How to make a wobble bass in Serum 2
A wobble is a low-pass filter opened and closed by an LFO in time with the track. Changing the LFO rate during a phrase, from quarter notes to eighths to triplets, is what makes it talk.
Source
Set oscillator A to a saw (or a square for a hollower wobble) with 2 or 3 unison voices. Turn on the sub oscillator with a sine one octave down, kept clean and centered.
Filter and LFO
- Route oscillator A to a 24 dB low-pass. Leave the sub out of the filter so the low end stays steady.
- Set the cutoff low and the resonance moderate.
- Drag LFO 1 onto the cutoff with a large amount.
- Turn on the LFO's tempo sync and start at 1/4 note.
- Map the LFO rate to a macro, so you can switch between 1/4, 1/8 and 1/8 triplets while writing.
Turn on the LFO's retrigger so each new note starts the wobble at the same point. Without it, the wobble drifts against the beat.
Distortion and OTT
Distortion after the filter, then a multiband compressor (OTT style) to bring up the movement. If the top end gets harsh, put an EQ last and dip the harsh frequencies.
Five free Serum 2 presets
From our VISIONS OF TOMORROW pack: an 808 bass, a distorted 303 acid bass, a French house lead, a retro pad and a trance pluck. The same download has 16 house drums and three guitar loops. Royalty-free.
Questions
How do I make a wobble bass?
Put an LFO synced to the tempo on a low-pass filter's cutoff, and change its rate to make the bass talk.
What LFO rate for a wobble?
Start at 1/4 or 1/8 notes. Triplets and 1/16 notes give faster, more aggressive wobbles.
Why is my wobble out of time?
Turn on tempo sync and retrigger on the LFO, so each note starts the wobble in time.
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