bass synth from “the hand that feeds” by nine inch nails | ToneDB
the hand that feeds
nine inch nails
bass synth
Tone Profile
Aggressive and distorted synth bass with a raw, industrial edge. Characterized by its heavy low-end presence and buzzy, overdriven texture.
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
Alternative to: Moog Minimoog
Analog clone of the Minimoog circuit with the same oscillator and filter character needed for that thick sawtooth bass foundation
Alternative to: Moog Minimoog
Faithful software emulation of the Minimoog with accurate oscillator modeling and filter behavior for the core synth tone
Alternative to: Pro Co RAT
Current production version of the same RAT circuit that provides the signature aggressive distortion and filtering
Alternative to: Pro Co RAT
Includes accurate RAT pedal modeling that can process synthesizer signals for that industrial distortion character
Alternative to: API 550
Provides similar broad musical EQ curves for shaping low-end presence and controlling harsh frequencies
Alternative to: API 550
Official plugin version of the API 550 with the same EQ curves used for the original tone shaping
Frequently Asked Questions
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