Published
Tue, Oct 27, 2009, 14:19
- The new software instrument is based upon the Musicman Sterling electric bass.
Native Instruments have announced the release of their Scarbee MM-Bass software instrument.
The MM-Bass is modelled on the Scarbee Black Bass library, and represents the most recent collaboration between sampling expert Thomas Hansen Skarbye and Native Instruments. (Highly influential veteran producer Nile Rodgers also lent assistance with its development.) Powered by NI's top-end Kontakt sampling engine, the MM-Bass runs on both the free Kontakt Player or the fully fledged version, and is said to faithfully recreate the whole spectrum of the Musicman Sterling's range.
Depending on your low-end needs, the product ships in either the standard version, recorded straight through DI and sounding clean as a whistle, or the Amped version which offers the option to get stuck into four different amp modes, designed for use with rock, pop and urban. All four of the Sterling's strings have been sampled in nine velocities which makes for 3 GB of material for the regular version, and 12 GB for the Amped version, owing to its four different modes. The MM-Bass will also provide users with the scope to utilize various articulations and techniques which includes hammer-ons, pull-offs, grace notes, trills, mutes, harmonics, pickup hits and fret noises. In addition, the GUI fretboard (pictured right) shows the playing position and articulation of each note in real-time, while intelligent string selection and index finger/middle finger alternation lend a further feel of authenticity.
The Scarbee MM-Bass is available for purchase now from the NI Online Shop at $89 / 79 Euro for the standard version, and $119 / 99 Euro for the Amped version.