How to Make DnB Bass Sounds in Serum – Essential Guide

The DnB Bass Sound Palette

Drum and bass has a rich variety of bass sounds, from deep rolling reese basses to aggressive neurofunk growls. Understanding the different types of DnB bass and how to create them in Serum is essential for any producer working in the genre.

The beauty of DnB bass is that it needs to work at 170+ BPM, which means your bass patches need to be tight, punchy, and rhythmically precise. Sounds that work great at slower tempos can become muddy and undefined at DnB speeds. Let us look at the core DnB bass types and how to make them.

The Rolling Sub Bass

A solid sub bass is the foundation of most DnB tracks, especially in liquid, deep, and minimal styles.

Creating It in Serum

Start with a pure sine wave on Osc A. No unison, no detune, just a clean sine. Set the octave to match your desired sub range (usually around C1 to C2). Add a subtle amount of Serum Tube distortion in the FX chain, just enough to add a few harmonics so the sub is audible on smaller speakers.

Shape the amplitude envelope with a fast attack, full sustain, and a moderate release. The release is important because at DnB tempos, notes come and go quickly. Too long a release and the sub will blur between notes. Too short and you lose the weight.

For the rolling feel, write your sub bass pattern with notes that follow the rhythm of the drums. Tie notes into each other where you want a smooth, continuous feel, and leave gaps where you want the sub to breathe and create rhythmic interest.

The Reese Bass

The reese bass is arguably the most iconic DnB bass sound. Named after producer Kevin Saunderson (who released music as Reese), it is that thick, detuned, swirling bass tone you hear in almost every subgenre of DnB.

Building a Reese in Serum

Load a saw wave on Osc A. Set the unison to 2 voices with moderate detune. This creates the classic phasing, swirling character. Add a low-pass filter with the cutoff around 800 Hz to 1.5 kHz depending on how bright you want it.

The key to a good reese is the detuning. Too little and it sounds like a normal saw bass. Too much and it becomes a mess. Find the sweet spot where you get a rich, swirling movement without losing pitch definition.

Process the reese with saturation for warmth and a touch of chorus or phaser for extra movement. Many producers bounce their reese to audio and then resample it, adding additional processing with each iteration to build complexity.

The Neurofunk Growl

Neurofunk basses are complex, aggressive, and technically demanding to create. They use FM synthesis, heavy modulation, and creative resampling.

Start with a complex wavetable on Osc A. Enable FM from Osc B with a moderate amount. Assign LFOs to both the wavetable position and FM amount for constant movement. Add heavy distortion, multiband compression, and possibly a comb filter for metallic character.

The key to neurofunk bass is automation and variation. Change your bass sound throughout the track using macro automation, filter sweeps, and pattern changes. Neurofunk listeners expect constant sonic evolution.

The Jump-Up Bass

Jump-up DnB uses simpler, more direct bass sounds that focus on impact rather than complexity. A typical jump-up bass is a saw wave with moderate distortion and a rhythmic filter pattern.

In Serum, load a saw wave with 2-4 unison voices. Add a bandpass filter with an envelope controlling the cutoff. Set a fast attack and moderate decay for a plucky, rhythmic feel. Drive it through distortion for aggression. The result should be punchy, energetic, and groove-oriented.

Layering DnB Bass Sounds

Most professional DnB tracks use layered bass, not a single patch. A common approach is three layers. A sub layer (sine wave, mono, clean) for the low end. A mid layer (reese, growl, or textured bass) for character. A top layer (distorted harmonics or noise) for presence and bite.

Process each layer independently. High-pass the mid and top layers to keep them out of the sub range. Low-pass the sub layer to keep it clean. Use sidechain compression on all bass layers from the kick and sometimes the snare.

For DnB-ready Serum presets with all the layering and processing already done, visit the Preset Drive shop. Or start with the free Serum taster pack and get your hands on some quality bass presets you can use in your DnB productions straight away.

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For a complete overview of dirty bass sounds and preset recommendations, see our Dirty Bass Serum Presets guide.