The story
Support Indie Music Creations:
https://ko-fi.com/juliandoe/shop
You’re not only acquiring the tools to create captivating soundtracks but also supporting independent music creation. Your contribution helps me continue developing innovative instruments and sample packs for Pianobook.
**Craft Convincing Upright Bass Tones with “DIY Contrabass”**
Embrace resourcefulness and ingenuity with “DIY Contrabass,” a Kontakt library that emulates the deep, resonant sounds of an upright bass using unorthodox techniques and common household items. This instrument is a testament to the power of experimentation and creativity, demonstrating that great sounds can be achieved with unconventional means.
**A Journey of Sonic Exploration**
Born out of necessity, “DIY Contrabass” chronicles the journey of transforming an acoustic guitar into a makeshift upright bass. Through a series of trials and errors, the perfect combination of elements was discovered:
* **Acoustic Guitar Body:** The guitar’s body provides the instrument’s “woodiness,” adding warmth and depth to the overall sound.
* **Old A Bass String:** The bass string lends its characteristic resonance, further enhancing the instrument’s low-end presence.
* **Small Mug:** Fitted into the guitar’s soundhole, the mug acts as a resonator, emphasizing the high frequencies and adding a touch of brightness.
* **Sine Wave:** Played through headphones placed inside the guitar’s body, the sine wave stabilizes the sound’s low end, providing a solid foundation.
**Capturing the Essence**
This unconventional contraption was meticulously captured using a combination of microphones and recording techniques:
* **Piezo Pickup:** The guitar’s piezo pickup directly captures the vibrations of the body and strings, providing a clear and focused sound.
* **AKG C1000s:** Placed strategically near the soundhole, the AKG C1000s microphone adds depth and airiness to the recording.
* **Headphones:** The headphones placed inside the guitar’s body provide an intimate and nuanced perspective.
**Refining the Raw Tones**
The captured sounds were carefully processed within a DAW to achieve the desired upright bass characteristics:
* **Shaping:** EQ and other processing techniques were used to refine the tone, emphasizing the desired frequencies and eliminating harshness.
* **Compression:** Compression adds punch and consistency to the sound, ensuring it sits well in a mix.
* **Match EQ:** Careful EQ matching was employed to further enhance the upright bass emulation.
**A Convincing Upright Bass Substitute**
While not flawless, “DIY Contrabass” proves to be a convincing substitute for an upright bass in the context of a mix. With a bit of additional mixing and care, it can provide a convincing low-end foundation for your compositions.
Compatible with Kontakt 6.6.0, “DIY Contrabass” seamlessly integrates into your existing production setup.
Embrace the unconventional and unleash your creative potential with this resourcefully crafted instrument today!
Reviews for DIY Contrabass
- Sound
- Character
- Playability
- Inspiration
- GUI
Leave a review to let others know what you thought of the instrument!
Maybe a bit too punchy
This sounds really cool and definitely sounds like a double bass. Im sure some people will love this but i can't really see myself using it. It would been nice to have some more round robins, maybe some where you hear the kind of pluck of the finger on the string. I also feel like its a bit too punchy at times sounding like a kick drum. It's a nicely recorded and clear sound but just not really for me. Good job anyway
Fun plucky sound
This is a fun plucky sound with a wide variety of uses. It's well recorded with almost no noise, well programmed and edited, and therefore really really playable. This is one that you have to download and start playing. I can imagine everyone using this sound differently, but I can also imagine just about everyone finding it inspiring and useful. Give this library a try. You won't be disappointed.
Almost like an 808 in the very low register...
This has a peculiar sound to it, and that's likely down to the frankly inspired recording methods Julian has used here. The higher end of the instrument's range works really nicely for more melodic bass work. Think Stanley Clarke or Victor Wooten. Whilst the Low register has a shorter decay and feels more like an 808 kick. This is nice work!
Doesn't Sound Fake!
For it's worth, I found the plugin easy and fun to use. It's a bit on the bland side, so maybe adding something to spice it up would be nice. But I personally enjoy it already, so if you want a midi double bass, it's right here
A thicc bassy pluck
This instrument provides a fairly simple sound, featuring a bass-heavy pluck sound. It's actually so thick that at its lowest C might even resemble a tuned kick drum, perfectly usuable in EDM styles. The sound is very short, if that wasn't obvious yet, and the quality is great. The patch is very barebones though, and the only control being the modwheel that is bound to a filter, although this is nowhere indicated at all.
