THE BASS --
Upright acoustic bass with gut strings.
$169.00 complete package
(US Currency)

This sampled acoustic bass stands apart from other sampled acoustic basses because of its setup with "gut" strings, rather than the usual steel strings. Gut strings sound much better than steel strings on an acoustic upright bass because they have much more of a percussive character and warmer sound. Traditionally, acoustic upright bass players from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, always used gut strings on their basses. It wasn't until the 1970's that acoustic bass musicians started using steel strings. The reasons the vast majority of acoustic bass musicians switched to steel strings from gut strings is because steel strings stay in tune much better than gut strings. Typically bass players were always having to retune their basses in between songs on a gig, and also gut strings are especially sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. In addition to this tuning problem with gut strings, the main reason the vast majority of acoustic bass musicians switched to steel strings from gut strings is because gut strings have to be set very high on the bridge which makes for a very high action on the finger board in order to get a great sound and without excessive buzzing, whereas steel strings can be set much lower on the bridge and are thus much more easier to play than gut strings. Also, gut strings are thicker than steel strings, which also makes for even more difficulty in playing. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about any of these problems with "THE BASS" from Bardstown Audio because the work has already been done with the sample recordings. All notes were individually tuned with a tuner during the sample recording process as well.

There are release note off samples on THE BASS which do add a great deal of character to this instrument by providing a buzzing sound when the finger is coming off of the finger board. The volume on these release note off samples is very easily controllable in all software samplers. On some music where you want an aggressive sounding bass this sound is very desirable, while on other music you will want very little of this sound if any at all. The volume on these release note off samples can easily be set from being loud to being completely off, and also at any volume level in between. So as you can see, you have the best of both worlds with THE BASS, by having anything from a very polite and warm sounding acoustic upright bass to a very aggressive sounding bass.

THE BASS from Bardstown Audio was sample recorded three different ways with 24 bit 96k resolution... stereo, mono with a cardioid mic, and mono with an omni mic. All three of these different mic'ed variations of this sampled acoustic upright bass are included in the package. THE BASS is also packaged to include all of the major software sampler formats, including Giga Studio 3, HALion, EXS24, and Kontakt/Kompakt, so you get all of these sampler formats in the package as well.

THE Bass was sample recorded using DPA B&K 130 volt 4012 cardioid's plus 130 volt 4003 omni's, 130 volt Avalon M5 mic preamps, and Benchmark 2404-96k A/D converters recorded into Pro Tools HD. Sampled editing was done in Magix Sequoia. There are four velocity layers of sustained notes that have been sample recorded, which are included in all sampler format versions and the various mic'ing perspectives of this acoustic upright bass as well, plus release note off samples which capture the sound of the finger coming off of the finger board on this acoustic upright bass. All notes at all velocities of sustain and release note off have been sample recorded, so there is absolutely no pitch shifting of any notes. This same degree of high quality sample recording and development has been used on all Bardstown Audio sampled instruments, which include the Bosendorfer Imperial Grand Model 290, Classic Accordions, and Vintage Jazz Guitars and Tenor Banjos.

Even though there are some quality sampled acoustic basses available with steel strings, I have never found one that suits my personal taste. Personally I have never liked steel strings on an upright acoustic bass because they have way too much sustain, whereas gut strings decay in volume very rapidly on sustained notes, and thus sound considerably more percussive than steel strings. Steel strings with their long sustaining character will muddy up a mix with other rhythm instruments and they lack that tight percussive character which I like to hear on an acoustic upright bass. As in illustration, steel strings played on an acoustic bass sound like BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, whereas gut strings sound more like Bmm Bmm Bmm Bmm Bmm. Gut strings also have a much warmer sounding character than steel strings.

Another wonderful thing about THE BASS from Bardstown Audio is that you can very easily achieve a most convincing 4/4 walking bass line with space between each note, which is the way real acoustic upright bass musicians so often play a real bass. If you try to play one of the other well known sampled acoustic upright basses, which all have steel strings, and putting space between each note on a 4/4 walking bass line, they sound very choppy and most unnatural. As an illustration, these other sampled acoustic upright basses with steel strings sound like DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK on a 4/4 walking bass line with space between each note. The only way these other sampled acoustic upright basses with steel strings can be played on a 4/4 walking bass line and not sound quite so choppy is by playing them legato with no space between each note, which severely limits the use and playing styles of these other sampled acoustic basses which have steel strings. Legato 4/4 walking bass lines played on these other sampled acoustic basses, which have steel strings, makes a mix with other instruments sound very muddy because of their long sustaining characteristics. With THE BASS from Bardstown Audio, you can put space between each note on a 4/4 walking bass line and sound most convincing because of the gut strings, as opposed to steel strings. THE BASS from Bardstown Audio with gut strings naturally has fast volume decay on sustained notes, and also has release note off samples which capture the sound of the finger coming off of the finger board. Bardstown Audio's THE BASS, with its combination of gut strings and release note off samples, produces a most convincing 4/4 walking bass line by sounding like De De De De De De De De, rather than the choppy sounding DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK DWAKK that you get with other well known sampled acoustic basses which all have steel strings.

In order to get a quality gut string acoustic bass to sample record, I had to actually purchase an acoustic bass and set it up with gut strings. It is not a simple matter of just changing strings on an acoustic bass in order to have gut strings. Considering the extra thickness of gut strings, as opposed to steel strings, you have to have a luthier carve out bigger notches on the nut and bridge in order to accommodate the thicker gut strings, so once an acoustic bass has been setup with gut strings you would have to get a new nut and bridge if you ever wanted to go back to steel strings.

I am very enthusiastic about this new sampled acoustic upright bass with gut strings. It definitely sounds much more percussive and warmer than any other available sampled acoustic bass, which all have steel strings.

Considering all software samplers do a superb job of sample rate converting 24 bit 96k instruments to 24 bit 44.1k or 48k on the fly, this new acoustic upright bass from Bardstown Audio is packaged as a 24 bit 96k instrument in order to provide the highest quality. In the package there is a stereo version of this beautiful bass in addition to mono cardioid and mono omni mic'ing versions at 24 bit 96k. For more separation and close proximity bass boost, you will probably opt for the stereo or mono cardioid mic'ed bass, and for less proximity of this bass you will probably opt for the mono omni mic'ed version. Included in the package are 24 bit 44.1 samples in addition to the 24 bit 96k samples, but I very strongly suggest using the 24 bit 96k samples because they do sound better than the 44.1 samples, even in 44.1 sessions. I have also included 16 bit 44.1 .gig files for customers who are still using Giga Studio 2.

"The Bass" from Bardstown Audio is extremely well suited for jazz, swing, latin, rockabilly, pop, western swing, country, bluegrass, ethnic and 60's style folk music.

I would like to give Dan Dean of Dan Dean Pro credit for tuning THE BASS. In addition to being one of the very best developers of the highest quality sampled instruments in the world, he is also one of the best bass musicians in the world as well and has perfect pitch. There is no other person who would be more qualified to fine tune THE BASS from Bardstown Audio.

$169.00 (US Currency)

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