bass synth from “bad guy” by billie eilish | ToneDB
bad guy
billie eilish
bass synth
Tone Profile
A dark and distorted synth bass with a heavy, almost industrial feel. The sound is characterized by its aggressive, buzzing tone and prominent sub-bass frequencies.
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The Story
The bass synth sound on "bad guy" was created by producer Finneas O'Connell using a Moog Voyager synth. He processed the sound through Logic Pro X's stock plugins, including a waveshaper for distortion to give it its characteristic aggressive, buzzing tone. The low frequencies were heavily emphasized to create the prominent sub-bass effect that drives the track.
Production Credits
Producer: Finneas O'Connell
Engineer: Finneas O'Connell
Recorded at: Finneas O'Connell's Home Studio
Signal Chain
Instrument: Moog VoyagerShop on Reverb
Processing: Logic Pro X stock pluginsShop on Reverb, WaveshaperShop on Reverb
Recreation Tips
- Start with a sawtooth wave on a synth like the Moog Voyager.
- Use a waveshaper plugin to distort the sound, experimenting with different settings to find a similar buzzing tone.
- EQ the sound, boosting the low frequencies to create a heavy sub-bass effect.
- Consider adding a slight chorus or other modulation effect to add movement and thickness to the sound.
Original Gear
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- Moog VoyagerShop on Reverb(synth)
Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: Moog Voyager
Current production Moog with similar oscillators and filter character to the Voyager, capable of the same sawtooth wave foundation
Alternative to: Moog Voyager
Budget analog synth with aggressive sawtooth waves and built-in waveshaping capabilities for that buzzing distortion
Alternative to: Moog Voyager
Software recreation of classic Moog synths with authentic oscillator and filter modeling for the core bass tone
Alternative to: Logic Pro X Waveshaper
Versatile waveshaping and distortion plugin that can recreate the aggressive buzzing character added to the original bass
Alternative to: Logic Pro X stock plugins
Precise EQ for boosting the sub-bass frequencies that give the sound its heavy, booming foundation
Frequently Asked Questions
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