4 easy steps to make your synth bass sound bigger than life

Are you feeling let down by your lackluster, thin synth bass? Fret not, for I have the solution to your troubles! In just four simple steps, you can elevate your synth bass to new heights of sonic thiccness.

1. Duplicate the original sound​

Yes, duplicate the audio track (or your virtual studio synthesizer instrument), so that you can make a copy of it inside your favorite music production software. Now you've got twice the bass to work with; you're now in a position to tweak it however you want without worrying about screwing up the OG. By the way, if your OG synth bass is labeled as "syn bass" you can perhaps label your cloned mixer channel as "syn bass dup" i.e., dup in this instance is a short way of saying duplicate.

2. Add subtle distortion and harmonic saturation to the copy​

Once you have cloned your original bass sound, you need to add some tasteful subtle distortion and harmonic saturation to the copy. This will add that ear-pleasing warmth and character to the audio material. Be careful, though, not to overdo it, as too much distortion can make the final result a bit muddy and sonically unbalanced because of an extra infrasonic low-end extension.

3. Attenuate the low frequency with an equalizer​

As I somewhat expagorated above, you will likely have to address muddiness in your sound. Hence, if the need arises, you must attenuate the low frequencies with your go-to parametric equalizer. The solution is to use a gentle low-cut filter or a low-shelving filter to remove unwanted frequencies below 130 Hz. This will give the overall sound more clarity and punch.

4. Make the copy slightly wider with a stereo enhancer plugin​

Finally, make the copy slightly wider with a stereo enhancer plugin. This will give the sound more dimension and make it sound more expansive. Be careful not to make it too wide, as this can cause the sound to lose its focus and impact. You may also want to turn down the channels fader a little bit, depending on the balance you want when everything is blended together.