MODO BASS: Get ready for a new level of realism (1.5 update available now)

[Synth Master Jedi]

Well, it's better than talking about drums

Who doesn't like drums? At least it's kind of related to the topic, since both Modo Drums and Modo Bass are from IK.

I guess to stay more in line with the forum, I'll whine about IK like others seem to like to do.

IK is the worst!

Just recently I participated in the group buy and I got like 24 products for the price of 1! That is just outrageous and I am a very unhappy camper. I was expecting to get 25 products for the price of one. I don't think I'll ever buy a single thing from them again!

And their product manager is the worst, it gives me nightmares and I haven't even slept for 3 days now. All of this trauma is causing me to not being able to create any music. It's truly a horrible situation.

And don't even get me started on Waves or iLok. I have no idea how anybody is even able to create any music these days with all of these evil companies around and their very affordable prices.

I feel pretty bad for musicians these days, they have it really tough.

Well, now that I've gotten that off of my chest, I guess that I'll get back to working on some music.

[nanostream]

I don’t even own anything from IK, but I’m outraged!!

Very curious about MODO BASS 2 CS, though, can’t wait to try it. I was toying with the idea of getting NI‘s Prime Bass, but couldn’t justify buying it. Quite possible that CS will do the job just fine.

[benjamind]

Hopefully the guitars (electric and acoustic - probably will be in the same package) won't be years away. Well, um, that's what I am hoping. I don't know the reality of the situation, I don't know what's goin on behind closed doors and I don't know what IK are up to.

But the basses came out well over 5 years ago, we've since had a revision of the basses, the drums came out, and then we had a revision of the drums and a 2nd version of the basses...

...but still no guitars...and it makes me start to wonder if the guitars will ever arrive. The best laid plans of mice and men. Let's hope that we're not setting ourselves up for the mother of all disappointments.

And for the record, I hate sampled guitars. I can't use them at all since knowing what MODO BASS is capable of. It's like using sampled pianos after Pianoteq got really good, there's just no way I'd ever go back. Same with stuff like Audiomodeling, Wallander, etc. The playability is just too good when you are not artifically constrained by a small selection of samples, no matter how good they sound - they still sound canned and if you listen carefully you can still find the faults. I've never been able to find any faults with modeled instruments because they PLAY like real instruments, not relying on round-robin nonsense or some silly "morphing" feature where you're still stuck with canned sounds.

[jamcat]

Yeah, it's weird going back to play a sample piano after having owned Pianoteq for some time now. It's not something you even necessarily notice at first, but then one day, sampled pianos suddenly feel disconnected and alien.

With Pianoteq, you feel like YOU are playing it. There is an immediacy there. With sampled pianos, it feels like there's a glass wall between you and the piano, and the notes you're hitting on the keyboard are just suggestions.

[jamcat]

Very curious about MODO BASS 2 CS, though, can’t wait to try it. I was toying with the idea of getting NI‘s Prime Bass, but couldn’t justify buying it. Quite possible that CS will do the job just fine.

Definitely. They're going to be giving away the '60s P-Bass totally free. A P-Bass is most people's first choice most of the time. You really can't go wrong with one. And no sample library matches the playability and nuance MODO BASS is capable of.

MODO BASS is worth it for the slides alone.

[Chrisk-K]

Slap bass tones in MODO Bass are extremely unnatural. I wonder what kind of benchmark they used to program slap bass tones.

[jbraner]

Slap bass tones in MODO Bass are extremely unnatural. I wonder what kind of benchmark they used to program slap bass tones.

Well, these are supposed to be improved in ver 2 - so we'll see.
I'm really looking forward to the upright bass - I just hate having to pay €149 for it
I probably use the P-bass 90% of the time now - so I don't know if it's an option to just "upgrade" to the free version (I think you can still use the ver 1 basses with it) and get the upright bass as a "add on". Somehow I think this may not work though - since they're saying that you can't use fretless with the free version.

So, hopefully there will be a demo version in april so we can find out...

[jamcat]

I'm really looking forward to the upright bass - I just hate having to pay €149 for it
I probably use the P-bass 90% of the time now - so I don't know if it's an option to just "upgrade" to the free version (I think you can still use the ver 1 basses with it) and get the upright bass as a "add on". Somehow I think this may not work though - since they're saying that you can't use fretless with the free version.

You’ll be able to purchase any bass model à la carte using the Custom Shop. That is the entire point of the CS.

I’m pretty sure the way the free version will work is you won’t have the new FRETLESS / FRETTED toggle button available, so you can only use a bass model as originally intended. So if you buy a new fretless bass in CS, it will be fretless as intended. You just won’t be able to put frets on it.

[jbraner]

OK - that makes sense. I just wasn't sure.
The thing is, if I decide to get the Jaco fretless bass besides double bass - then I may as well just get the full upgrade.
I'll probably just bite the bullet and get the full upgrade and use Jampoints for €45.
I hope the double bass sounds as good as Trilian. I love that MODO lets you choose which position to play in and has really good control of slides.


PS - I emailed IK and they said the upgrade price will stay the same (ie it won't go up later) so there's no need to rush the upgrade

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

I don't know if that person was correct. All materials state this is limited time pricing.

[jamcat]

Will we be able to use Gear Credits for the upgrade?

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Will we be able to use Gear Credits for the upgrade?

The upgrade will not be available using Gear Credits.

[jamcat]

Will we be able to use Gear Credits for the upgrade?

The upgrade will not be available using Gear Credits.

What about if someone like jbraner buys a couple basses in the Custom Shop, and then decides he wants the fretless capabilities. Will we be able to purchase just that feature à la carte in the Custom Shop, or will we have to buy the upgrade at full price and lose the money we spent in the Custom Shop?

[garrettendi]

Does anyone know if the Modo Bass CS will have slap style? That’s the only thing keeping me on Waves Bass Slapper

[jbraner]

I don't know if that person was correct. All materials state this is limited time pricing.

Just to clarify - I got this email today:

"Reviewing your inquiry here, I see that one of our representatives relayed the wrong information to you regarding Pre-Order pricing on MODO BASS 2. I am here to provide clarity to the situation. For all of our upcoming releases, we offer introductory/pre-order pricing, at a discounted rate. This price does not last forever and we encourage our users to lock in their price as soon as they can, as the price will increase sometime after the release of MODO BASS 2."

So, Peter is right, and my initial information was wrong.
It sounds like it's going to cost even more if we wait until MODO Bass 2 is released (unless we wait until the next sale)

I just bit the bullet and used some Jampoints and bought the upgrade.
I hope it's worth it.