There are so many creative ways to use plugins to transform your bass sounds. In this world of digital sound design, there is so much to play around with and there are so many possibilities when it comes to adding effects to your sounds. Today I want to talk about effecting and shaping bass sounds using only native Logic plugins!
There are so many people who have rules about what plugins are for what instruments, but honestly, who cares what is common?! I love doing the most “wacky” things with the amazing tools that DAWs provide us with. Anyway, here is my list of plugins to try out on your bass sounds in Logic!
1. Clip Distortion
This one might seem kind of obvious, but it deserves a place on the list. Apple’s manual describes it as a lofi distortion effect and it is just that. It is a non-linear distortion engine which means that it adds a random harmonic spectrum into the applied distortion. It works by passing the distorted signal through a series of filters which you can control and then mix in with the original signal. It’s pretty self explanatory but the little visual is really cool looking and it provides a nice go-to for distortion, especially on a bass sound.
2. SubBass
The SubBass effect is INSANE. You would think it would be subtle, and it can be, but it’s super powerful and enhances the sub frequencies so well. Throw your SubDrops, 808s, and even larger spectrum bass sounds through this for a bit of a fuller sound.
WARNING: this effect needs to be used with caution because it is affecting a part of the frequency spectrum which is only present in certain audio players. Just be careful that you don’t blow your (or someone else’s) ears out by cranking this up too much.
3. Phat FX
Phat FX is so cool. It's a multi-effect rack which literally has so many options and some really cool presets as well. With Phat FX you can add distortion, enhance bass, add filters, and tons more, all with the one plugin. It was definitely designed to process bass, drum, and guitar sounds, and it’s overall really fun to mess around with.
4. Step FX
Step FX has an extremely similar interface to Phat FX but does not have the same functionality besides its being a multi-effect. I rave about this plugin SO MUCH and I think if someone made me choose my favorite native Logic plugin it would definitely be this one.
The rhythm section needs rhythm. This plugin can be so cool to apply to literally anything, but especially your bass if you want to give it a groove. It works by step, meaning that different steps over a looping amount of time will have different filter settings, distortion settings, delay settings, etc. Just play around with the presets and get to know the interface because I promise, it will transform your basses (and your life in general).
5. Bass Amp
This one also might seem obvious, but there is a cool creative application of this that I don’t think people think about. That use is popping this baby on a synthesized bass. Even just turning the mix down and using the amp to add a more live, echo-y feeling to your bass can be really cool. It’s definitely something that is only useful in specific situations, but I thought it deserved a spot on the list because… well… it’s a bass effect.
And, yeah! That's the list, people. Go try these things out on your bass sounds! Check ya next week!