TONEDB

bass synth from “bad” by michael jackson | ToneDB

bad

michael jackson

bass synth

90% ai confidence

Tone Profile

A punchy, iconic analog synth bass with a sharp attack, quick decay, and a distinctive resonant "growl," driving the song's rhythm. It's characterized by its percussive nature and ability to cut through a dense mix with authority.

Signal Chain

Instrument: Moog Minimoog Model D (reportedly two, layered or panned)

Amp: Direct Input to Console Preamp (e.g., Harrison 32C console preamps)

Processing: Console EQ (e.g., Harrison 32C EQ section), Console Compression (e.g., Urei 1176, dbx 160), Subtle tape saturation (from multitrack recorder like Studer A800/A820)

Other: Performed by Greg Phillinganes. Bruce Swedien, the engineer, often layered sounds. If two Minimoogs were used, they might have been slightly detuned or had subtly different filter/envelope settings and panned for stereo width.

Recording Notes

  • The synth bass line was performed by Greg Phillinganes.
  • Engineered by Bruce Swedien, renowned for his meticulous approach to sound and use of layering to create depth and unique textures.
  • The Minimoog(s) were likely recorded direct into a high-quality mixing console, such as a Harrison Series console, favored by Swedien.
  • The sound is a cornerstone of the track's powerful rhythmic and harmonic foundation.
  • Emphasis was placed on capturing a clean, powerful, and dynamic performance, likely with minimal processing on the way in, saving detailed shaping for the mix stage.

Recreation Tips

  • Use an analog or analog-modeling synthesizer. Start with two sawtooth oscillators; if using two synth instances or layers, detune one oscillator slightly against the other for chorusing/thickness.
  • Set the low-pass filter with a fast attack, a fairly short decay (around 200-400ms), low to medium sustain, and moderate resonance to achieve the characteristic "wow" or "growl."
  • The amplifier envelope should be percussive: fast attack, short to medium decay (similar to filter), and low sustain (almost zero).
  • If your synth has a mixer section, drive the oscillators into the filter slightly for subtle analog warmth or distortion.
  • Use EQ to shape the tone: boost low-mids (around 150-300Hz) for punch and body, and upper-mids (1-3kHz) for attack definition and clarity to cut through the mix.
  • Apply fairly aggressive compression (e.g., 1176-style FET compressor with fast attack and release) to control dynamics, enhance the attack, and add punch.
  • If recreating the layered sound, use two instances of your synth plugin, pan them slightly (e.g., L15/R15), and introduce subtle variations in tuning, filter cutoff, or envelope times between them.

Sources