Great Free Acoustic Bass Vst
- Synthesized bass is common in pop, electronic, and rap music. On the other hand, guitar bass are faithful real-instrument emulators for those who want to easily have access to realistic bass sounds. Given the success of bass plug-ins, it shouldn’t be surprising that the market is swarmed with bass VST plugins.
- Scarbee Bass is a virtual instrument that is powered by Kontakt, a VST plugin. Kontakt 5 Player is free and luckily the Scarbee Bass plugins can be used by it, although you will have to purchase each individual bass.
- On Samara Cycle Audio, you can find a big collection of free VST instruments and effect plugins. One of them is Om Bass 2, a much-improved successor of the original Om Bass. This VST plugin is a fun one: With 128 presets to try and a ton of settings, you can shape your bass tone to your liking.
The best bass virtual instrument can set our songs apart by a mile, and we know from experience how it can feel to finally be covered in the bass arena of our music making repertoire. We’ve been collecting VST for quite some time now, and feel that we’re pretty competent considering for years we’ve scrounged the internet whenever we can for either free or paid virtual instruments (sometimes we think we’ve flooded ourselves with too many choices and have a hard to actually settling down with what to use). As we saw in our guitar VST guide or even piano VST, there are a great deal of choices in sounds and FX as we near a new decade with technology growing (which we’re not mad about). Regardless of what’s best for us, it works in your favor as we’ve been able to compile a great list for the best bass virtual instruments today to help your search. Note: We have a free bass plugins article in case you don’t want to pay for any yet.
Ever wondered what VST instruments are the most popular? Find it out here. Pettinhouse Audio. This site offers 5 stunning guitar libraries. There’s a beautiful acoustic guitar, electric guitar (labeled DG), classical guitar, jazz guitar and a bass. Ample Bass P Lite II aim to bring the Fender Precision Bass sound to your studio. The Ample Bass VST plugin is an electric bass vst plugin great for some groovier and more rock-centric bass sounds. The bass VST plugin features a wide collection of bass sounds ranging from screaming leads to class fat basses that give it a warm resonance that is quite rare in modern bass plug-ins. Among its features is a classic ladder filter that models sounds at 12/24 dB for that low bass.
The best bass VST
Spectrasonics Trilian
To kick off our guide here, Trillian’s VST’s are among the highest ranked out there, and their primary attribute here with this virtual instrument is it’s comprehensive design that features a balanced combination of various kinds of basses brought together into a state of the art VST bundle. It’s 34 GB library is home to a versatile collection of basses designed to offer users masterful real-time performances for both electric and acoustic basses. What’s more, this bass VST comes fully equipped with their next generation stream engine making it the first bass instrument to be integrated with the premier Omnispehere synth for enhanced splits and sound design.
As the successor to Spectrasonics highly rated Trilogy bass instrument, it features re-mastered and amplified versions of the flagship model’s library. On top of that, there are multi-samples from some of the most iconic Bass players including John Patitucci, Marcus Miller, and Laboriel Abraham. On the flipside, the interface requires one to get a bit used to. Nonetheless, it features a plethora of interesting controls for sound modification, all of which are custom controls.
If you wanted a large selection of bass sounds that will keep you busy for a super long amount of time and essentially have you covered in every area of bass, it is easy to see why Spectrasonics Trillian is ranked among the best bass VSTs of this age. It may be a bit expensive for some your tastes so we’ll continue with some lesser jam-packed bass VST below.
Scarbee Rickenbacker
We’re not going to lie here — we essentially use some shape or form of this bass with every single song we’ve been making for the past few years. It just sounds that real. “Capturing a legend”-That is the slogan behind Native Instruments’ Scarbee Rickenbacker bass synth and judging by its solid features, this is a reputation that the plugin lives up to! Rightfully so, the ‘legend’ referred to is the 1980 Rickenbacker 4003 known for its balanced tonal response and thunderous bass.
The Scarbee Rickenbacker immortalizes this feature through its crisp basses that are accompanied by the Kontakt chain effects for added tweaking. Being one of the best bass VST, the Rickenbacker also features a tape saturator, a ‘solid mix series’ compressor, and Guitar Rig’s Jump Amp. What’s more, it’s library includes 2 NKIs-palm-muted and open articulations, all of which were played using a pick for a realistic sounding feel. However, it is limited to the most recent Konakt platform version.
IK Modo Bass
What makes the IK Modo Bass one of the best bass virtual instruments in today’s market? The answer lies in it’s the fact that it is the first ever electric bass to be modeled physically making it a leading pioneer in the analog modeling music technology industry. Its precision is unmatched which was all one could expected from a synth that took (8 years) to be developed.
Deservedly so, the new version features some exciting updates including 2 additional bass models namely metal and Imperial-bringing the total to 14, 6 string enablement such that all the available models can be played in 6 string bass mode, ‘Drop A’ which enables users to automatically turn to the A note and dropping the B string, and added tweakability in the interface. More importantly, the IK Modo Bass VST uses a fully optimized sound engine and modal synthesis technology that structures the strings to work as nonlinear resonators for real time synthesis. Just another one of our favorite bass guitar VST in the world right now.
Novation Bass Station
Novation’s Bass Station is the software plug-in for the 1993 Bass Station that featured a warm analog path and DCO oscillators with solid flexibility. The bass VST plugin features a wide collection of bass sounds ranging from screaming leads to class fat basses that give it a warm resonance that is quite rare in modern bass plug-ins. Among its features is a classic ladder filter that models sounds at 12/24 dB for that low bass.
Also added to the frame are LFOs that are relatively easy to route. As such, using this kind of modulation routing, one is in a position to take full control of the production’s harmonic sounds using either the filter cut-off or the pulse width modulation. Other notable features that make this one of the best bass VSTs include ADSR envelopes, oscillator sync which allows for highly expressive complicated timbres, over 100 presets, and extensive plugin support.
Output Substance
Output’s Substance makes it to the list largely on account of its powerful bass engine. In as far as the best bass virtual instruments for new-age bass production is concerned, Substance is somewhere at the top! It features a combination of complete live brass sets, large poly-synths, uniquely processed acoustic basses, enhanced sound design, and amplified electric bases.
On the other hand being its prime feature, the intense engine operates by bringing together up to 3 sound source layers and merging them with a range of tweaks such as FX, modulation, flux control, an amped arpeggiator and filters for a thumping, solid quality bass. Together, these features enable the VST to generate a new breed of bass that is all the more thunderous. What’s more, Output Substance features a unique blend of presets such as the ‘Fuzz Pedal’, ‘Simple Acoustic’, ‘Super-Fast Bass Arp’, ‘Snowy Road’, ‘Smooth Upright’, and the Sub Tsunami, to name just but a few. Definitely one of the best bass virtual instruments to check out if you wanted more new-age, technological sounds and capabilities.
Waves Bass Slapper
The Bass Slapper boats of a realistic sounding slapping bass sound that accurately emulates the articulations and nuances of a high end bass instrument. Essentially, as far as Slap Bass is concerned, this is one of the best bass virtual instruments around. It has been designed to allow users to develop realistic sounds while maintaining absolute control over each articulation as well as note. This is made possible by its extensive library which includes pull-offs, dead notes, popping, thumbs, legato sounds, and open strings.
This model also comes fully equipped with all 5 string articulations, reliable amp simulation, low boost, 4-band equalizer, real time MIDI controls, adjustable key switch editor, and a sub octave. On the flipside, Waves Bass Slapper has rather high technical requirements for both Windows and Mac users.These include hard disk space of at least 8 GB, minimum resolution on 1280×1024, Intel Core i5, or AMD Quad-Core processor.
U-he Tryell N6
The u-he TyrellN6 is a product of well-researched modeling based on ideas which is a strong point of this VST creator. Rightfully so, this synth is compact and quite sporty. It includes a deep analogue sound and a skinnable user interface for enhanced flexibility. Other notable features include 2 oscillators (ring and noise), 2 LFOs (all of which have 8 waveforms that can be synced with the host), a twin filter by musical powerhouse Diva, and a whopping 570 presets.
The ADSR envelopes used are analogue, and are either triggered by the LFOs or can alternatively be looped. As one of the best bass VSTs, the Tyrell N6 by U-he also features an audio source mixer that comes fully equipped with a filter feedback and realistic overdrive. On the whole, this virtual instrument is takes on a classic, analogue architecture which includes a number of extras.
Ample Sound-Ample Bass P Lite
The Ample Bass P Lite is structured to incorporate a Fender Precision Bass into your sound articulations. Compared to the Ample Bass P, the P Lite VST features a number of upgrades that make this a more compact choice for bass lovers. These include reduced size for easier installation from 3.6 GB to 450 mb, a D1-F4 range as opposed to ABP’s B0-F4, and a reduced number of articulations — hammer on, accent, pull off, and sustain. Nonetheless, its nifty architecture qualifies this as one of the best bass virtual instruments of today to make it at the end of our list. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but definitely worth checking out as it’s been mentioned in a lot of message boards we researched for this guide.
TAL-Elek7ro
TAL-Elek7ro is an analog virtual bass synth virtual instrument that includes a good number of highly rated features. These include frequency modulation, faster envelopes, and the oscillator hard sync. What’s more, the LFO has an expanded range of 400 Hz-0.1 Hz. Attack and delay tweaks are also made available by means of the free routable envelope that is included in the synth’s architecture. More importantly, TAL-Elek7ro virtual instrument is home to up to 80 presets that are pretty solid, allowing music enthusiasts to develop a wide variety of sounds from deep flat basses to percussion sound to expand their bass palate.
Scarbee Pre-Bass
Scarbee Pre Bass is a timeless, electric VST used in the production of classic bass articulations and a wide variety of notes. Just as the name suggests, this VST was created by Thomas Hansen Skarbye, one of the most accomplished music producers and bassists of this generation. This goes a long way in explaining why it is ranked as one of the best bass virtual instruments of today. It features more than 4,000 samples including velocity layers and every four string bass setup available. Through advanced scripting, this VST promises to deliver authentic and overly intuitive bass sound ending our list with strength.
Finding the best bass VST virtual instruments
As you’d imagine, keeping it down to ten for this list has been a major challenge especially given the vast variety of synth plugins for bass available in the current market. Sanxian vst free. Nonetheless, be rest assured that this ultimate selection comprises purely of the crème of the crop. It features some of the best bass virtual instruments for a wide audience-from those looking for a rich analogue fat sound to Dub-Step attack enthusiasts and the more soulful music lovers with a knack for the expressive, harmonic treble of an actual string bass instrument.
Generally, these VSTs are at the very top of the list with regards to usability, character, and sound quality. We hope our guide here helped your search today, but definitely let us know in the comments if we’ve left anything out!
More gear reviews and guides in the realm..
Recording directly is as popular as ever nowadays. Loading up an amp sim is great for conveniently jamming, practicing, and recording bass without having to assemble a ton of gear.
With this ongoing trend, there is a vast virtual sea of amp simulators on the market to choose from (free and paid!)
Unfortunately, the majority of amp sims today are heavily tailored towards the six-string guitarists, while the bass players only get a fraction of bass amps and
About This Post
From my experience learning bass and my love of amps sims. I have taken the time to construct this roundup post of the best amps simulators that are more tailored towards the bass players in 2019.
Jargon Busting
Plugin: (A programme application that can open within a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) to enhance audio-related functionality.)
Standalone version: (A software that can open independently within the desktop without requiring to open inside a DAW to make use of its features)
#1 – Amplitube 4
- Price: €149 (base version)
- Bass amps: 1
- Standalone version: Yes
- Demo version: Yes
- Plugin: Yes
- Win/Mac
- 64-bit only
Created by IK Multimedia, Amplitube 4 is one of the top dogs when it comes to amp simulators. Amplitube 4 includes the most detail and depth when it comes to tone sculpting and the most realistic sounding selection of bass amplifiers on the market.
In my opinion, this software is one of the best-paid amp simulators, offering players iconic and infinite amounts of tone creation with an impressive level of detail and sonic realism.
The interface also looks visually appealing and very easy to navigate for creating an arsenal of bass presets at will.
The level of customization in Amplitube 4 is insane, everything from…
- Iconic modeled amps (guitar and bass)
- Effects (stompboxes, distortion, reverb, modulation, delay etc)
- Room ambiance simulation
- Microphone selection and placement
- Cabinet customization
- Rack effects
- Power tube customization
- Built-in recording suite
- Impressive visuals and interface
- Tuner
I could go on for days about how detailed this programme is when it comes to tone sculpting. There is so much in this programme that will satisfy most tone freaks including the bass players.
The interface is easy to set up your ideal rig which can run in both standalone for practicing and jamming or a plug-in to record within your selected DAW.
The Base Version
When it comes to usability for bass players presets, the Base version only offers a single solid-state bass amp.
With that said, the level of customization with all aspects of your rig will be enough to keep you going and offer a lot of tone-sculpting options.
However, when you want to expand in tones with the likes of more bass amps, effects and presets here’s where the problem begins.
The negative with this sim is not the features and tones because they are spot on, the problem with Amplitube 4 is its pricing structure! Let me explain…
Pricing Structure
The negative with Amplitube 4 is as detailed, real, and accurate the presets sound. To get the full experience with a satisfactory amount of bass amps, cabinets, effects, and bass presets. You have to be willing to shell out a small fortune.
Either in the form of buying the ‘deluxe version’ which is not cheap at €299. Or buying the base version and paying for the official ‘Ampeg expansion packs’ or paying for individual amps and effects via the ‘IK Custom Shop.’
(The ‘IK Custom Shop’ is an online store to purchase and download extra packs or separate amps to your rig.)
Most Affordable Option
The Deluxe version includes a ton of regular guitar amps but when it comes to the bass players, the deluxe version only includes a grand total of 3 bass amps (they do sound great though.)
The cheaper option would be to buy the ‘Base version’ at €149 and purchase the separate bass amps/packs and or any patches or effects you want from the IK Custom Shop.
The IK Custom Shop good for hand picking the amps, effects or whatever you want in your custom rig.
The problem is however, this can rack up a big bill fast as separate patches do not come cheap when purchased independently which quickly turns this amp sim into an endless money pit.
Why Amplitube 4?
Amplitube 4 is the option for bass players who want to invest a fair bit of money into a solid, usable, and fantastic sounding amp sim with tons of tone customization.
It is true that you pay for what you get in life and this is definitely the case with this software.
This option It is a little pricey but you will be rewarded with the investment of a solid amp sim to use for years to come with a crazy amount of tone customization and great sounding bass tones.
Which Version?
The version you go for depends on how far you want to invest for all of the
Having the full programme would be ideal if you play guitar on the side or an avid recording bassist who wants the full palate of tones at their disposal.
In this case, Amplitube 4 is one of the most popular and overall best amp sim to give you an infinite amount of tones for your bass recording and jamming requirements.
Pros
- Amazing sounding guitar and bass presets
- Endless tone customization
- Tons of features
- Easy to create presets and your ideal rig
- Use as standalone version or plugin
- Ultimate all in one amp sim
Cons
- Expensive investment
- Have to invest money to get additional bass amps
- Only supports 64-bit systems
- Cheaper alternatives
2# – Bias Amp 2
- Price: $299 (Elite version)
- Bass amps: 4
- Demo version: Yes
- Standalone version: Yes
- Plugin: Yes
- 32 & 64-bit systems
- Win/Mac
Bias Amp 2 is somewhat different from most amp simulators. Most sims give you a selection of amps to twiddle and tweak the EQ parameters or even a few
However, Bias Amp 2 essentially allows players to build and design your own ‘custom bass amp’… literally from the ground up.
Players have the option to tweak the smallest details that go into amp design such as transformers, power tubes, preamp tubes, biasing, power supply and shelf frequencies.
And all these small details will affect the overall tone of the amp. For example, the way you tweak the transformers will affect the sound of the upper midrange.
This is a single example of how amazingly detailed this amp sim can be for sculpturing and creating your perfect core bass tone which will please all the tube amp players out there.
Features
The programme includes 4 bass amps
This is before dialing the amps EQ or playing around with the selection of microphones, microphone placement, and cabinet speaker selection.
This programme gives the heavy tweakers and tube amp purists a field day when it comes to shaping your perfect bass tone.
Free vst fx. This amp simulator focuses heavily on the level of customization that goes into the core amps design and elements which is good for tube amp purists.
Other features include the ‘Tonecloud’ which is an online community allowing users to upload and download amps presets created by members of the community.
Allowing users to audition and download some of the best presets rated and uploaded to the cloud adding users to share their best tones.
A noise gate is included and a selection of reverbs types to choose from with customizable parameters to dial in an ambient reverb to go with your perfect bass amp.
Sound
When it comes to sound and authenticity of a real tube amp, Bias Amp 2 has redesigned the previous engine used in the original Bias Amp.
Improving the responsiveness and realism when it comes to the dynamics, frequencies, and nuances of the sound of their line of tube amplifiers and cabs.
This new engine software, the tones are authentic and sound great when DI through any recording software adding a level of realism to any dry bass signal.
The Negatives
The only let down about this sim is there are no usual stompbox effects such as distortion, overdrive, flanger, phaser, or special effects etc like in other sims.
Another negative is that you have to pay the full price for the elite level to get the full experience which is not cheap at $299.
Saying that however, with the level of customization from this sim there is a lot of features and some great professional tube amp tones available from Bias Amp 2.
Pros
- Detailed and in-depth amp sim designer for bass and guitar
- Authentic and responsive sound
- High level of tone customization
- Standalone version
- Tonecloud community
- Amp matching feature
#3 – Helix Native
- Price: $399
- Bass amps: 13
- Standalone: No
- Demo Version: Yes
- Win/Mac
- Plugin: Yes
Helix Native by Line 6 is one of the most expensive amp sims on this list but offers a huge array of presets. Including 60 amps, (13 bass amps), 30 cabs and 100+ effects accommodating nicely for bass players.
Helix Native features the most bass amps on this list all modeled form popular and iconic bass amps from ‘Hiwatt,’ ‘Ampeg’ and ‘Mesa Boogie’ for example.
Features
The interface follows a simple design of dragging, dropping presets into the signal chain with each aspect of the rig can be shaped with the designated sliders to change the dynamics of the sound.
This sim caters in the effect department with everything you could want for shaping your ideal tone and experimenting with sounds.
- Distortion
- Dynamics
- EQ
- Modulation
- Delay/Reverb
- Pitch Shift
- Filters etc
- Wah
- Synth
This amp sim may not be the most visually appealing. But with lots of things going on inside a DAW, users can be thankful for the simple function of creating authentic bass tones without a cluttered interface. Excessive menus and other bells and whistles can distract from the usabailityin my opinion.
The Negative
The elephant in the room with this amp sim is the price! It is one of the most expensive options n this list and seems a lot of money for an amp sim just for using for bass.
On the plus side, you will have professional bass and guitar recording producers covered with a large number of amps, effects, and features.
This option would be a suitable option if you are a bass player that plays guitar on the side. Or if you happen to record other guitarists as a producer in a home studio situation.
Pros
- Simple interface
- Versatile selection of bass amps and cabs
- Realistic tones
- Large selection of effects
- High level of tone customization
#4 – Softube Bass Amp Room
- Price $149
- Presets: 1 amp, 3 cabinets
- Standalone Version: No
- Free Demo: Yes
- Plugin: Yes
- Win/Mac
Bass Amp Room by Softube stands out from most sims. Most programmes aim to please the masses with a ton of presets, effects and other bells and whistles. ‘Bass Amp Room’ from Softube however, do things differently…
Bass Amp Room only includes the one charming bass amp and a selection of 3 cabinets to choose from. So why am I recommending this considering the lack of bass amps?
The reason is that Softube
Although the interface looks simple, don’t underestimate the quality of tones from this sim. They are one of the most authentic that I have heard from any bass amp software.
What’s Included
The one available bass head replicates the iconic ‘Hiwatt DR103’ head while the bass cabinet is based off a classic ‘Ampeg’ 8×12 cab.
Bass Amp Room does an incredible job of simulating the tonal and sonic qualities of a bass tone down to the tee. Although added features are scarce, I will admit, the bass amp sims are one of the most authentic tonally.
The tone shaping abilities offer a good level of customization allowing you to modify the core building blocks of a tone. Everything from…
- Amp Head EQ
- Click and drag microphone placement
- Microphone tilt (off axis)
- DI EQ controls
- Pickup input gain
- Tone blending features
Unfortunately, Bass Amp Room doesn’t include any stompbox effects or features such as tuner, additional bass amps or a standalone version but does include a free 20-day demo version to test it out.
A good way to utilize this programme is to use it in your DAW to create an authentic raw sounding bass tone.
Then enable desired plug-ins to build on the tone in the form of effects adding ‘icing on the cake’ sounds and effects that are unavailable in the software.
Pros
- Authentic sounding bass tones
- Versatile tones for most genres (rock, metal, funk, jazz, etc)
- Enough tone shaping customization
- Solid sounding bass tones for recording in a DAW
- Dial a tone in quick without overcomplicating anything
Cons
- A tad on the pricey side for one bass head
- No standalone version
- No stompboxes or effects
- No additional amps or cabs to expand in sounds
#5 – GTR-3
- Price: $49
- Bass amps: 7
- Standalone: Yes
- Plug-in: Yes
- 64-bit only
- PC/Mac
- Free Demo: No
GTR-3 by Waves for the
The GTR-3 replicates bass tones with impressive accuracy adding a level of realism to any bass signal with any DAW and audio interface.
The pedalboard allows 6 designated spaces for stomp boxes with a selection of 26 effects which can be modified to add a surprising level of tone sculpting. It also runs a standalone version for running on the desktop without having to load it up as a plugin in a DAW.
I must admit, GTR-3 is not as heavily loaded with features as the other amp sims, excluding some features such as microphone customization, room ambiance, built in recording etc.
However, for the price, you do get a lot of great sounding amps and effects which in the grand scheme is great value for money.
Best for
This programme may not be for the tone twiddling freaks out there like other amp sims. However, this programme does not make too much of a deal and is designed and marketed to be simple and straight to the point.
GTR-3 is a good option for any bass players who are maybe new to the amp sim world. Possibly looking for an easy to use guitar modeling software who are not looking to spend a fortune first time around.
Pros
- Simple easy to use
- Affordable
- Authentic sounding amps and effects
- Standalone version
#6 – GK Amplification 2 Pro
- Price: $79
- Bass Amps: 3
- Free Demo: Yes
- Standalone: Yes
- Win/Mac
- Plugin: Yes
GK stands for Gaillain and Kruker. For all of you who are unaware, GK is a high-end bass amp and cabinet manufacturer based in the US.
GK Amplification 2 Pro is an affordable and versatile bass amp sim offering 3 popular emulated versions from their line of bass heads for adding to your mixes or jamming on the side. The heads available are the popular CK bass head models.
- GK MB150
- GK 800RB
- GK 2001 RB
This sim also offers a large selection of cabinets to match with your ideal bass head. A good feature is combining 2 speaker cabs for a mash and blend of cabinet sounds allowing a good level of tonal customization.
The main tonal options you can customize with this amp sim are…
- Bass Head EQ
- Boost option
- Voicing filters
- Microphone positioning
- Microphone type selection
- Microphone angle
- Cabinet tone blending
GK Amplification Pro 2 programme includes a metronome and track recorder which is useful for recording moments of inspiration and creative ideas in the standalone version. This programme is available for use as a plug-in within a DAW.
Overall this programme is an affordable, easy to use and great sounding amp sim for dialing in solid bass tones for recording or jamming. There are no effects in the form of stompboxes which can leave users feeling a little empty handed for experimenting with sounds.
I would say this software is more geared towards recording in a DAW for adding addition plug-ins for effects, therefore, adding more tone shaping capabilities.
Pros
- Gallain-Kruker bass tones
- Simple interface
- Recording track
- Metronome
- Affordable
- Good amount of tonal shaping
- Standalone version
#7 – Ignite Amps SB-1
- Price: Free
- Presets: 1 Amp
- Standalone version: No
- Win/Mac
- Cabinet plugin Required: Yes
- Plugin: Yes
The SHB-1 is a virtual simulation of the actual real-life SHB-1 amp head created by Ignite amps for the bassist Frederico Fulceri of metal band ‘Subhuman.’
Every component in the real amp including the circuitry and tube technology was considered to create the most accurate and well represented simulated version of the SHB-1 bass head as functional plugin.
It’s no surprise then the SHB-1 plugin is a modeled aggressive sounding bass tube head, transforming a dry bass signal to a distorted, aggressive and mid focused metal sound without changing the core dynamics of the bass tone.
For me, this is where the plugin sounded at it’s best as it is voiced to sound aggressive and metal. What I liked about this plugin was the simple interface with a good amount of EQ and tone shaping controls for a free plugin.
I must say the amp head is surprisingly versatile, I have used this preset (before going to paid simulators) on many projects and was able to shape a number of bass tones across a range of genres.
I must admit, the SHB-1 plugin sounded at its best for sculpting an aggressive and distorted tube amp tone for my metal tracks.
When it comes to function, this plugin serves as a recording tool inside your DAW than a ‘standalone programme’ for real-time practicing and jamming. This programme also requires a matched cabinet simulator when you load up the plugin inside your DAW.
Overall, the SHB-1 serves as a great free simulator for creating a versatile palate of bass sounds for recording and achieving a range of worthy studio bass tones within your recording software.
Pros
- Free
- Simple interface
- Great sounding bass tube head plugin
- Supports 32 and 64-bit systems
- Great amp sim for recording
Top Tip
When recording bass inside your DAW, activate up to 3 separate tracks, each track with a different amp sim enabled. This will blend a range of sounds to achieve a unique tone allowing the bass frequencies to stand out ever so more in a full instrument mix.
You could also assign each individual amp sim to focus on the frequencies ranges of the tone. For example, one on the high, one on the mids and one focusing on the lows.
It’s always a good idea to utilize a few amps sims instead of relying on one to provide 100% of the tonality and do all the work.
Great Free Acoustic Bass Vst Downloads
Final Word
Before buying a paid amp sim, I always recommend first downloading the free demo version of the programme. So you can
This post has brought you a selection of the best bass amp simulators for all of your recording and tone tweaking needs, thanks for reading!
Before you go, there are other ways to amplify a bass guitar for practicing without amp simulators…
I recommended you read my post “Plugging a Bass into a Guitar Amp.” This will explain how to get a workable bass tone for practicing without needing to invest in a bedroom bass amp.