Skrillex-Style Wobble Bass 6: Creating Metallic Sounds

Metallic Sounds to Mix Between Wobbles

This is the sixth and final installment of our answer-video series, “Making a Skrillex-Style Wobble Bass.”
Read the previous installment as well, since this part builds on it.

For this final bonus installment, we will create a synth sound that works well with wobble bass, using MASSIVE’s RingMod and other controls. The key is to combine envelopes effectively to emphasize the attack.

Creating the Sound

Questions and Answers from the YouTube Video

Can the Global Tune shown at 6:20 be adjusted using a Macro Control?

Global pitch is fixed, so we were unable to change it using an envelope or control.

MASSIVE Settings

Setting ENV4

Use the settings below to give the sound a sharp, punchy attack.

• Set Attack to its fastest value.
• Set Level to minimum and Decay to around 11 o’clock.
• Set Release slightly longer.

Voicing and Restart via Gate

Set Unisono to 16 in the Voicing tab to thicken the sound.

Turn on Restart via Gate in the OSC tab to align and emphasize the attacks.

Oscillator Settings

For a clear foundation, select a sine wave for OSC1 and set its pitch to +24, two octaves up.
Assign 1Env to pitch with a range of 36.

With 1Env set as shown above, the pitch drops instantly from +36 to +24 at the start of the note, giving the sound its attack.

For OSC2, use a lower pitch and likewise apply 1Env to add attack.

Modulation Oscillator Settings

Use RingMod (ring modulation) to add hardness to the sound.
Select OSC1 as the target, set pitch to +36, and raise the RM knob for a hard, metallic tone.

Now let’s apply an envelope here too, to move the RM knob.

This produces a subtle hardness: the sound starts hard, then the effect fades over the decay time.

Noise Settings

We will also mix in noise for a percussion-like character.
Use an envelope here as well to add movement.

• Select “Hi-Metalic” as the NOISE type and set Color to around 2 o’clock.
• Assign 2Env to Amp, with a slightly longer Decay than 1Env, and set the modulation range to maximum.

The noise volume will now fall from its maximum over the decay time.

Filter and Effects Settings

Route OSC1, OSC2 and NOISE fully to F1, then use the following settings.

• Select Lowpass4 for FILTER1 and set it as shown above.
• Use Classic Tube in FX to give the sound more body.

We have applied reverb in the DAW to allow more detailed control.
Adjust it to taste according to the track.

Bonus: Creating a High-Pitched Sound

For this final installment, let’s also create a wavering high-register sound often heard in this genre.

Basic Settings

Set OSC1 just a little toward Square from Sine.

Set the master Amp envelope to the familiar fastest Attack and maximum Level.

Apply an LFO to the master Amp as well. Use a sine wave and a 1/12 ratio.

For effects, use Parabolic Shaper in INSERT, Classic Tube and Small Reverb in FX, and boost the highs with EQ.

Adjusting Pitch with Phase

You might expect to raise the oscillator pitch for a high sound, but that produces an ordinary high note. Instead, try Phase on the modulation oscillator.

Adjusting Pitch with Global Tune

Adjust MASSIVE’s Global Tune to aim for an even more unusual sound.

Although this is a high-pitched sound, raising Global Tune is not necessarily the answer.
In fact, Phase creates complex modulation, so lowering Tune can also produce high frequencies. This may be a better approach when aiming for an unconventional sound.

How did you find our six-part series on making a Skrillex-style wobble bass?
We explored not only wobble bass but other related sounds that often appear alongside it. Combinations of these sounds help form tracks in genres such as dubstep.
As you learn different sounds, explore your own originality too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How can beginners make a Skrillex-style wobble bass?

We recommend starting with part one of this series. Learn the fundamentals of oscillator settings, envelopes, and LFO modulation before moving on to the metallic sound in this article.

Q2. Can I make this sound with a synth other than MASSIVE?

Yes. The key principles are ring modulation, combining multiple oscillators, and controlling dynamics with envelopes. You can apply these ideas in another synth with equivalent functions.

Q3. What happens when I turn up the RingMod knob?

The sound becomes harder and more metallic. Controlling it with an envelope can create subtle hardness: a strong initial effect that fades over the decay time.

Q4. Why can lowering Global Tune produce a high sound?

Phase modulation creates complex frequency content. As a result, lowering Tune can sometimes emphasize unexpectedly high frequencies, producing a more distinctive sound.