What old school synth produced this kind of bass?

[ACUSC]

its that poppy sounding bass. Its almost played like a piano (duh!). I hear it alot in my favorite old school 90s songs...i love it because they make it sound very hoppy around the tracks and it adds more to the swing feel. I have NEVER come across a patch near this sound on any of the new synths. Help me out! thanks

[garranimal]

"Lately Bass" preset on a DX-7 or TX-81Z

[xpander]

that bass immediately made me think of this bass:

[Z]

I'm not hearing any FM type of sound on that bass. is sounds like a slightly filtered saw wave with a little bit of resonance. It also sounds like a single oscillator, too - not dual or subbed like most bass sounds.

[OriginalJambo]

I'm not hearing any FM type of sound on that bass. is sounds like a slightly filtered saw wave with a little bit of resonance. It also sounds like a single oscillator, too - not dual or subbed like most bass sounds.

That sounds right on the money to me.

[masstronaut]

Sounds quite a bit like LatelyBass or similar to me too. Its playing chords at times, maybe some chorus or layered as well.

By the way, I always assumed the name of the patch was to do with the Janet Jackson song. Anyone know if that's the case?

[masstronaut]

"Tyronza tx81z" is a Googlewhack so it must be right.

[ACUSC]

YEP. That sounds like that old school bass i talked about being in alot of old school rap/rnb songs. I have been dying to know for ages what that sound was. It seems like the Dx-7 was used alot in old school 90s rnb/rap, am I right? If so, I need to buy one...it has all the sounds i crave!

[garranimal]

Check out some demos of the dx7 on youtube. The electric piano sounds are also 80's pop/r&b sounds. The other FM sounds you get can range from harsh metallic, bells, brass, organ, picked bass guitar, clav, marimba, some good string sounds there too. Also be aware that learning how to program original sounds on the FM synths can be tricky to get your head around.



I used to have an MC-505 groovebox and it had that exact sound only the preset was called "Solid Bass" or something.

You might also be able to score samples of the lately bass preset somewhere.

[ACUSC]

Check out some demos of the dx7 on youtube. The electric piano sounds are also 80's pop/r&b sounds. The other FM sounds you get can range from harsh metallic, bells, brass, organ, picked bass guitar, clav, marimba, some good string sounds there too. Also be aware that learning how to program original sounds on the FM synths can be tricky to get your head around.



I used to have an MC-505 groovebox and it had that exact sound only the preset was called "Solid Bass" or something.

You might also be able to score samples of the lately bass preset somewhere.

Thanks for the video link! I get to finally see this beast in action!!! Automatically the glam rock bands, sappy love singers like Rod Stewart and Whitesnake, Saved By The Bell, Berlin and corny a*s theme songs to nickelodeon shows growing up came to my mind listening to this video haha

[LWG]

Hello,


Its possible that the bass sound from New Jack Swing tracks is DX, but if I were a betting man, I'd say its
Roland D-50.
My reason for saying D-50, is because Teddy Riley (who started New Jack Swing), was more of a Roland head. In an interview with Keyboard Magazine (May1992), he stated he used a DX7, but only on some Keith Sweat material.
His first synths were Roland S-10, then a D-50, and later a D-70, Korg M1, and Roland JD-800.
He said he only used the M1 as a controller, the JD for about a week, and some D-70 sounds.
A Fairlight and a Synclavier was also used, but he said he mostly liked them for pop material, and used them on
Michael Jacksons Dangerous project, and Whitney Houston/Bobby Brown projects.
Teddy Riley gives some background of the music in five parts:

Pt 1 (note the bass sound at 1:47)



Pt 2



Pt 3



Pt 4



Pt 5




Other producers also used a similar bass sound, including Kyle West on:

Al B. Sure's "Nite and Day" (remix)



Al B. Sure's "Nite and Day" (instrumental):



Tevin Campbell's "Alone":



The keyboard tracks on those Kyle West productions for Al B. Sure were among the first to popularize the D-50 sound on urban radio.


Producer, Andre Harrell used it on:

Mary J. Blige's "Reminisce":



remix version (bass more prominent):





Regards,


Lawrence

[Yoozer]

In this case it's really the one and only LatelyBass/SolidBass. Another hint is the velocity sensitivity, and the envelopes; the DX has exponential envelopes which is ideal for snappy sounds.

You hear 2 sounds - an upfront higher-pitched part and another part an octave lower.

[masstronaut]

You could get yourself a TX81Z for the actual real deal on LatelyBass.

Can still be had for very reasonable prices and there's a decent free editor available for PCs if you feel like programming it. Very few of the other presets are much use IMO but it can do some very nice stuff with a bit of work.

I don't know about it being a D-50 on that track, it's possible of course. Could also be a DX-7 doing an 'imitation' LB.

[ACUSC]

Hello,


Its possible that the bass sound from New Jack Swing tracks is DX, but if I were a betting man, I'd say its
Roland D-50.
My reason for saying D-50, is because Teddy Riley (who started New Jack Swing), was more of a Roland head. In an interview with Keyboard Magazine (May1992), he stated he used a DX7, but only on some Keith Sweat material.
His first synths were Roland S-10, then a D-50, and later a D-70, Korg M1, and Roland JD-800.
He said he only used the M1 as a controller, the JD for about a week, and some D-70 sounds.
A Fairlight and a Synclavier was also used, but he said he mostly liked them for pop material, and used them on
Michael Jacksons Dangerous project, and Whitney Houston/Bobby Brown projects.
Teddy Riley gives some background of the music in five parts:

Pt 1 (note the bass sound at 1:47)



Pt 2



Pt 3



Pt 4



Pt 5




Other producers also used a similar bass sound, including Kyle West on:

Al B. Sure's "Nite and Day" (remix)



Al B. Sure's "Nite and Day" (instrumental):



Tevin Campbell's "Alone":



The keyboard tracks on those Kyle West productions for Al B. Sure were among the first to popularize the D-50 sound on urban radio.


Producer, Andre Harrell used it on:

Mary J. Blige's "Reminisce":



remix version (bass more prominent):





Regards,


Lawrence

Is there a +rep feature so I can give this guy his props? Man If it has teddy in it, I watch it or learn from it. Its funny that youtube JUST took those 5 videos down you posted in the beginning. Luckly I know they're posted on myspace. I know he was a big roland head. I collect old shcool articles and he mentions alot of his quipment so when someone mentioned the DX-7, I thought of this pic i have of him on one. The bass @ 1:47 is from Guy's "Do Me Right remix". Do you think that was NOT from the DX-7? I mean the bass on the track was the reason I LOVED that mix over the album mix. The info you gave me is sweet. It'll give me more to look into. I'm glad that you could share man.

You know, Its interesting that you mentioned Kyle WEst because he's another one that I have been trying to pinpoint where that bass sound came from. You say its the D-50? Ill have to check it out and see if anyone knows exactly what preset he uses. He also used the same key synths after awhile, I wonder if its from the same keyboard. But Kyle West's bass sounds more "rubbery". Like your rubbing a balloon against your hand kind of rubbery lol.

If West really popularized the D-50, then what in the phluck produced these sounds that sound JUST like it?
(two of his earliest earliest works)
(1988, West)

(1988, West) < - - If you can figure out what the h**l this preset on this bass is called, I'll engrave my name on my arm jk jk lol but its such a funky sawtooth sounding bass. Was used many times in the future...it just drove me crazy as much as I got to mess with old school synth/keys that I never found it. I read on this CD and in this track in particular that Teddy Riley made this bass sound the way it is for this track, which I can believe because he used it on future Bobby Brown/Guy/Keith Sweat songs and it sounds like the one on this one in fact: (are they not the same style?) But i'll honestly give The Gap Band credit for making it popular on the urban scene.

In this case it's really the one and only LatelyBass/SolidBass. Another hint is the velocity sensitivity, and the envelopes; the DX has exponential envelopes which is ideal for snappy sounds.

You hear 2 sounds - an upfront higher-pitched part and another part an octave lower.

The 2 sounds, is that like layering different sounds on two different octaves pretty much?

[LWG]

I collect old shcool articles and he mentions alot of his quipment so when someone mentioned the DX-7, I thought of this pic i have of him on one. The bass @ 1:47 is from Guy's "Do Me Right remix". Do you think that was NOT from the DX-7?

Possible, but I don't believe it is.
For one thing, most of the New Jack Swing artists like Keith Sweat, Heavy D, Guy, started releasing those albums in 1987-88 and after (although they performed around the NY/NJ/Conn area before then).
The D-50 was released in 87, so it probably hit the studios around the time these artists started signing record deals. It was the latest piece, and had a completely new sound at the time.
Also, according to the interview, Teddy Riley said himself that he only used the DX on some Keith Sweat material.
I wouldn't say that the Kyle West productions popularized the D-50 in the most general sense. I was speaking
specifically to urban radio in NYC's media market. Al B. Sure's "Nite and Day" as the first track on which I heard the instrument iirc, and I had pretty big ears.
Probably around the same time, an r&b duo based in the UK, called "Total Contrast" released a single titled "Jody" with D-50.
Another track was New Edition's, "If It Isn't Love".
Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam started producing the group around the same time they got a D-50,
You can hear the "Soundtrack" preset being used:




The Gyrlz track, "It's Over" sounds like D-50 to me, with TR-808 or Linn, on the drum track. Probably both tracks use a similar setup.
Guy's tracks were also recorded after the D-50 had already been released, so thats probably what can be heard on their album, among other pieces (Riley was already using an S-10 before he got the D-50).


Regards,


Lawrence