Rodney “Dark Child” Jerkins is known for his signature bass lines that bring warmth, bounce, and character to R&B productions. One of his most iconic bass sounds comes from Brandy’s hit song Full Moon, a track that defined early 2000s R&B.
Recently, a YouTube community member challenged me to recreate this legendary bass tone, and I couldn’t resist. In this video, I walk you through how I designed the sound, breaking down the essential elements that make it work. Plus, for members of my YouTube and Patreon communities, I’ve created an exclusive step-by-step tutorial and included my custom Serum patches for download.
Brandy “Full Moon” Bass Line Recreation
The Full Moon bass line has a smooth yet punchy character, sitting perfectly in the mix without overpowering the track. To recreate this, I focused on a few key characteristics:
Sub-bass foundation: A deep sine wave provides the core low-end warmth.
Mid-range presence: A touch of saturation and harmonics ensures the bass cuts through on smaller speakers.
Glide and movement: A subtle pitch glide creates that signature Dark Child bounce.
Using Serum, I built a patch that nails this sound while keeping it tweakable for different tracks.
The Bass Patch Info
To create this sound, I started with a basic sine wave as the primary oscillator, layered with a slightly distorted square wave for added bite. Here are the main settings I used:
1. Oscillator A: Sine wave with a low-pass filter to keep it warm and round.
2. Oscillator B: A square wave mixed in at a low volume to add a bit of grit.
3. Envelope Settings: Fast attack and medium release to maintain a smooth yet responsive feel.
4. Glide & Portamento: Set to a medium speed for that signature Dark Child-style note transition.
5. Effects:
- Saturation: A touch of drive to enhance harmonics.=
- Chorus/Reverb: Used subtly to give depth while keeping it clean in the mix.
- EQ: Rolling off extreme lows to prevent muddiness.
For a more in-depth walkthrough, my members-only video includes every step of the patch design, plus variations for different styles.
Want the Exact Serum Patches?
Patreon Creator Tier members get access to my Serum patches for both the main Full Moon bass sound and an alternative version that fits modern productions. If you want instant access, join my Patreon here.
Dark Child’s bass lines have left a lasting impact on R&B and hip-hop, and learning how to craft similar sounds can take your production to the next level. Whether you’re making R&B, house, or hip-hop, this type of bass design can add warmth and movement to your tracks.
Try it out, experiment with the patch, and let me know in the comments how it works in your productions! And if you want more exclusive tutorials, subscribe to Distinct Mastering and join the Patreon community for access to all my patches and private videos.
Happy producing!
Related Videos & Resources
If you enjoyed this breakdown, check out these related videos:
- Create Stems in Ableton Live with Serato Sample
- How to Make a Bass Sound like Dark Child – Members Only
🎶 MUSIC: Erick Diaz, Freshcobar, and Lavelle Dupree on NOS Recordings. – https://music.nosrecordings.com/nos035
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