lovely bassline though.

by **zoomtheline** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:47 am

Personal favourites regardless of guitar or synth:
Plaid - New Bass Hippo
Steely dan - Peg - Bodhitzatva
Boards of Canada - ROYGBIV
Heiroglyphics - Oakland blackouts
Clark - Urgent h**l Jack
Snarky Puppy - Shofukan
Overton Berry Ensemble - Superstar
Digable planets - 9th Wonder (sample)
Jamiroquai - Music of the mind (all Zender on that album to be honest)
Weather report - Birdland
Roots Manuva - Witness
Squarepusher - Welcome to Europe
Tom Waits - step right up
The Tuss - Synthacon 9
4 Hero - Planeteria

Off the top of my head, probably missed some great ones.

by **meatballfulton** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:02 pm

Stevie Wonder is the master of synth bass in my book.

Watch on youtube.com

by **Voodoo Ray** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:13 pm

Badass baseline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hFXTxqcMd4

by **Walter Ego** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:20 pm

thefonz003 wrote:"Take My Breath Away" by Berlin---Please don't shoot me. I believe it was a DX7, but that bassline (AutoCorrect, leave me alone, I don't mean baseline!) was so sweet that it didn't really matter what 'board played it.

I second this. Even if the song is a cliche now, it's still a great bassline.

I'll also add that the basslines on Front Line Assembly: Tactical Neural Implant are some of the best ever recorded, in my opinion. All eight of them. I understand from interviews will Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber that they were layered samples from a Minimoog and Pro One, and I think they used an Akai S20 to do most of the sampling and sequencing.