Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

I've been trying to get good bass sounds out of the AN1X.... with
mixed results. I'd love to get some help. Here some of my
observations in the search for good bass.

In playing live I found that I wanted a strong fundamental down to
the C below the lowest on the An1X Keyboard. (or the lowest C with a
setting of -12). This is MIDI note # C2 which is supposed to have a
fundamental of 32.7 Hz. Is this too much to expect, acoustically?
Our subs give decent authoritative bass with a bass player, so I
pretty sure it's not the sound system.

Anyway when I play live, I get decent results down to the G3 (49Hz).
I ran the An1X signal through a frequency analyzer(single oscillator,
no filter, played with edge parameter quite a bit. Sure enough
the "fundamental" as analyzed by the frequency analyzer does not go
below the high 40s. Visually the shape of the overtone series changes
too. The loudest frequency ceases to be the lowest frequency. The
hump starts moving from the left edge towards the middle of the
spectrum. As I play lower and lower notes.

So all this would suggest that the AN1X is sending out a muddy signal
at those requencies (49HZ and below / G1 and below). But when I sent
the signal through an oscilloscope it was a perfect sine wave (or saw
wave, depending on the edge parameter) all the way down to C0. What
gives?

I guess I don't what question I am asking. I am new to synth bass.
(And I'd like to play more like Joe Zawinul/Bernie Worrell than one
of the modern styles.)

Does any of you have a bass patch they would recommend. Any tips on
bass design? I can share the two bass patches I have been playing
with if one of you is interested in critiquing them.

Do you have experience with other VA synths that you would compare
behavior with? Is the AN1X just a weak performer in the bass
department?

Thanks,

Jerry