How to Make a Flexible Moog Style Analog Bass in NI Massive

Moog is synonymous with awesome analog sounds, and with good reason! This tutorial shares how to make a flexible analog bass in NI Massive with the character of a funky Moog!

We should probably start this one out by pointing out that Moog is not a style or a sound, nor just a brand, but a person who helped to bring about modern music as we know it today. Bob Moog was a source of innovation and inspiration for  countless people all around the world, and his name continues to be associated with new products released every year. So what exactly does it mean to make a ‘Moog-style’ synth? First, it must have a full analog sound. It also needs to use similar tools and techniques that are found in Moog synths. We should be able to accomplish this without any trouble, plus add a couple things to put a modern twist on it. This particular analog bass in NI Massive is flexible, in that we will program a subtle sequence that will kick in after a short delay. This allows us to use this synth across multiple genres and styles of music, showcasing both the funky short note and modulating sustained note potential. So without further ado, let’s jump into this and see how it’s done!

This synth starts with three sawtooth waves as the foundation upon which we will build this analog bass in NI Massive. A Square-Saw I wavetable is loaded into OSC1, with the pitch dropped down to -23.97. Another Square-Saw I wavetable is loaded into OSC2, with the pitch dropped to -12.03. And another Square-Saw I wavetable is loaded into OSC3, with the pitch offset to 0.05. Take notice of the fact that each of these oscillators are routed directly into Filter1.

Moving now to the Filter panels, make sure yours is running in Serial mode, rather than the default Serial mode. You will also want to set the filter panel output to Filter2. Now a Lowpass4 Filter is loaded into Filter1 and a Daft Filter is loaded into Filter2.

A Modulation Envelope is now set up and will be used to control the Cutoff parameters of both Filter1 and Filter2. This will be a key assignment in making this analog bass in NI Massive.

The total number of Unison Voices is increased to two on the Voicing tab, and these voices are spread out via the Pitch Cutoff and Pan Position features. This provides a fuller and wider sound. The synth is also set to run in Monophonic mode. This adds quite a bit of character to out analog bass in NI Massive.

Here on the OSC tab, we turn off the Glide effect and set up the Restart Via Gate feature to trigger each of the main oscillators in the perfect positions for this analog bass in NI Massive. Also, while we’re here, we can set up the Vibrato settings to better meet the needs of this particular sound and then dial in the overall amount applied with the Macro1 control.

Some Bright Noise and Feedback are added to our analog bass in NI Massive, which helps fill it out and provides additional character.

A sine Shaper insert effect and a Hardclipper insert effect are added to the mix to bring out more crunch and grit in our sound.

Some Chorus and a Dimension Expander are added to thicken the sound some and give it more depth, as well. Designing this analog bass in NI Massive is a task that requires attention to detail. You have probably already noticed that the smallest of changes in some of these settings means the difference between our sound being good or bad. The EQ unit is used to accent some highs and lows, while attenuating some mids.

Now we are going to set up a simple LFO that will be used to help us apply some sequence automation via a Performer.

And here are the settings for the Performer, which will be assigned to modulate the Amp parameter of all three main oscillators in tandem. This is what allows our analog bass in NI Massive to be both flexible and more dynamic over time. In short bursts this synth will deliver normal notes, while sustained notes will reveal the subtle sequence we just programmed. By controlling the Amp knob of the LFO with an Internal Envelope and the Amp knob of the Performer with the LFO, we achieve a nice delay that make this all possible.

Below is a short audio example containing both short and sustained notes to give you a better idea of how it behaves.

[audio:https://www.massivesynth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Analog-Bass-in-NI-Massive.mp3|titles=Analog Bass in NI Massive]