Reese Bass

Sounds like: A wide, growling, beating bass from two voices slightly out of tune.

Sound type: bass · Genre: Breakbeat / Jungle, Drum & Bass, Techno · Style: classic Reese-style detuned bass work

A wide, growling detuned bass built from two closely-tuned voices beating against each other — thick and slightly unstable, filling the low-mid without a single clean pitch center.

Open this patch in the interactive Patchpad

Digitone II

Exact match: ALGO 3 carriers detuned with DTUN

SYN page 1

• ALGO: 3
• RATIO C: 1.00
• RATIO B: 1.00
• DTUN: 10
• MIX: -64

SYN page 2 · Operators A & B

• LEV (A): 0
• LEV (B): 0

FLTR page 1 · Multi-mode

• FREQ: 57
• RESO: 70
• TYPE: 0 (LP)
• ENV: 70
• ATK: 0
• DEC: 76
• SUS: 51

AMP page

• ATK: 0
• HOLD: 0
• DEC: 51
• SUS: 114
• REL: 70
• MODE: ADSR

FX page

• OVER: 27

Digitone II's ALGO 3 gives three plain carriers (C, B2, B1) when the FM depth of A and B is off, so LEV (A) and LEV (B) are both 0. MIX -64 selects the X tap (C + B2), and DTUN, which offsets only the ratio of operators A and B2, detunes B2 against C so the two beat against each other. DTUN below 64 is a very slight detune; above 64 is heavier. FX page's Overdrive reinforces the beating harmonics — Chorus is left off since it would blur the intentional two-voice beat into an unfocused wash.

Syntakt

Exact match: Two layered tracks give the two-voice detune

SYN — SY RAW (Track A)

• WAV1: Saw
• TUNE: 64

SYN — SY RAW (Track B)

• WAV1: Saw
• TUNE: 72

FLTR PAGE 1 (both tracks)

• FREQ: 57
• RESO: 70
• TYPE: Lowpass
• ENV: 70
• ATK: 0
• DEC: 76
• SUS: 51

AMP PAGE 1 (both tracks)

• ATK: 0
• HOLD: 0
• DEC: 51
• SUS: 114
• REL: 70
• DEL: 0
• REV: 0

AMP PAGE 2 (both tracks)

• MODE: ADSR

Layering two tracks is the most reliable way to get true two-voice detune on Syntakt, since an individual track doesn't have two internal oscillators to detune against each other — Track B's TUNE is nudged a handful of units sharp of Track A's, matching an 8-12 cent offset. Both tracks share the same FLTR/AMP settings; balance their levels equally so neither voice dominates the beating. AMP PAGE 2's MODE must be ADSR on both tracks (the default for SY machines, but drum machines default to AHD), or SUS is ignored.

Novation Summit

Exact match: Two detuned oscillators beating

OSCILLATOR 1

• WAVE: Sawtooth
• RANGE: 8'

OSCILLATOR 2

• WAVE: Sawtooth
• RANGE: 8'
• FINE: +16 cents

MIXER

• Osc 1: 100
• Osc 2: 100

FILTER

• SHAPE: LP
• SLOPE: 24dB
• FREQUENCY: 57
• RESONANCE: 70
• SOURCE: Mod Env 1
• ENV DEPTH: 35

MOD ENVELOPE 1

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 76
• SUSTAIN: 51
• RELEASE: 70

AMP ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 51
• SUSTAIN: 114
• RELEASE: 70

MODULATION MATRIX

• Slot 1 sA: ModWheel
• Slot 1 Destin: Osc2Ptch
• Slot 1 Depth: +4
• Slot 2 sA: ModWheel
• Slot 2 Destin: Filt Res
• Slot 2 Depth: +20

EFFECTS

• DISTORTION LEVEL: 45

Summit realizes this concept most literally of all six synths — true dual analog oscillators (OSC1/OSC2, both on the same layer) with a dedicated hardware FINE detune control, no workaround needed. FINE at +16 cents is an 8-12 cent-equivalent offset. Distortion is kept moderate and Chorus is left off, since Chorus would blur the intentional detune rather than reinforce it. Live control: the Mod Wheel widens the detune (Osc 2 pitch, keep the depth small) and raises resonance through two Mod Matrix slots.

Arturia MiniFreak

Exact match: Two detuned oscillators beating

OSCILLATOR · Osc 1

• TYPE: BasicWaves
• WAVE (Morph): 50 (pure sawtooth)
• TIMBRE (Sym): 0
• SHAPE (Sub): 0
• VOLUME: 100

OSCILLATOR · Osc 2

• TYPE: BasicWaves
• WAVE (Morph): 50 (pure sawtooth)
• TIMBRE (Sym): 0
• SHAPE (Sub): 0
• VOLUME: 100
• TUNE/OCT: +10 cents (click-hold fine-tune)

ANALOG FILTER

• TYPE: Low Pass
• CUTOFF: 45
• RESONANCE: 58
• ENV/VELO: 25

ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 20
• SUSTAIN: 90
• RELEASE: 40

DIGITAL EFFECTS · FX1

• TYPE: Distortion
• INTENSITY: 25
• AMOUNT: 25

Macros

• M1: OSC 2 fine-tune amount, for live growl-width control
• M2: Resonance

Osc 1 and Osc 2 are BasicWaves with Morph at 50 (pure sawtooth): the Morph knob runs from a square (0) through a sawtooth (50) to a double sawtooth an octave up (100), Sym only changes the pulse width below 50, and Sub adds a sine an octave down (0 here). Macros: M1: OSC 2 fine-tune amount, for live growl-width control; M2: Resonance. Values are on MiniFreak's native 0-100 scale.

Dreadbox Typhon

Exact match: Two detuned oscillators beating

FRONT PANEL

• WAVE: ~2 o'clock (VCO1 saw blended with VCO2 saw)
• TUNE 2: ~1-2 o'clock, just past center (a hair sharp of VCO1, 8-12 cent-equivalent)
• CUTOFF: ~1-2 o'clock (~45%)
• RESON: ~4-5 o'clock (high, ~55-60%)
• EG LEVEL: ~2-3 o'clock (moderate-strong filter envelope amount)
• FILTER TIME: ~11 o'clock (medium-slow)
• AMP TIME: ~1 o'clock (medium-fast)
• VOLUME: ~12 o'clock (global, not stored in the preset)

FILTER ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 76
• SUSTAIN: 51
• RELEASE: 70

AMP ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 51
• SUSTAIN: 90
• RELEASE: 70

SET

• VCO GLIDE: 0
• VCO LVL: 100
• VCF TRACK: 0
• VCF FFM: 0
• VCA LVL: 100

Onboard effects are minimal on Typhon; if an external drive pedal or DAW plugin is in the signal chain, light saturation there reinforces the beating harmonics, otherwise skip it.

Compared with other synths: Typhon's dedicated 2-VCO TUNE 2 knob makes it — alongside Novation Summit — one of the two most direct, no-compromise translations of this patch in the whole library: a real second VCO nudged sharp of the first, no ring-mod or filter-only workaround needed.

ASM Hydrasynth Desktop

Exact match: Two detuned oscillators beating

OSCILLATOR 1

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

OSCILLATOR 2

• MODE: Single
• WAVE: Saw
• SEMI: 0
• CENTS: +10
• KEYTRACK: 100%

MIXER

• OSC 1 LEVEL: 100.0
• OSC 2 LEVEL: 100.0
• OSC 1/2 FILTER ROUTING: 100:0 (Filter 1 only)
• FILTER ROUTE: Series

FILTER 1

• TYPE: LP Ldr12
• CUTOFF: 57.0
• RESONANCE: 70.0
• ENV 1 AMOUNT: 49
• KEYTRACK: 0%

AMP

• AMP LEVEL: 110.0

ENVELOPE 1

• DELAY: 0 ms
• ATTACK: 0 ms
• HOLD: 0 ms
• DECAY: 300 ms
• SUSTAIN: 51.0
• RELEASE: 200 ms

ENVELOPE 2

• DELAY: 0 ms
• ATTACK: 0 ms
• HOLD: 0 ms
• DECAY: 100 ms
• SUSTAIN: 114.0
• RELEASE: 200 ms

PRE-FX

• TYPE: Distort
• DRIVE: 35
• DRY/WET: 18%

Macros

• Macro 1: Osc 2 Pitch (kept to a small depth, for the detune amount)
• Macro 2: Filter 1 Resonance

Pre-FX Distort is kept light and Chorus is left off, since it would blur the deliberate two-voice beat rather than reinforce it.

Compared with other synths: Second most literal translation after Summit/Typhon — two true independent digital oscillators with fine-tune (CENTS), same core mechanism as the analog synths, just wavetable-based.

How the synths compare

Detune amount (8-12 cents) is a starting point — push it further for a more aggressive/unstable growl, or narrow it for a smoother wide bass. Dreadbox Typhon, Novation Summit, and Arturia MiniFreak (two real oscillators, the same direct detune trick) realize this concept most literally; Digitone II requires the most translation.

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.