As a bass player, my skin crawls a little at the thought of technology that threatens to put my brethren out of a job, but IK Multimedia’s Modo Bass looks intriguing. It’s a software recreation of a bass, rather than an app that stitches together recorded samples.
The company says Modo Bass uses a “completely new technology where sound is generated by recreating the physical properties of an instrument.”
The program contains a collection of 12 “physically modeled” electric basses, including iconic instruments like the Fender Precision Bass, a Rickenbacker 4003, a Gibson Bass Man 5 and others. (My own Yamaha BX-1 is absent from the list, so maybe I’ll still be able to get work.) The software can also recreate three playing styles: pluck, slap or pick. Other adjustments like hand position, stroke direction and which finger is used to play can also be made.
Don’t underestimate IK Multimedia’s ability to pull this off. “Physically modeling” an instrument sounds like marketing hype, but if anyone can do it, it’s them.
Modo Bass is available at an introductory price of $150. After December 4th, the price goes to $200.
More information, including video demos, is available on their website. An overview video is below.