Rolling Arp Bass

Sounds like: A raw, hypnotic two-note bass loop that never lets up.

Sound type: arp · Genre: House, EDM, Afro House · Style: hypnotic, raw rolling bassline loop

A relentless, hypnotic rolling bassline built entirely from the arpeggiator alternating between root and fifth at a driving 16th-note pulse: raw and minimal, with no melodic movement beyond the two-note pattern.

Open this patch in the interactive Patchpad

Digitone II

Exact match: Arpeggiated root and fifth

SYN page 1

• ALGO: 1
• RATIO C: 1.00
• MIX: -64

SYN page 2 · Operators A & B

• LEV (A): 0
• LEV (B): 0

FLTR page 1 · Multi-mode

• FREQ: 45
• RESO: 25
• TYPE: 0 (LP)
• ATK: 0
• DEC: 20
• SUS: 40

AMP page

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 15
• SUS: 30
• REL: 10
• MODE: ADSR

ARPEGGIATOR menu

• MODE: UP
• SPEED: 1/16
• RANGE: 1
• LEN: 2
• N.LEN: 30

Hold only a root+fifth dyad. LEN 2 locks the arp to exactly those two notes cycling back and forth rather than a longer run, and N.LEN kept short gives each hit a punchy, driving character rather than a legato blur: keep the loop that plain. ALGO 1 routes operator A (and B) into carrier C, so LEV (A) and LEV (B) are set to 0 on SYN page 2 and MIX is -64 (the X output, C only): that leaves C a plain, unmodulated carrier.

Syntakt

Approximation: No arpeggiator: SY CHIP note-cycling stands in

SYN — SY CHIP

• WAVE: Square (a plain static waveform)
• TUNE: 0
• SPD: 1/16
• DEC: 20
• OF2: 7
• OF3: 0
• OF4: 0
• OVER: 15

FLTR PAGE 1

• FREQ: 45
• RESO: 25
• TYPE: Lowpass

AMP PAGE 1

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 15
• SUS: 30
• REL: 10

AMP PAGE 2

• MODE: ADSR

SY CHIP is an Analog Drum machine, so it runs on track 9, 10 or 11.

Tonverk

Exact match: Square bass with a two-step arpeggio

SRC machine (Func + Src)

• Machine: WAVEFINDER

SRC page 1 · Oscillator 1

• TUNE: -12
• LEV: 100
• POS: 0
• SLOT: HS Square (Factory Library › 6-Wavetables)

SRC page 2 · Oscillator 2

• LEV: 0

FLTR page 1 · Multimode

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 20
• SUS: 40
• FREQ: 45
• RESO: 25
• TYPE: 0 (low-pass)

AMP setup (Func + Amp)

• ENVELOPE MODE: ADSR

AMP page

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 15
• SUS: 30
• REL: 10

ARPEGGIATOR menu (Arp)

• Arpeggiator: ON (Func + Arp)
• MODE: UP
• SPEED: 1/16
• RANGE: 1
• ARP LENGTH: 2
• N.LEN: 30

A square an octave down with ARP LENGTH 2, so a held two-note interval rolls back and forth for as long as it is held. The arpeggiator plays while a note is held: on the sequencer, give a trig a long LEN, or put several notes on it with Step Edit for a chord.

Novation Summit

Exact match: Arpeggiated root and fifth

OSCILLATOR 1

• WAVE: Square/Pulse
• RANGE: 16'

FILTER

• SHAPE: LP
• FREQUENCY: 45
• RESONANCE: 25

AMP ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 15
• SUSTAIN: 30
• RELEASE: 10

ARPEGGIATOR

• Type: Up
• Rhythm: 1
• Octaves: 1
• Gate: 50
• SyncRate: 16th

MODULATION MATRIX

• Slot 1 sA: ModWheel
• Slot 1 Destin: FiltFreq
• Slot 1 Depth: +30

Hold just a root+fifth dyad; Octaves 1 keeps the pattern locked to exactly those two notes with no extra octave stacking. Rhythm 1 (plain consecutive crotchets/steps) keeps the pulse mechanical and driving rather than syncopated. Live control: ride the panel Arp Gate knob for punch-to-legato; the Mod Wheel opens the filter through Mod Matrix slot 1.

Arturia MiniFreak

Exact match: Arpeggiated root and fifth

OSCILLATOR · Osc 1

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

ANALOG FILTER

• TYPE: Low Pass
• CUTOFF: 45
• RESONANCE: 25

ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 15
• SUSTAIN: 30
• RELEASE: 10

ARPEGGIATOR

• Mode: Up
• Octave Range: 1
• Gate: 50%
• Time Division: 1/16

Osc 1 is 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). Hold root+fifth; Octave Range 1 keeps it to just those two notes. Values are on MiniFreak's native 0-100 scale.

Dreadbox Typhon

Approximation: No arpeggiator: two-step step sequencer

FRONT PANEL

• WAVE: 12 o'clock (VCO1 square only)
• CUTOFF: ~11 o'clock (~45%)
• RESON: ~11 o'clock (~25%)

FILTER ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 20
• SUSTAIN: 40
• RELEASE: 10

AMP ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 15
• SUSTAIN: 30
• RELEASE: 10

NOTE SEQUENCER (SQNCR button)

• LENG (shift page): 2
• DVS (shift page): 16 (the manual example uses 8; match your tempo by ear)
• PROB (shift page): 100
• SWI (shift page): 50 (no swing)
• STEP / OCV / NOTE / GATE / VEL: Steps 1-2: C, G: root and fifth alternating
• GATE: 50 (0 = rest, maximum = tie)

Typhon has no arpeggiator, but it has a note sequencer (SQNCR button: 1 to 32 steps over a 6-octave range, with per-step octave, note, gate, velocity, plus probability, division and swing). Program the pattern's notes directly instead of holding a chord. Steps 1-2: C, G: root and fifth alternating. The Filter and Amp ADSR and the front-panel settings shape each note.

ASM Hydrasynth Desktop

Exact match: Arpeggiated root and fifth

OSCILLATOR 1

• MODE: Single
• WAVE: Square

FILTER 1

• TYPE: LP Ldr12
• CUTOFF: 45.0
• RESONANCE: 25.0

ENVELOPE 2

• ATTACK: 0 ms
• DECAY: 150 ms
• SUSTAIN: 30.0
• RELEASE: 100 ms

ARPEGGIATOR

• Mode: Up
• Octave: 1
• Gate: 50%
• Division: 1/16

About this patch

Every synth deliberately avoids syncopation or randomisation settings: the aim is a plain, mechanical, hypnotic two-note pulse.

Patchpad is a free reference of drum patterns, synth patches and reminders, written for a selection of real hardware.