Depeche Mode Synth Bass

A look at the bass line to Depeche Mode's classic track 'Enjoy the Silence' and how it was created with the Roland System 700.

0:00 Intro & History
1:37 Recreating the Sound
4:46 Making your own version
6:07 Sample Pack
6:38 Cover of Enjoy the Silence

Huge thanks to Clemens Wenners for stepping in on vocals, I tried myself and the world shall never hear that result. :)

Huge thanks to my Patrons:

[AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, I said Ga-han instead of Gawn. I do apologise. You live and learn.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the video.

[StanleyKubick]

imagine recording your 7th album and still having a banger like this up the sleeve

[Bigmojo]

This is splendid. I do all the programming for Depeche Mode Tribute The Devout. This bass line is a massively iconic part of Depeche’s legacy and the right filter behaviour makes it or breaks it. To show this technique applied on other modular / semi modular synths is a very clever idea. A joy to watch.

[deanbrndo]

Ive got to say, this cover is exquisitely done. Fantastic vocals. Absolutely well done all of you.

[Farewelltokingz]

The genius of Alan Wilder never disappoints

[SpikesStudio]

I have so much emotional baggage tied up with Depeche Mode's music that even hearing this baseline makes me anxious. You just cant credit how good it really is. Was a very big part of my life. Cheers Alex

[jamesm]

Many thanks from way over here in smoky California. Dark times over here, but an Alex Ball video is always a bright spot. Never stop!

[dvuemedia]

That whole album is a Masterpiece!
My daughter who is 16, just got me a t-shirt with that album logo for my birthday, she knows I like this album so much.

[ringsystemmusic]

holy cow this is literally my favorite synth bassline of all time thank you so much

[henninghoefer]

"Enjoy the silence" is probably my favourite love song ever. Thank you and Clemens for that awesome cover! You've made my day.

[chriswareham]

Alan Wilder was such a huge part of Depeche Mode's distinctive sound - he would spend hours in the studio essentially co-producing their albums while the other three were off elsewhere. They've had a few tracks I like since he left, but he definitely added a lot to the basic demos that Martin Gore would present the band with. That's not to lessen the importance of Martin, as he clearly was the most important in creating the foundations of the songs.

[JonMurray]

Awesome job recreating the bass man! Thanks for taking the time. Superb cover as well guys!

[GP-]

Big fan of Clemens. More collaborations please. ❤❤ 🤘🤘 This is one of my favorite covers now. Excellent work guys.

[crifox]

i will never forget when my dad first played this record for me. my head just about exploded during the intro of world in my eyes. talk about kicking off an album! still my favorite song and favorite record of all time

[ThomasMOIV]

WOW! As you said, many, many variables, but: This definitely is essentially it. To be able to recreate this from scratch takes some serious skill even if you have the right synth. Thanks for showing!!! I have been loving this bass line for... well... since it was released 😅

[DetlevSchwabe]

It's a special day whenever Alex releases a new video. Give this guy an Oscar already!

[pablowentscobar]

Fantastic video sir. As a synth-noob I get a lot of value out of this type of video. As you said, I don't really care about recreating this song, but learning the techniques and theories of how to arrive at this sound is super beneficial to me at this point. Thank you Alex, top shelf fren. BTW, your cover is amazing.

[nitfumble]

Started watching for the information, stayed for the cover. Thanks Alex!

[TisMeJohnDee]

Expertly described as usual, thanks and Happy New year. Brilliant cover at the end Clemens Wenners vocals spot on.

[everpuremusic]

There are a million cover versions out there. But this one just made me smile from start to end. And thanks for the rundown of the bass - it's so simple and yet so spectacularly effective!