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chasing the bubble

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:49 am
by ybakos
Hello fellow dubheads,
I've been seeking a specific bubble sound and haven't been able to quite get exactly what I'm after.

I've posted two (legal) mp3s. One contains a variety of bubble sounds. The second contains a sample of another. Can anyone take a listen and see if you can recreate the tone easily, or recommend some ideas? I belive a Triton was used for most, if not all, of the bubbles.

First Sample (4 minutes, multiple examples)
Second Sample (1 minute)

Very eager to try to reproduce those tones. Thanks for checking them out.

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 5:52 pm
by matej_mlody
So... thanks for the topic. I search this magical bubble sound. I've the B4 native instruments VST and is don't really good for the reggae hammond. I need this sound in VST instrumens. My friend plays the reggae on Nord Electro 2, so I don't have money in the piano and I must play on keyboard controller with VST plugins.. I search great VSTi. I waiting for response.

P.S sorry my english is dont really good.. I from central Europe.

what i have found so far

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:37 pm
by ybakos
So the first thing to recognize is there are many different bubble sounds. Certain sounds work better for different songs, depending on tempo, overall mix, and style.

I found the Electro 3 organ tone to be too aggressive/bass-heavy, BUT have found that drawbar settings 004000000, chorus 2, percussion soft + third, leslie on, are a good start for a standard reggae bubble. Lastly, turn the auto-wah on and set at 0, and you've got a pretty nice 'ooohm' bubble tone.

For other kinds of bubble, I've found that synthesized flute sounds work very well. I use a variety from the Alesis QS series, and they work ok. I hear a lot of guys use an 'Ocarina' patch, and I've got one but it's not my favorite.

The next thing I need to try is passing the flute sounds through an external wah pedal to get that 'oohmp' sound... I believe that's what's missing.

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:39 pm
by interruptor
In the first example above you can hear an organ sound with not too many overtones (harmonics). If you have access to a real organ or an organ VSTi try to get close by opening mainly the low draw bars.
It can be heard particularly at the beginning of the track. Later it seems the player is moving an octave down or some effect was used which emphasizes the low frequencies of the organ. It makes the sound very muddy in my opinion.

The second example is not an organ but a type of electronic percussion which was played by drummer Sly Dunbar in the late seventies / early eighties already (I remember seeing a video of a Peter Tosh concert with Sly & Robbie where he used this type of percussion as part of his regular drum kit). In recent years using such a percussion sound instead of an organ has been fashionable again for roots oriented reggae riddims with programmed drums.

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:43 pm
by interruptor
.. just realised you have posted a reply at the same time as me.
It seems you found out most of what I wrote in the meantime already.

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 1:57 pm
by matej_mlody
I know how plays bubble but I search this special sound. ybakos I cheek it. Thanks