Wobble Bass

Sounds like: A bass where the note stays put and the filter opens and closes in a rhythmic wub-wub.

Sound type: bass · Genre: Dubstep / Bass Music, Techno · Style: dubstep-style LFO-modulated filter wobble

A rhythmic, filter-modulated bass where a tempo-synced LFO does the whole performance — the note is static, the filter opening and closing is what carries the groove.

Open this patch in the interactive Patchpad

Digitone II

Exact match: Static note with a tempo-synced LFO on the filter

SYN page 1

• ALGO: 8
• RATIO C: 1.00
• RATIO A: 2.00
• MIX: -30

FLTR page 1 · Multi-mode

• FREQ: 64
• RESO: 51
• TYPE: 0 (LP)

AMP page

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 0
• SUS: 127
• REL: 64
• MODE: ADSR

MOD page 1

• SPD: 16
• MULT: x1
• DEST: FILTER: Frequency
• WAVE: Triangle
• MODE: TRIG
• DEP: 38

FX page

• OVER: 32

The note is deliberately static -- all the movement should come from MOD page 1's LFO, not the AMP/FLTR envelopes. SPD 16 with MODE TRIG restarts the wave phase on every note for a consistent, tempo-locked wobble shape; try SPD 8 or 32 per section for variation. FX page's Overdrive adds grit during the open phase of the wobble.

Syntakt

Exact match: Static note with a tempo-synced LFO on the filter

SYN — SY RAW

• WAV1: Saw
• TUNE: 64
• NLEV: 0
• OVER: 32

FLTR PAGE 1

• FREQ: 64
• RESO: 51
• TYPE: Lowpass

AMP PAGE 1

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 0
• SUS: 127
• REL: 64

AMP PAGE 2

• MODE: ADSR

LFO PAGE 1

• SPD: 16
• MULT: x1
• DEST: FILTER: Frequency
• WAVE: Triangle
• MODE: TRG
• DEP: 38

LFO PAGE 1's SPD/MULT combination is Syntakt's real way to tempo-sync — confirm the resulting rate against the track by ear (the MULT setting locks it to a fixed BPM division), rather than assuming a bare rate knob syncs automatically. AMP PAGE 2's MODE must be ADSR (the default for SY machines, but drum machines default to AHD), or SUS on AMP PAGE 1 is ignored.

Novation Summit

Exact match: Static note with a tempo-synced LFO on the filter

OSCILLATOR 1

• WAVE: Sawtooth
• RANGE: 8'

FILTER

• SHAPE: LP
• FREQUENCY: 64
• RESONANCE: 51
• LFO 1 DEPTH: 38

LFO 1

• WAVEFORM: Square
• RANGE: Sync
• RATE: 8th D

AMP ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 0
• SUSTAIN: 127
• RELEASE: 64

MODULATION MATRIX

• Slot 1 sA: ModWheel
• Slot 1 Destin: Lfo1Rate
• Slot 1 Depth: +25

EFFECTS

• DISTORTION LEVEL: 60

LFO 1 is filter-dedicated on Summit (its Depth knob lives right on the FILTER page, no Mod Matrix routing needed) and tempo-syncs via the menu-only LxRATESYNC note-division parameter — set to an 8th-note division here. Square gives a harder on/off wobble; Sine gives a smoother one, both valid depending on genre. Live control: the Mod Wheel speeds up LFO 1 through Mod Matrix slot 1; ride the panel LFO 1 Depth knob (Filter section) for the wobble width.

Arturia MiniFreak

Exact match: Static note with a tempo-synced LFO on the filter

OSCILLATOR

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

ANALOG FILTER

• TYPE: Low Pass
• CUTOFF: 50
• RESONANCE: 40
• ENV/VELO: 0

ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 0
• SUSTAIN: 100
• RELEASE: 15

LFO

• SELECT/EDIT: LFO 1
• WAVE/LOAD: Sqr
• RATE/TRIG: Sync 1/8

DIGITAL EFFECTS · FX1

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

MODULATION MATRIX

• Source (row): LFO 1
• Destination (column): Cutoff
• Amount: +65

Macros

• M1: LFO1 Rate/sync division
• M2: LFO1 -> Cutoff Amount (Mod Matrix depth)

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). LFO 1 runs a Sqr wave at Sync 1/8. Mod Matrix: the LFO 1 row to the Cutoff column at +65. The static note and tempo-synced LFO-to-Cutoff route via the Modulation Matrix is a direct, literal match for the classic wobble-bass technique — MiniFreak's real LFO and Mod Matrix make this a straightforward, undisguised implementation. Macros: M1: LFO1 Rate/sync division; M2: LFO1 -> Cutoff Amount (Mod Matrix depth). Values are on MiniFreak's native 0-100 scale.

Dreadbox Typhon

Exact match: M1 LFO with Sync options set to BPM

FRONT PANEL

• WAVE: ~2 o'clock (VCO1 saw, no VCO2 blend)
• CUTOFF: ~1-2 o'clock (sweeps, see M1 below)
• RESON: ~1-2 o'clock (moderate-high, ~40%)
• EG LEVEL: ~7-8 o'clock (minimal — M1 drives Cutoff, not the Filter ADSR)
• FILTER TIME: ~12 o'clock (medium)
• AMP TIME: ~1 o'clock (medium-fast)
• VOLUME: ~12 o'clock (global, not stored in the preset)

AMP ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 0
• SUSTAIN: 100
• RELEASE: 50

M1

• MODE: LFO
• RATE: matched by ear to tempo (no sync)
• WAVE: Square
• FADE: 0
• DEST: CUT
• LVL: 76

SET

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

MENU · Sync options

• M1: BPM (the LFO rate becomes a division or multiple of the tempo)

Typhon's Sync options menu (Menu, option 2) sets M1 to BPM, so the LFO rate becomes a division or multiple of the tempo, giving a tempo-locked wobble. M1's DEST CUT is a real routed modulator (one of Typhon's three genuine modulator slots), not just a front-panel LFO knob, so it still gives the full-depth wobble the patch needs.

ASM Hydrasynth Desktop

Exact match: Static note with a tempo-synced LFO on the filter

OSCILLATOR 1

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

FILTER 1

• TYPE: LP Ldr12
• CUTOFF: 64.0
• RESONANCE: 51.0
• LFO 1 AMOUNT: 53
• KEYTRACK: 0%

AMP

• AMP LEVEL: 110.0

LFO 1

• WAVE: Square
• RATE: 1/8 (BPM Sync on)

ENVELOPE 2

• DELAY: 0 ms
• ATTACK: 0 ms
• HOLD: 0 ms
• DECAY: 0 ms
• SUSTAIN: 127.0
• RELEASE: 400 ms

PRE-FX

• TYPE: Distort
• DRIVE: 35
• DRY/WET: 20%

Macros

• Macro 1: LFO 1 Rate

LFO 1's RATE can run as a real rhythmic division with BPM Sync on, locking the wobble to the track's tempo directly.

Compared with other synths: LFO 1 is pre-wired to Filter 1 (its own LFO 1 AMOUNT knob on the FILTER 1 page), so no Mod Matrix routing is needed here — a direct, close translation to Summit's approach.

How the synths compare

Try square-wave LFO for a harder on/off wobble versus sine for a smoother one — both are valid depending on genre.

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.