Native Instruments has introduced Scarbee Pre-Bass
(http://www.native-instruments.com/scarbeeprebass.info), a new, US$89
software instrument that provides a musical rendition of the iconic
Fender Precision bass. It’s derived from the Scarbee Blue Bass
library, and the first release in the recently established
development partnership between sampling expert Thomas Hansen Skarbye
and Native Instruments.
Powered by the Kontakt engine and playable via the free Kontakt
Player or the Kontakt 3 sampler, Scarbee Pre-Bass delivers the full
sonic spectrum of the most popular bass guitar of all time, suitable
for a universal array of musical styles from pop and rock to hip-hop,
jazz, funk and beyond, according to the folks at NI.
All four strings of the original instrument have been sampled in nine
velocities, resulting in over 4,000 individual studio-grade samples.
The sample material was recorded through a DI, using round-wound
strings for a bright and punchy sound. Specific “Player Profiles” for
various genres as well as EQ and effect controls allow musicians and
producers to further customize the sound and behavior of PRE-BASS to
fit the musical context.
Pre-Bass takes full advantage of the scripting features of Kontakt.
Articulations and playing techniques include hammer-ons, pull-offs,
grace notes, various trills, mutes, harmonics, pickup hits, fret
noises and more. The fretboard display in Kontakt and Kontakt Player
shows the playing position and articulation of each note in
real-time, with intelligent string selection and index finger/middle
finger alternation, as well as dedicated slide and chord modes that
contribute to the unparalleled authenticity of the instrument.