How to Create a Growling Bass with a Synthesizer

For pop, dance and many other genres

This time we will look at a sound almost everyone has heard:
the growling bass.

It is surprisingly easy to make, so give it a try.

How to create the sound

Use a saw oscillator

Select SAW as the waveform for this growling bass.

It can also be effective to set the second oscillator to SAW
and pitch it down an octave or detune it.

Set the envelope sustain to maximum

Turn up the sustain on ENV 4, which controls the volume, all the way.
This creates a thick, steady sound.

Apply unison

Increase the number of Unisono voices in the VOICING tab.
Listen to the sound and adjust it to taste.

This gives you a thick growling bass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What does a growling bass sound like?

A growling bass is a thick, prominent low-frequency sound often used in pop and dance music. Combining multiple oscillators around a saw waveform produces a powerful sound rich in harmonics.

Q2. Can beginners create a growling bass?

Yes. As the article explains, it is surprisingly easy to make using the basic steps of selecting a saw waveform, setting the envelope, and applying unison. A basic understanding of your DAW and synthesizer is enough to get started.

Q3. What equipment or software do I need?

You can create the sound with a synthesizer, such as one included in Native Instruments KOMPLETE, and a digital audio workstation (DAW). The article also provides a preset download to use as a starting point.