IK Multimedia Modo Bass Virtual Instrument

[Geoff Grace]

IK Multimedia have released a physically modeled electric bass virtual instrument called Modo Bass.

 

[video:youtube]

 

MODO BASS is the first technology of its kind that models the entire process of playing bass. Every component that contributes to the unique tonal properties of a bass player playing an instrument has been modeled, and the effects of each component on the other ones the interactions between each tone variable has been recreated to give you a dynamic, living breathing and ever-changing performance.

Available in Audio Units, VST 2, VST 3, and AAX formats.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[kelp]

Interesting... but who the heck selected the background music?!?!??!

[ElmerJFudd]

http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/modobass/

 

This does look interesting. No doubt a lot of work went into modeling the instruments, amps, fx. artwork and user interface design. Pr-order price is $150 ($50 under launch price). Worth a look. I don't see a demo though.

 

Features

 

The first physically modeled electric bass virtual instrument

Groundbreaking real-time modal synthesis technology no samples used to create sound

Recreate virtually every electric bass sound imaginable

12 iconic bass models that span the history of recorded electric bass

Models the entire act of playing an electric bass player, instrument, FX & amp

Ultra-small memory footprint

Choose playing style pluck, slap and pick

Freely move the playing hand for realistic performance

Customize string force, fingers used, pick thickness & technique

Customize string number, scale, tuning, gauge, construction, action, age

20 faithfully recreated, interchangeable iconic bass pickups with volume

Choose active or passive electronics with parametric EQ

Under-bridge piezo pickup with blend

7 bass stomp box effects configurable in 4-slot chain

2 iconic bass amps Solid State and Tube derived from AmpliTube

FX and amp global bypass for routing

Optimized resizable interface

Works as a 64-bit plug-in or standalone instrument for Mac/PC

Full MIDI control with MIDI learn, keyswitches

Full DAW automation control support

 

 

 

[Mark Schmieder]

I bought the product on pre-release discount, and expect it will be in my account ready for download by Thanksgiving.

 

Yes, I am mostly a bassist, but often I work late at night and want something as a placeholder that can be used for a long time until getting to the miking stage of a project rather than being something that is only good for the very first initial song idea mockup.

[JohnnyB3]

Modo Bass Jam using a Casio Privia as controller:

 

[video:youtube]

 

Nice sound and features. Tempting...

[JohnnyB3]

Jordan Rudess Modo Demo:

[video:youtube]

[Geoff Grace]

Good review showing the many customizable options contained in the plugin:

 

[video:youtube]YmVwmJ2xGDw

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Mark Schmieder]

Could have sworn I posted after its release; maybe there was an additional topic. I posted my own presets in another forum.

 

My only complaint is that it doesn't handle repeated notes as well as I'd hoped, even if I tweak the MIDI for more variation and edit note lengths extensively. I saw someone else mention this issue recently as well.

 

Even so, I get better results out of it than anything else in my collection. In fact, I sometimes think it's me playing, when I'm listening to a mix, and then remember that's a song I still need to lay down the final bass part for. :-)

 

Granted, I use Melodyne to convert my real playing to MIDI, but even so, it's remarkable how realistic MODO Bass sounds in its phrasing and note-to-note connectivity.

 

I've done a lot of tempo changes and key changes, as well as switches in the arrangement, on an album I'm working on, so MODO Bass saves me a lot of time as I can use it effectively after my initial "real bass" part becomes invalid. I can then wait for just one final pass on "real bass". :-)

 

To be frank, some of these songs could get away with MODO Bass in the final mix, but being a bassist, I can't live with that. :-)

[Rod S]

Mark, I understood from your post that you play bass.

 

The use for this, apparently, would be someone playing keys to lay a realistic bass track.

 

How does it fit it your workflow?

 

Thanks...

[Mark Schmieder]

I do it both ways. It's just that the album I'm putting the most focus on at the moment, is one from 8-10 years ago that I put on hold out of consideration for my bandleader, who has been inactive for that long now due to kids.

 

So when I took the project back to be a solo album, I also started rethinking all of the songs and decided to move away from the original synth-pop bias. Some synth bass parts went to bass guitar, and those were MIDI keyboard-entered parts that went straight to MODO Bass.

 

As some tempi changed, as well as keys, and as low frequencies don't even handle a half step or a half beat tempo change very well -- even with great tools like Melodyne -- I pushed those live bass parts to MODO Bass until I have finished tweaking every detail of the song. I'm actually at that point now BTW so will be tracking live bass real soon.

 

There's no single answer to the workflow question, but that's great, because it means that MODO Bass works well for any workflow. I have added bridges to some songs, and it was easier/quicker to do those directly via MODO Bass. Everything blends very well with the old parts, even if I leave those as live bass parts. It's uncanny!