Native Instruments releases Scarbee Jay-Bass

Native Instruments has announced the release of Scarbee Jay-Bass, a new software instrument that provides an authentic rendition of the legendary Fender Jazz Bass. Jay-Bass is based on the Scarbee Red Bass library, and is the latest release in the partnership between Native Instruments and sampling expert Thomas Hansen Skarbye, complementing the available Pre-Bass and MM-Bass instruments.

Powered by the Kontakt engine and playable both via the full Kontakt 4 sampler and the free Kontakt Player, Scarbee Jay-Bass recreates the full sonic spectrum of the Jazz Bass in both slapped and fingered playing styles, delivering an arsenal of classic funky bass tones suitable for a wide range of music genres. All four strings of the original instrument have been expertly sampled in nine velocities, resulting in over 4,000 individual studio-grade samples. The sample material was recorded through a DI for maximum sonic flexibility, retaining the distinctive original character of the instrument, and 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 Jay-Bass to fit the musical context.

To provide all the intricacies of an actual electric bass guitar, Jay-Bass takes full advantage of the unique scripting features of Kontakt, resulting in a performance that is virtually indistinguishable from a real professional bassist, according to NI. Authentic articulations and playing techniques include hammer-ons, pull-offs, grace notes, various trills, mutes, harmonics, pickup hits, fret noises and much more, most of which are automatically triggered based on the note material. 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 authenticity of the instrument.

Scarbee Jay-Bass is available for download purchase in the NI Online Shop for $89 / €79.