How to Create Reese Basses for DnB

The Reese bass is a cornerstone of Drum & Bass, Dubstep, and Neurofunk production. Named after producer Kevin Saunderson (as Reese), who popularized the sound in the early '90s, it's characterized by its deep, modulating, slightly detuned quality that creates movement and space in the low end.

What Makes a Reese Bass?

A true Reese bass has these qualities:

• Two or more saw waves slightly detuned
• Subtle movement from phase interactions
• Deep, full frequency spectrum
• Controlled low-end power
• Slight "wobbly" character without being a wobble bass

Building a Classic Reese Bass

Step 1: The Foundation

Start with two sawtooth wave oscillators in any subtractive synthesizer. The saw wave is essential - its rich harmonic content is what gives the Reese its fullness.

Detune one oscillator slightly. Try 5-20 cents. This creates phase interference that gives the Reese its characteristic movement. The amount of detuning affects the speed of modulation - more detuning = faster movement.

Step 2: Filtering

Use a low-pass filter to control the brightness. Start with the cutoff around 1-2kHz and adjust to taste. Add some resonance (but not too much - around 20-40%) to emphasize the filter frequency.

For extra character, modulate the filter cutoff with an LFO at a slow rate. This adds subtle movement to the timbre.

Step 3: Processing

Essential effects for Reese basses:

• Chorus: Adds width and depth. Use subtle settings
• Slight distortion: Adds harmonics and presence
• EQ: High-pass around 30-40Hz to remove rumble
• Compression: Controls dynamics and adds punch

Advanced Reese Techniques

Triple Oscillator Reese

For an even fuller sound, use three oscillators:

• Osc 1: 0 cents (center)
• Osc 2: +10 cents
• Osc 3: -10 cents

This creates more complex phase interactions and a wider stereo image.

The Sub Layer

In DnB, your Reese often sits in the mid-bass region. Add a separate sine wave sub bass layer tuned to the root note, sitting clean below 80Hz. This provides power without muddying the characteristic Reese movement.

Movement and Automation

Static Reese basses work, but adding movement makes them more interesting:

• Automate filter cutoff for build and release
• Subtly change detune amount (careful - this can detune the pitch)
• Automate oscillator levels for evolving timbre
• Add subtle vibrato with an LFO on pitch

Reese Bass in Different Genres

Drum & Bass

DnB Reese basses are typically 100-400Hz range with a clean sub below. They're often rolled (playing continuous notes) rather than staccato. Use heavy compression and sidechain to the kick.

Neurofunk

More aggressive. Add more distortion, higher resonance, and more extreme modulation. Layer multiple Reese sounds with different processing for a complex, evolving bass.

Dubstep

In Dubstep, Reese basses are often used as a foundation layer under more aggressive growls. Keep them deeper and less modulated than in DnB.

Using Reeser for Quick Results

Building Reese basses from scratch teaches you the fundamentals, but when you're in the creative flow, speed matters. Reeser is our dedicated Reese bass generator that gives you professional routing, perfect detuning, and optimal processing chains with simple controls.

Common Issues and Solutions

Problem: Bass sounds thin
Solution: Add a third oscillator, use wider detuning, or layer multiple Reese sounds with slightly different settings.

Problem: Too much movement/wobble
Solution: Reduce detuning amount. Try 3-8 cents instead of 10-20 cents.

Problem: Muddy low end
Solution: High-pass your Reese around 80-100Hz and use a separate sub layer. This keeps the movement in the mids and the power in the sub.

Mixing Reese Basses

Reese basses can easily dominate a mix. Control them:

• Sidechain to kick and snare
• Don't let the Reese compete with the sub layer frequency-wise
• Use multiband compression to control different frequency zones
• Reference professional DnB tracks for level and EQ

Conclusion

The Reese bass is deceptively simple in concept but offers endless possibilities for variation. Master the basic technique first - detuned saws with filtering and subtle processing. Then experiment with additional oscillators, more aggressive processing, and complex modulation. With practice, you'll develop your own signature Reese sound.