# Sound Recipe - The Orb / Weatherall-era Primal Scream / Ambient Dub Trip ## Target Hypnotic, psychedelic, dub-soaked electronic atmosphere: deep echoing space, woozy filtered movement, fat dub bass, found-sound samples, and effects-as-instruments. Trippy and immersive, expensive through depth and the way sounds breathe and decay rather than through density. The sound should feel: - Deep, spacious, immersive - Dubby (echo and bass as structure) - Psychedelic and hypnotic - Slow-evolving and patient - Warm and analog, slightly hazy Follows the house method: **intention → source → preset/plugin start → routing → settings → automation → taste checks.** --- ## Useful References - The Orb (Little Fluffy Clouds, A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain..., U.F.Orb) - Primal Scream — the Weatherall/electronic side (Screamadelica: Higher Than the Sun, Come Together; *not* the Stones-y rock) - Adjacent: Andrew Weatherall productions, KLF Chill Out, early Leftfield, dub techno - Signatures: dub delay as a compositional tool, fat round bass, samples/voices floating in space, slow filter rides Steal the jobs: echo as structure, bass as anchor, samples as scenery, and patient evolving movement. --- ## Best For - Long hypnotic intros and interludes - Dub breakdowns and bridges - Trippy beds under spoken/sung vocals - Ambient-leaning electronic tracks - Adding psychedelic depth to electronic pop --- ## Core Roles 1. **Dub bass** — round, deep, the anchor 2. **Echo space (dub delays + reverb)** — the main "instrument" 3. **Hypnotic groove** — loose, swung, dub-influenced 4. **Floating samples/pads** — scenery and motion 5. **Filtered movement** — slow rides and woozy modulation --- # 1. Dub Bass ## Intention Fat, round, warm bass that anchors everything and leaves room for echo. Simple, repetitive, hypnotic. ## Source + preset starting points | Source | ⭐ | Start From | Going For | |---|---|---|---| | u-he Diva | ⭐ | Single saw/triangle, sub osc, ladder LPF low | Round warm dub anchor | | GForce Novation Bass Station | ⭐ | Mono bass, resonant LPF, glide | Squelchy acid/dub bass with bite | | Roland SH-101 / SH-2 | ⭐ | Mono bass, filter low, slight glide | Classic acid/dub bass | | GForce Two Voice Pro (TVS) | | SEM duo bass + internal sequence | Fat hypnotic stepped dub line | | Roland JUNO-60 | | Bass patch + sub | Warm vintage round | | UAD Ampeg B15N (on synth/DI) | | Tube bass amp for round weight | Real "dub" amp warmth | ## Insert chain 1. **Pro-Q 4** — HPF <30 Hz; gentle low-mid bump ~100 Hz for round body; LPF ~2–4 kHz (dub bass is dark) 2. **UAD LA-2A** — smooth optical leveling, 3–5 dB GR (round, even) 3. **UAD Studer A800 / Oxide Tape** — analog warmth 4. Optional **UAD Ampeg B15N** for tube round-ness ## Routing - Mono, mostly dry. A *touch* can go to a dub delay for occasional bass echoes in breakdowns. ## Settings anchors - Dark, round, simple riff (1–2 bars, repetitive) - Tight to a simple kick; sidechain only if needed ## Automation - Filter rides slowly across long sections; drop to bass-only in dub breakdowns ## Taste checks - If it's too bright/aggressive, lower the LPF. Dub bass is felt and round, not edgy. --- # 2. Echo Space (the main instrument) ## Intention In dub, delay and reverb *are* the arrangement. Send things into deep, filtered, feedback-rich echo and ride it live. ## Tools + starting settings | Tool | ⭐ | Use | Start | |---|---|---|---| | UAD Roland RE-201 (Space Echo) | ⭐ | The classic dub echo (tape + spring) | Mode 4, repeat rate to 1/4, intensity (feedback) 40–60%, ride it | | Strymon El Capistan | ⭐ | Tape echo alt, wow/flutter | dotted 1/8, low-mid feedback, tape age up | | Eventide UltraTap / H3000 | ⭐ | Rhythmic/huge dub throws | tap rhythm, long feedback for swells | | Lexicon PCM | ⭐ | Deep reverb space | Hall/Plate, decay 3–6 s, dark | | Eventide Blackhole | | Cosmic infinite space | huge size, low mix, automate up | ## Technique (key to the style) - Put delays on **sends**; automate **send level** and **feedback** live so echoes swell and trail - Feedback into reverb: route the delay return into a reverb send for endless dub tails - High-pass and low-pass the returns; ride the filter on feedback to make echoes "spiral" ## Automation - Throw snare/sample/vocal hits into the RE-201, push feedback up for a wash, then pull back - This live "dub mixing" is the performance — record automation passes ## Taste checks - If it turns to mush, filter the returns and reduce feedback. Echo should breathe, not pile up. --- # 3. Hypnotic Groove ## Intention A loose, dubby, slightly swung groove with lots of space — the opposite of busy. ## Source + chain - **Roland TR-909/808** for kick/clap; **XLN XO** for loose percussion; **KORG Gadget** loop player (Stockholm) for breaks - Process: tape glue, light bus comp; send snare/perc to the RE-201 dub delay - Optional breakbeat (Logic Quick Sampler) for a baggy/Madchester feel (Primal Scream side) ## Settings anchors - Swing 10–20%; sparse pattern; offbeat hats; lots of gaps for echo - Keep drums fairly dry except dub throws ## Automation - Mute/add elements across long stretches; filter the drum bus in breakdowns ## Taste checks - Space is the groove. If it's crowded, the dub effects have nowhere to live. --- # 4. Floating Samples / Pads ## Intention Scenery: voices, field recordings, choirs, soft pads, oddball samples drifting through the echo (the Orb signature). ## Source + chain - **Logic Quick Sampler / Sample Alchemy / Alchemy** for sample loading and granular drift; **NI Ashlight** ⭐ for produced Orb beds; **NI Pharlight** for vocal-granular human scenery; **NI Middle East** for oud/duduk/world ear-candy (filtered low); **Omnisphere** soundscapes; **KORG wavestate** evolving pads - Process: heavy filtering, pitch to key, send into dub delay + deep reverb - **Eventide Crystals** for reverse/pitched halos; **RC-20** for hazy lo-fi ## Settings anchors - Samples low and filtered; let echo carry them - Pads soft, slow, dark ## Automation - Drift samples in/out; throw them into delay for psychedelic moments ## Taste checks - Samples are atmosphere, not hooks (usually). Keep them hazy and submerged. --- # 5. Filtered Movement ## Intention Slow, woozy motion that makes the track feel like it's breathing/melting. ## Tools - **ShaperBox 3** — slow filter/volume LFOs - **UAD Moog Multimode Filter** — analog filter sweeps on buses - **NI Freak** / **Eventide Undulator** — woozy modulation for psychedelic moments - Auto-pan / slow phaser (Eventide Instant Phaser) on pads ## Settings anchors - LFO rates very slow (0.05–0.2 Hz); subtle depth - Phaser slow and wide for the "swirl" ## Taste checks - Movement should be hypnotic, not seasick. One or two moving elements at a time. --- # Routing Summary - **Dub Delay Send:** UAD RE-201 / El Capistan (feedback automated) → optionally into reverb - **Reverb (deep):** Lexicon PCM; **cosmic:** Eventide Blackhole - **Bass:** dry, mono, round - **Drum Bus / Synth Bus:** tape glue - **Mix Bus:** UAD Studer A800 → SSL G Bus (gentle) → limiter The dub delay send is the centerpiece — automate it like an instrument. --- # Fast Path 1. Diva round dub bass → LA-2A → tape, mono 2. RE-201 on a send; throw a sample + snare into it, ride feedback 3. Loose 909 groove with gaps 4. One floating sample/pad → deep reverb 5. Slow ShaperBox filter on the bed --- # Adjustment Rules **Not dubby enough:** more RE-201 feedback rides, filter the echo returns, send bass/snare into delay, more space in the groove. **Too cluttered:** strip elements, longer gaps, fewer moving parts — dub is about space. **Too clean/sterile:** tape (Studer/Oxide), RC-20 haze, El Capistan flutter, analog filter sweeps. **Not psychedelic:** slow phaser/Undulator on pads, reverse halos (Crystals), Blackhole washes, pitch drift. **Sounds cheap:** round mono bass, tape glue, one deep reverb world, automated dub echoes (not static). --- # Common Mistakes - Busy arrangement (no room for echo) - Bright/aggressive bass (should be dark and round) - Static delays (the magic is in riding feedback/sends) - Echo mush (filter returns, control feedback) - Samples too loud/foreground - No analog/tape character --- # Closest Tools I Own Bass: u-he Diva, GForce Novation Bass Station / Two Voice Pro, Roland SH-101/SH-2/JUNO-60, UAD Ampeg B15N Echo/space: UAD Roland RE-201 / Lexicon PCM, Strymon El Capistan, Eventide UltraTap/H3000/Blackhole/Crystals, Lexicon PCM Groove: Roland TR-909/808, XLN XO, KORG Stockholm, Logic Quick Sampler Samples/pads: Logic Alchemy/Sample Alchemy/Quick Sampler, NI Ashlight, Omnisphere, KORG wavestate Movement/character: ShaperBox 3, UAD Moog Multimode Filter, NI Freak, Eventide Undulator/Instant Phaser, RC-20, UAD Studer A800/Oxide --- # Practical Summary Anchor with a fat round mono dub bass, then treat echo (RE-201/El Capistan into deep reverb) as your main instrument by riding sends and feedback live. Keep the groove loose and spacious, float filtered samples and pads through the echo, and add slow woozy filter/phaser movement. The trippy, expensive depth comes from space, tape warmth, and automated dub mixing — not from filling every gap. --- # Related Pages - [Synths and Keys](../../instruments/08-synths-and-keys.md) - [Bass](../../instruments/09-bass.md) - [Sound Recipe - Weatherall / Dubby Indie-Dance Groove](../drums/weatherall-dubby-indie-dance-groove.md) - [Sound Recipe - The Orb / Weekend Balearic Dub-House](orb-weekend-balearic-dub-house.md) - [Sound Recipe - Effect-as-Arrangement (Risers, Reverse Blooms, Dub Throws)](../effects/effect-as-arrangement.md) - [Creative Effects and Transitions](../../production/11-creative-effects-and-transitions.md)