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Alembic Club » Miscellaneous » Archive: 2006 » Archive through March 30, 2006 » How does Stevie Wonder get those bass sounds? « Previous Next »

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portmanteau
New
Username: portmanteau

Post Number: 1
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 11:47 am:   Edit Post

Saw you all talking bass lines being played on a bass vs. keyboard awhile back...anyone know how Stevie Wonder gets his bass lines to sound so fluid? Is the portamento boosted all the way up? In particular, what kind of synth is he using on "All I Do"? I believe it's a Yamaha CS80, but I'm not completely sure...Any help is GREATLY appreciated!
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 1004
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 2:33 pm:   Edit Post

beans,,,,,,,,,, lots a beans,,,,,,,,
richbass939
Senior Member
Username: richbass939

Post Number: 577
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 8:20 pm:   Edit Post

Richard, welcome to the club.
I don't know anything about his bass sounds but I have always been a fan of the bass lines he dreams up. They are about as creative as anything I've heard from a non-bassist.
Rich
lbanks
Junior
Username: lbanks

Post Number: 48
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 9:08 pm:   Edit Post

I think he was using a Fairlight System.
88persuader
Intermediate Member
Username: 88persuader

Post Number: 172
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 9:44 pm:   Edit Post

I have a Yamaha CS80 and although I think it's a great all around synth I'm NOT blown away by the bass sounds it makes. Maybe with the right programer working their magic it could make good bass sounds but the factory bass sounds sound like a synth trying to be a bass. In my opinion it excels doing piano, strings and just about every other sound, but not bass.
portmanteau
New
Username: portmanteau

Post Number: 2
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 8:51 am:   Edit Post

Thanks for the receptive welcome! I plan on being here awhile!

88 you own one?!?! WOW!!! So is he probably just using that ribbon controller, ALOT???
bigredbass
Senior Member
Username: bigredbass

Post Number: 638
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Friday, February 24, 2006 - 1:43 pm:   Edit Post

I would shudder to go through his warehouse. Steve's been hooked up with Yamaha forever, and who knows what else he's got stashed: Synclaviers, Fairlights, there's no telling. But the best synth bass I ever heard was MiniMoog.

J o e y
88persuader
Intermediate Member
Username: 88persuader

Post Number: 174
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 11:56 pm:   Edit Post

CORRECTION ... I didn't mean to give mis-information but I don't have a CS-80 ... I have a Yamaha S80. It didn't occur to me until portmanteau mentioned the "ribbon controller." The S80 doesn't have one and i believe it's a much newer generation synth. The CS-80 was from the 1980's right? Geesh ... guess i had a little brain cramp there! :-) So my comments about the CS-80 were really about the Yamaha S80 ... a totally different keyboard. ... Sorry! ;-)
portmanteau
New
Username: portmanteau

Post Number: 3
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Monday, February 27, 2006 - 1:09 pm:   Edit Post

No prob, 88...i actually was looking into an S80 for awhile! And I think I've solved my Stevie questions--the dude was just bad!!! I tried playing some of his stuff on a Minimoog Softsynth, and I have concluded that he's just really good at getting the sound he wants/expressing himself...as for how he does it, it sounds as if he's doing "flams" at times...practice, practice, practice!
gare
Advanced Member
Username: gare

Post Number: 350
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 2:36 pm:   Edit Post

I believe on some of his earliest stuff he used an ARP 2600 and some Kurzweil synths

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