WavStack super-bass

Five detuned copies from one oscillator, an octave down, driven into a plucky ladder filter.

Why it works

WavStack layers five slightly detuned copies of the waveform, so one oscillator sounds like a stack of them. The small pitch differences beat against each other, which reads as width and weight.

A 24 dB low-pass with a short envelope keeps the low end solid and gives each note a defined start. Drive before the filter adds harmonics for the filter to bite into.

On the Hydrasynth Deluxe

1.
Press [INIT] twice. [OSC 1]: Semi −12.
Manual p. 20, 43
2.
Press [MUTANT 1], choose WavStack. Depth sets the detune between the five copies; Dry/Wet 100%.
Manual p. 46
3.
Press [FILTER 1], Type LP Ldr24 (Control knob 1).
Manual p. 53
4.
With FILTER 1 selected on the top panel: CUTOFF around 46, RESONANCE around 34, DRIVE about 40, ENV 1 around +34.
Manual p. 23, 54–55
5.
Press [ENV 1]: Attack 0, Decay about 0.35 s, Sustain about 14.
Manual p. 59

You should hear…

A wide, buzzing bass with a short ‘bwow’ at the start of each note; it fills the low end without needing a second oscillator.

Variations

Set Voice Polyphony to Mono for bass lines that never overlap (p. 75).
Switch Drive Route to Post for a rougher tone after the filter (p. 55).
Try LP Fat24 on the hardware: compensated, so resonance won’t thin the bass (p. 53).

Questions

How many copies does WavStack add?: Five detuned copies of the waveform; Depth sets the detuning between them (manual p. 46).
What is the difference between LP Ldr24 and LP Fat24?: Both are 24 dB ladder low-passes. Ldr24 is uncompensated (bass drops as resonance rises); Fat24 is compensated and keeps its bass (p. 53).

Why it works

WavStack layers five slightly detuned copies of the waveform, so one oscillator sounds like a stack of them. The small pitch differences beat against each other, which reads as width and weight.

A 24 dB low-pass with a short envelope keeps the low end solid and gives each note a defined start. Drive before the filter adds harmonics for the filter to bite into.

On the Hydrasynth Deluxe

Press [INIT] twice. [OSC 1]: Semi −12.

Manual p. 20, 43

Press [MUTANT 1], choose WavStack. Depth sets the detune between the five copies; Dry/Wet 100%.

Manual p. 46

Press [FILTER 1], Type LP Ldr24 (Control knob 1).

Manual p. 53

With FILTER 1 selected on the top panel: CUTOFF around 46, RESONANCE around 34, DRIVE about 40, ENV 1 around +34.

Manual p. 23, 54–55

Press [ENV 1]: Attack 0, Decay about 0.35 s, Sustain about 14.

Manual p. 59

Questions

How many copies does WavStack add?

Five detuned copies of the waveform; Depth sets the detuning between them (manual p. 46).

What is the difference between LP Ldr24 and LP Fat24?

Both are 24 dB ladder low-passes. Ldr24 is uncompensated (bass drops as resonance rises); Fat24 is compensated and keeps its bass (p. 53).