IK Multimedia has revealed MODO BASS and it's safe to say that its physically modelled bass instrument won't leave you short of low-end options.

MODO is available for pre-order at a reduced price of $359/€179/£179 now. We'll dive into some analysis of what's on offer soon, but to get you up to speed without further ado, here's the official lowdown...

Features

• The first physically modeled electric bass virtual instrument
• Groundbreaking real-time modal synthesis technology — no samples used to create sound
• Recreate virtually every electric bass sound imaginable
• 12 iconic bass models that span the history of recorded electric bass
• Models the entire act of playing an electric bass – player, instrument, FX & amp
• Ultra-small memory footprint
• Choose playing style — pluck, slap and pick
• Freely move the playing hand for realistic performance
• Customize string force, fingers used, pick thickness & technique
• Customize string number, scale, tuning, gauge, construction, action, age
• 20 faithfully recreated, interchangeable iconic bass pickups with volume
• Choose active or passive electronics with parametric EQ
• Under-bridge piezo pickup with blend
• 7 bass stomp box effects configurable in 4-slot chain
• 2 iconic bass amps – Solid State and Tube derived from AmpliTube
• FX and amp global bypass for routing
• Optimized resizable interface
• Works as a 64-bit plug-in or standalone instrument for Mac/PC
• Full MIDI control with MIDI learn, keyswitches
• Full DAW automation control support
  
  Pre-order Price
  €149.99

For more info visit: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/modobass/index.php

 

Amazing!

 

It is impressive considering what it can do...Still it lacks the "Live" spirit a little. But 8 out of 10 on my scale!

 

Almost as B.S. as the Slate Virtual Mic Locker lol.

 

Good to see something genuinely new being released for a change.
The video makes it look great/ but I wonder what kind of results the average user would get out of it? Will be interesting to see, and also what other modo instruments IK will make.

 

Pianoteq have nailed the physically modelled piano sound, so the technology is there

 

There's nothing new about physical modeling. Heck I'm looking at a Roland VG8 right now. Maybe you kids are too young to remember "COSM". Plugin manufacturers have been doin physical modeling for decades also. If this thing was that great they wouldn't have presented it in sausaged in a mix...

 

It took Pianoteq a few goes to get it right, so perfecting the process is fairly new. The question is how good are IK Multimedia at implementing the current best practices.

 

Last edited: Oct 19, 2016

@Kilgore Trout

http://www.keyboardmag.com/gear/1183/modartt-pianoteq-5-reviewed/53221

 

I want to believe, I really do, but when I listen critically to Pianoteq I hear what I can only describe as something like phasey artifacts. To me It sounds much much better than in the early days of its lifecycle, so much so that I would have bought v5 second hand from someone near me if only the good folks from customer service ever had gotten back to me on their resale policy. Buried in a mix I think that it works, but when it is naked solo or the greater part of a sparse arrangement, that "thing" I hear becomes too noticable for me to deal with. It will satisfy me sooner or later.

 

Having been testing the VMS now for 2 months, I have to say you come off very ignorant with these kinds of unfounded, un-backed posts.

I've personally used 5 different C800G's (Dallas Austin's at DARP was my favorite, I cut vocals on E40's "You Can't Stop the Boss" on it), over 8 different U67's (my favorite is at Interscope's Boiler Room/Zed 1, I cut K Briscoe and Maxine Ashley on it), over 10 U47's (Jim Z's all stock at Zac's Recording is my favorite, I cut Bobby V's feat. 50 Cent "Altered Ego" & J West's feat. Ray J "She Bad" on it.... it's finest vocal mic I've every used), several C12's, 251's not to mention the countless U87's, U87ai's, and top dollar clones of all kinds in many of the top studio's in the USA. I've personally owned M149, Blueberry, 3 Lawson L47MP's, Korby Kat mic, Blueberry, AKG Solidtube, CU29, TLM67, Soundelux U99 and a few others.... so I have a a very large microphone experience to base my mic opinions on.

With that said, the VMS is in the top 10% of most detailed mic's I've used and worth testing, as Slate nailed it IMHO. I can get very close to many of the models for 1K, I believe it is the bang for the buck mic made today. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking at their first LDC mic, as it can cover more ground than any mic I've ever used because of the intelligent approach Slate has taken with controlling the mic, preamp, & software chain.

So I sum it up by saying everyone should test the VMS for themselvs, only then will they know if as a tool the VMS works for them. It may surprise you at just how versatile it actually is, and while not the best mic ever, the quality you get for 1K is astounding IMHO. I personally will be buying a second in a few months for stereo work, I vote with my money, lol.

 

Last edited: Oct 20, 2016

I think they have made tremendous strides. The next improvement is to buy a real piano, cos all modelled/sampled pianos deliver their sound through loudspeakers

Also a well maintained and expertly recorded real piano is not a cheap thing.

 

Last edited: Oct 19, 2016

Sure, but COSM isn't physical modelling - it's "modelling", but more like DSP processes modelled on existing gear, or room simulations and so on). Roland have always been a little sneaky regarding their marketing of this. Same as the V-Drums, where the whole marketing angle was on that now our drum kit is a virtually modelled environment - but there was no physical modelling in the V-Drums (ever), they still use samples (albeit run through COSM processes, like EQ, room simulation and so on)

But no, physical modelling isn't that new - it was not that new in academic circles by the time it first started to show up in commercial products, such as the early Yamaha and Korg stuff in the early/mid 90s... and while there have been plenty of string models, most seem optimised toward plucked guitars and other acoustic string instrument, and not specifically modelling electric bass - so the idea for this product is more unique than some of the others...

 

To say "physically" as it would pertain to a software instrument is false. Ironically the scheme is just that, they are "schematically" modeled. The first reputable thing these companies can do is be on the up and up with what they claim in their advertisements.

 

Well I'm convinced. I'm selling all my basses and my grand piano. I'll be writing letters to all major studios and informing them they should do the same. We're so close now it's like comparing gnat farts.

 

"Hey dude, aren't you the guy who plays acoustic piano for the worlds biggest selling recording artist?"

"No" he said, "It's actually a Motif XF8"

"Oh fuck!" I said, "I've just spend $120,000 on a grand piano because I wanted to sound like you."

 

Last edited: Oct 19, 2016

It can be healthy to argue with someone. But why do it on the note of typing up your own credentials? Anyone who googles the name "Will The Weirdo" will see that most of the shit you claimed credit for and posted on YouTube has been taken down for copyright infringement. Right from the beginning you claim credit for E-40's "You Can't Stand the Boss".. but the song is called "You Can't Stop the Boss". If you were involved with a song to a degree that's even worth mentioning you'd probably know the title of it. The strongest factor inclusive of mic mod software still boils down to hidden EQ presets.

 

Last edited: Oct 19, 2016

I'm looking forward to hear some real demos to decide if it can replace Trillian (that would be amazing considering the size of this latest).

EDIT:
According to the following demos, it's fair to say that I will uninstall Trillian soon...

 

Last edited: Oct 19, 2016

It does sound good. But Trilian is good for hip hop and electronic genres as well. I would just hope Modo Bass actually sounds as good as it's depicted in the audio examples. That's what remains to be seen.

 

Requirements

Windows® (64-bit)

• Minimal: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2, 4 GB of RAM (8 GB suggested), Windows® 7, Windows® 8 or Windows® 10. Requires an ASIO compatible sound card.
• Supported Plug-in formats (64-bit): VST 2, VST 3, AAX.

Why on Earth do they need 8 GB of RAM if it is physically modeled?