The wobble bass, used frequently in the Dubstep genre, is a sound that well, wobbles! It consists of a low pass filter with a LFO assigned to the cut off. That may sound extremely complicated, but in actual fact it’s quite easy to do and master. You can find examples of this technique used in Benga’s “Drums West.”
How to Make a Dubstep-Style Wobble Bass in FL Studio 8
Oct 21st in FL Studio, Production by Luke Wolfenden
Note: this tutorial contains embedded audio that will not display in a feed reader. Click back to the site to read the tutorial with audio or download the Play Pack at the end of the tut.
For this tutorial we will be using FL Studio 8, Styrus VST and Cakewalk’s Z3TA+.
Step 1: Setting Up
First we want to open Fruity Loops on a blank template. We then want to add a Styrus to the sequencer and put it on its own mixer channel. We also want to open the preset CERBERA SAW.
Step 2: Making a melody
Next we want to create a melody on the Styrus channel.
Cerbera without Wobble Effect
Assign a Fruity Fast LP to one of the FX slots on the Styrus mixer channel to set up for the wobble.
Step 3: Making the wobble
Now we must right click the cut-off knob and go to Edit events. This brings up the automation for the cut-off knob. Notice the lower the cut-off filter is the less high end we get on the sound. This is because it is filtering the high out of the sound and only leaving us with the bass.
Step 4: Define the wobble
We then need to create an LFO. To do this we either press Alt+O, or click the spanner icon and select LFO.
Value defines how high the wobble will go; it basically defines the highest point of the cut-off to apply to the wobble. Range defines how low the cut-off goes at the lowest point. Speed defines how fast the transitions between low and high on the cut-off apply.
If you right click the speed knob, a set of predefined steps come up.
If we leave the End box ticked we can set the end of the wobble to change, so that over the length of the wobble you can set it to get faster, higher and lower.
Cerbera with Wobble Effect
Step 5: Using Z3ta+ to wobble
An alternative way of wobbling is to use a VST with a Modulation Matrix so that we can create the wobble inside of the VST. For this tutorial I’m going to be using Cakewalks Z3TA+, with the preset THUMP BASS in BANK C.
First we need to load up the VST into the sequencer. We also need to make sure it’s not on the same channel as the Styrus.
Next we need to open the VST interface and load the preset in the top right corner.
Z3ta+ without Wobble Effect
Step 6: Adding the wobble to the mix
Now we need to assign the LFO to the cut-off filter. We do this in the Modulation Matrix in the bottom left corner of Z3TA+.
In the Source column, select LFO1. In the Range column, we want the value to be quite high but not all the way to the left. We’ll leave the Curve column and the Control column blank.
Last but not least, we want to change Destination column to All Filters Cutoff.
Step 7: Defining the Wobble
In the top right corner of the Cakewalk Z3TA+ VST is a section called Low Frequency Oscillators. This area is where we can define how the wobble sounds.
For this tutorial I will be using a Sine for the Wave 1 value, and leaving the rest as default. As you can hear by turning on Wave 1, the wobble starts.
But what if we want to change the speed? Well, we have to change the Sync. The sync is equivalent to speed on the Styrus LFO; the lower the number, the faster the wobble.
We can also add a second wave to the Wave 2 box to manipulate the sound even further.
Z3ta+ with Wobble Effect
Step 10: Final touches
The last step in the process is to add the final touches. I’ve added some drums, an arp, sirens, beat box kicks and a lead. You can check out the Fruity Loops file in the sound pack.
Final Track
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )insic October 21st
This is awesome effect. i love it. thanks for this nice tutorial.
( )Moe October 21st
This is fantastic. Always wondered how to do this!
( )Emmett Cooke October 22nd
Cool tutorial – well laid out
Emmett
( )http://www.filmandgamecomposers.com
The Widdler October 22nd
check out some real dubstep bass at http://www.myspace.com/widdlemethis
( )trsctr October 22nd
sorry, but this just made me laugh.
( )Wicked Sushi October 22nd
Interesting tutorial, thanks! I didn’t even realize there was an LFO option in FL Studio, even though I have been using it for over a year. I like that final result, too.
( )Ruud October 22nd
Nice tutorial! Sytrus is a nice synth, I love it.
( )E.G October 23rd
I agree with trsctr, this is a very very low quality synthesis and low quality result as well.
This is not the true way of making a Wobble…
Try watching this one:
( )http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZYDmw2pYOk
Martin Harp October 23rd
It’s always nice to see a FL Studio tutorial on here. there are alot of overlooked and maybe not even known features of it that need to be brought out in the open. I’m currently working on streamlining the way I use FL to create a talkbox effect (using a peak controller and filters not the vocoder) so I can present it for you guys… that is if it gets accepted for the site.
Thanks!
( )L1 October 23rd
E.G Im the writer of this tutorial, and ive just watched that video, and it follows the same principles. Which was what i was trying to get across here, Not the quality of the synths ect. But the basic principle to making a wobble. You can apply this to any synth, vst, sound you want. and can also apply this effect to other DAWs, because i have shown the “principle” of making it which is a Low Pass filter and assigning it to a LFO.
( )Anata October 24th
“Not the quality of the synths ect. But the basic principle to making a wobble. You can apply this to any synth, vst, sound you want. and can also apply this effect to other DAWs, because i have shown the “principle” of making it which is a Low Pass filter and assigning it to a LFO.”
Sorry, but to port this you should have explained how to make a wobble bass, not how to use defined presets. Say I use Reason, there is no way I’ll find a preset named “THUMP BASS” or even a Bank C. If I use a good ol’ analogue machine, there are no presets.
I mean you don’t even mention the number of oscillators needed, type of wave, type of filter etc… The only thing that comes out of this “tut” is that you should route LFO’s to filter frequency to have a wobble effect… which is not mandatory as you can also do that manually.
( )misk October 29th
those wobbles are all well and good, but check out the wobble bass on the second drop of my tune “rhinocerous” at the top of my myspace player.
peace,
( )misk
Tim October 29th
Very nicely laid out tutorial.
( )R November 15th
Thanks for the tutorial! Very easy to follow. I got that the tutorial was mostly about the wobble effect and not synthesis. I’ve only used the Formula Controller in the past but what you’ve laid out here really opens up the options.
( )KILLER November 27th
HEY! this is fantastic site, very handy
( )thanks
Silent Snow December 2nd
ive been wantin to make a wobble for ages!! this really helped me!!
( )thanks so much!!
OpenSourceHunter December 2nd
Always looking for this kind of tuts!
Great for some d&b sh*t.
greetz
( )http://www.opensourcehunter.com/
kttt December 16th
how do i open CERBERA SAW? please answear on email?
( )Skelly December 18th
Yes, this helps a ton ^_^
( )calitron December 26th
Yeah, I don’t normally use Flstudio, but the way it “drops” the Lfo effect is wicked! I never got into FL I think because I was too set in my ways coming from a logic audio background but I’m noticing some innovative features missing from the other programs.
( )SchmirkSchmigler January 8th
I think your tutorial just turned me from a beginer to a novice
( )tim January 16th
howd you from wobble to non wobble??
( )rusty February 1st
awesome tutorial! has helped sooo much
( )CHEERS!
mikehawk April 8th
ill gates is sweet
( )Scotty May 6th
Awesome. Someone told me that some of my songs sound like dubstep so I have been trying to recreate the sound as it is and not just from luck.
( )Dan May 30th
i love dubstep my fave genre and i just brought fruity loops and wanted to know how you make wobbley bass
great tutorial
( )thanks alot
DD May 31st
is there an alternative to Z3ta+?
( )1987 June 1st
WHERE CAN I GET Z3TA?????
( )phono audile tone June 22nd
you can pick up the Z3TA from any vst or vsti providing website aswell as many other mediocre sound banks, presets and plugins.
( )the asshole June 28th
the FL internal sampler can be used to create wobbles in like 2 seconds. fuck the automation on the cutoff filter to be honest.
( )Great job! June 30th
Great job! Hey this is a nice tutorial, please explain how to use the LFO pattern that you have created with ALT+O and connect it to the peak controler or somthing. that would be awsome.
-great job!
( )R July 10th
great tutorial dude
( )Dj Deejah !!! Electro House Project!!! July 16th
Wowwwwwwwwwwww!!!
Great tutorial.
I love dubstep!
( )curtis wood July 22nd
thank god 4 u this program has had me pulling out what little hair i have nice 1
( )Rory July 29th
Extremely new to FL Studio and having trouble with step 3… the key labeling down the side doesn’t look like the labeling on my piano roll and I can’t see where on the piano roll to put those notes, I’ve looked through the options to no avail but am guessing this will be a newbie mistake!
( )Facepalm Frenzy August 2nd
Oh God, I lol’d. Haven’t seen Z3ta+ in a long time. I’m sure there’s a good reason for that.
Also, please don’t make fart sounds into your mic in future. Or if you do, at least don’t publish them.
( )mark August 10th
I did everything but the wobble won’t work? I followed every stop now how do I activate the wobble??
( )DAN August 12th
this is for FL8, I only have FL4!!! however, great tut, I love dubstep too, and I always wondered how to make the wobble. tut very handy.
( )