Distorted Techno Bass

Sounds like: A hard, saturated, relentless bass built to lock under a techno kick.

Sound type: bass · Genre: Techno · Style: hard-driving, heavily saturated techno bassline tone

A relentless, driving bass built to sit under four-on-the-floor kicks — narrow, saturated, and consistent rather than expressive, so it locks into a groove without fighting the kick.

Open this patch in the interactive Patchpad

Digitone II

Exact match: Narrow, saturated, constant bass

SYN page 1 · WAVETONE

• TUN1: 0
• WAV1: Square (PRIM table)
• PD1: 55
• LEV1: 100
• TUN2: 0
• WAV2: Square (PRIM table)
• PD2: 0
• LEV2: 0

SYN page 2 · WAVETONE

• OFS1: 0
• TBL1: PRIM
• MOD: OFF
• RSET: ON
• OFS2: 0
• TBL2: PRIM
• DRIF: 0

FLTR page 1 · Multi-mode

• FREQ: 57
• RESO: 13
• TYPE: 0 (LP)

AMP page

• ATK: 0
• SUS: 127
• REL: 8
• MODE: ADSR

FX page

• OVER: 70

Digitone II's WAVETONE machine (select with FUNC+SYN). Square on WAV1 with PD1 raised gives a narrow, dense, buzzy waveform, the closest Digitone II gets to a narrow pulse. Push the FX page overdrive for the saturated, driving character.

Syntakt

Exact match: Narrow, saturated, constant bass

SYN — SY RAW

• WAV1: Square
• TUNE: 64

FLTR PAGE 1

• FREQ: 57
• RESO: 13
• TYPE: Lowpass

AMP PAGE 1

• ATK: 0
• SUS: 127
• REL: 8

AMP PAGE 2

• MODE: ADSR

A plain Square from SY RAW pushed through Syntakt's own track Overdrive (one of its most idiomatic sounds) — hard and constant, no envelope movement needed.

Novation Summit

Exact match: Narrow, saturated, constant bass

OSCILLATOR 1

• WAVE: Square/Pulse
• RANGE: 8'

FILTER

• SHAPE: LP
• FREQUENCY: 57
• RESONANCE: 13
• OVERDRIVE: 80

AMP ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• SUSTAIN: 127
• RELEASE: 8

EFFECTS

• DISTORTION LEVEL: 80

FILTER's own OVERDRIVE knob (pre-filter drive) is pushed alongside the EFFECTS page Distortion for two stacked stages of saturation, since this patch's whole identity is how hard it's driven.

Arturia MiniFreak

Exact match: Narrow, saturated, constant bass

OSCILLATOR · Osc 1

• TYPE: Waveshaper
• WAVE (Wave): 70
• TIMBRE (Amount: wavefolding): 60
• SHAPE (Asym): 40
• VOLUME: 100

OSCILLATOR · Osc 2

• TYPE: Noise
• VOLUME: 10

ANALOG FILTER

• TYPE: Low Pass
• CUTOFF: 45
• RESONANCE: 10
• ENV/VELO: 0

ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 0
• SUSTAIN: 100
• RELEASE: 8

DIGITAL EFFECTS · FX1

• TYPE: Distortion
• INTENSITY: 70
• AMOUNT: 60

Osc 1 is Waveshaper: Wave picks the waveform, Timbre is the amount of wavefolding and Shape is the asymmetry. Osc 2 is Noise: Wave is the noise Type (particle through white to metallic), Timbre is the Rate and Shape is the Balance with a tonal wave. Values are on MiniFreak's native 0-100 scale.

Dreadbox Typhon

Exact match: Narrow, saturated, constant bass

FRONT PANEL

• WAVE: ~5-6 o'clock (VCO1 square, narrow character)
• CUTOFF: ~4-5 o'clock (moderately closed)
• RESON: ~9 o'clock (low)
• VOLUME: ~12 o'clock

AMP ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• SUSTAIN: 100
• RELEASE: 8

FX1

• TYPE: Hard Clipping
• GAIN: 70
• LVL: 70
• MIX: 80

The FRONT PANEL's WAVE and CUTOFF are clock positions since those knobs are unmarked.

Compared with other synths: FX1's Hard Clipping is genuinely built for exactly this — pushed hard and applied constantly, the same role the other synths give their Overdrive/Distortion.

ASM Hydrasynth Desktop

Exact match: Narrow, saturated, constant bass

OSCILLATOR 1

• MODE: Single
• WAVE: Square
• SEMI: 0
• CENTS: 0
• KEYTRACK: 100%

FILTER 1

• TYPE: LP Fat24
• CUTOFF: 57.0
• RESONANCE: 13.0
• DRIVE: 80
• DRIVE ROUTE: Post

AMP

• AMP LEVEL: 100.0

ENVELOPE 2

• ATTACK: 0 ms
• SUSTAIN: 128.0
• RELEASE: 40 ms

POST-FX

• TYPE: Distort
• DRIVE: 80
• DRY/WET: 70%

Filter 1's own DRIVE knob (LP Fat24 keeps bass content from thinning out as it saturates) plus the POST-FX Distort slot stack two real saturation stages, matching the constant, driven character this patch wants.

How the synths compare

Deliberately static — this patch is meant to sit unchanging under a beat rather than move, which is what keeps a driving techno groove locked.

Patchpad is a free reference of drum patterns and synth patches written for real hardware: Digitakt II, Digitone II, Syntakt, Novation Summit, Arturia MiniFreak, Dreadbox Typhon and ASM Hydrasynth Desktop.