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bass synth from “the hand that feeds” by nine inch nails | ToneDB

the hand that feeds

nine inch nails

bass synth

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

Aggressive and distorted synth bass with a raw, industrial edge. Characterized by its heavy low-end presence and buzzy, overdriven texture.

Gear

Moog Minimooginstrument
ReverbSweetwater
Pro Co RATprocessing
ReverbSweetwater
API 550processing
Reverb$650Sweetwater

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The Story

The aggressive bass synth on Nine Inch Nails' "The Hand That Feeds" was created using a Moog Minimoog processed through a Pro Co RAT distortion pedal and shaped with API 550 EQ. Trent Reznor's signature approach involved running synthesizers through guitar pedals to achieve industrial textures, with the RAT providing the characteristic buzzy overdrive and the API EQ enhancing the low-end presence while controlling harsh frequencies.

Production Credits

Producer: Trent Reznor

Engineer: Alan Moulder

Recorded at: Nothing Studios (New Orleans, LA)

Signal Chain

Instrument: Moog Minimoog

Processing: Pro Co RAT, API 550

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Moog Minimoog sawtooth wave and detune oscillators slightly for a thicker sound.
  • Use a Pro Co RAT distortion pedal to achieve the aggressive, overdriven tone. Adjust the distortion and filter settings to taste.
  • Apply API 550 EQ to shape the overall sound, boosting the low frequencies and cutting harsh high-mid frequencies.
  • Experiment with different EQ and distortion settings to fine-tune the sound to your liking.

Original Gear

  • Moog Minimoog(synth)
  • Pro Co RAT(pedal)
  • API 550(eq)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Behringer Model D$300-$350

Alternative to: Moog Minimoog

Analog clone of the Minimoog circuit with the same oscillator and filter character needed for that thick sawtooth bass foundation

ReverbSweetwater
Arturia Mini V$100-$150

Alternative to: Moog Minimoog

Faithful software emulation of the Minimoog with accurate oscillator modeling and filter behavior for the core synth tone

ReverbSweetwater
Pro Co RAT 2$80-$100

Alternative to: Pro Co RAT

Current production version of the same RAT circuit that provides the signature aggressive distortion and filtering

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Archetype Rabea$100-$120

Alternative to: Pro Co RAT

Includes accurate RAT pedal modeling that can process synthesizer signals for that industrial distortion character

ReverbSweetwater
Warm Audio EQP-WA$400-$500

Alternative to: API 550

Provides similar broad musical EQ curves for shaping low-end presence and controlling harsh frequencies

ReverbSweetwater
Waves API 550$30-$50

Alternative to: API 550

Official plugin version of the API 550 with the same EQ curves used for the original tone shaping

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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