Scarbee has announced Black Bass, a new sample library for Native Instruments' Kontakt 2.2.
Black Bass was produced and recorded by Scarbee director Thomas Hansen Skarbye and developed together with Kontakt script wizard Nils Liberg to create an innovative and highly playable instrument for musicians, composers, and producers looking for a unique bass sound.
"I wanted to record my own favourite four string bass - THE SOUND that I always come back to." says Thomas, and continues, "I use flatwound strings to get that warm, creamy sound of the 70s disco and funk bass lines and because my bass has maple (hard wood) fretboard - it sounds great when slappin' too!".
Features:
- A powerful user interface pushing the Kontakt user interface to its limits: a fretboard display giving you an overview of playing position and for each string what fret and articulation (displayed as a unique symbol) is used - dynamically updated as you play.
- All four strings sampled.
- Each string is monophonic so new notes abort earlier notes, giving a perfectly realistic bass.
- Automatic string selection - play and the script selects the most suitable string for you. Use keyswitches to limit the string choice or to move the active playing position (placement of left hand). The automatic string selection is tailor-made to work well with every articulation.
- Automatic alternation of right hand index and middle finger samples (can also be controlled using keyswitches).
- Automatic hammer-on/pull-off when you play legato.
- Convenient keyswitch mode - a keyswitch affects the following note or remains active as long as it's pressed.
- Slide mode - play a note legato while holding the sustain pedal pressed to trigger a slide. The velocity will determine a slide speed anywhere between 60 and 280 BPM. Slides are sampled interval transitions for realism but employ a new technique invented by Skarbye & Liberg to significantly reduce RAM usage. Slides are available for every interval up to an octave down and up from the current note(s). It's possible to play multiple slides consecutively to go up and then down.
- Chord mode - assigns notes to the right strings even if the notes of a chord don't arrive exactly at the same time - the maximum sloppiness is customizable.
- Control over release samples - random alternation between more or less tight (how quickly they are dampened) release samples where the proportion of each can be controlled by the user. Select a default release type (clean or random alternation between clean and sloppy) and use a keyswitch to toggle between the default behaviour and the other type.
- The sound of Mr. Scarbee's own fingers.
- Bass recorded DI to give you maximum flexibility in the sound production.
- EQ - direct in the script interface.
- Integrated documentation for all settings.
The initial release will feature fingered playing style but two expansion sets for Black Bass are scheduled for release later this year: Black Bass - Fingerpick EXP - a special style where you use your index finger as a pick and Black Bass - Slap EXP - thumb and plucked style.
SCARBEE Black Bass Sample Library for Kontakt 2.2 will be priced $99.00 and shipping in Q2, 2007. Demos are coming soon.
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