Moog Sub37 + Native Instruments FM8 Hybrid Bass Lines

Still loving my Moog Sub37! I used it a ton on the last Paperhaus album, and it’s back once again for something new emerging from the world of that project. In the video below, I'm recording it live for a bass line doubled with an FM Synth courtesy of Native Instruments FM8. The Sub37 is also providing the lead line that comes in towards the end, while the pad is a Dave Smith Prophet Rev2. Drum sounds courtesy of my SSF Entity Bass and Percussion eurorack modules.

While the Sub37 is an old standby, FM8 has been something I've recently fallen in love with since things first got shut down in March. I've always loved FM synthesis on it's own, and as a particularly good fundamental base to further process with tools like saturation and modulation effects. I truly did a deep dive this spring, and now it's a more consistent part of what I'm doing with my recordings. I'm also using FM a lot in my eurorack system, especially since I got the incredible SSF ZPO, though what a difference in effect between the digital FM of FM8 and the analog implementation of the ZPO! Glad to have both in my sonic toolkit, they really do very different things.

As far as my process and thinking for layering these two instruments, a lot of the inspiration came from how I've watched hip hop producers make their drum sounds while studying mixing and production over the last few years. It's a very common strategy to take multiple snare sounds for example, and then EQ out all of them so that they fit together better and make space for each other, creating a new sample with the sonic stamp of the creator. Each Hz sliced sample brings something to the timbre table to make a more unique and original overall sound.

In this particular case, I'm using FM8 to supply a good bit of the low end and low mids for weight, while the Moog is proving more of the mids and upper harmonics for bite and style. I'm also using the wonderful Inward Connections Brute compressor and Kush Audio Electra EQ to further shape the sound so it fits in the mix right away. Making sonic decisions early on and not waiting for the mixing process has been a great creative strategy for me. Both these approaches have played a big part of the sonic development for this new project.

Hope to have full tracks to share with you soon! In the meantime, stay safe and stay sane, go make some music or listen to something you love!

- Alex