Product Detail
THUNK. RootBass is a set of vintage mechanical bass instruments. It's crafted from multi-sampled vintage analog synthesizers, physical actuators, noise artifacts, and amp/cabinet impulses. The difference between digital and mechanical instruments lies in the sound and feel when you strike a key and sense a mechanical actuator working on the string, tine, or electric contact. That distinct, satisfying 'thunk' is the essence of this instrument. RootBass combines carefully modeled, velocity-sensitive multi-samples from a vintage analog synthesizer with velocity-sensitive physical actuators and articulations from analog waveforms. It recreates the sound and feel of classic bass keys, electric basses, and bass synths from the 60s and 70s, including smoky tines, fuzzy basses, funky clavs, electric fuzzbox pianos, deep synth arps, broken rock organs, and old noise boxes. Custom noise textures like different tape hiss, flutter styles, amplifier hum, vinyl crackle, VHS tracking, and electromagnetic noise add the right amount of fuzz, dirt, and unpredictability. Routed through classic tape echo, amp/cabinet impulses, and effects, RootBass has a unique sound that feels solid, real, and delightfully mechanical. It offers independently selectable key-down and key-up articulations with separate decay, filter, tuning, and velocity sensitivity controls. You can also control the noise type, volume, envelope, filtering, and velocity sensitivity. The instrument has poly/mono modes and a simple, classic legato mode, and each element can be bypassed. The unique tape echo pairs well with classic rotator, phaser, flanger, and chorus effects to color the bass tones. There are three output mix types to shape the instrument's style: overdrive + amp/cabinet impulse, classic tube amp, and classic UK guitar amp. Tape saturation and compression add warmth and body, while classic mono and modern stereo reverb impulses create space. RootBass's arpeggiator is dominated by analog articulations, recalling the iconic style of 70s electronica. Filtering, noise modeling, effects, and subtle modulation capture the feel of vintage analog synths. The humanization feature (instrument mode) adds a new dimension by shifting note volume, pitch, and filtering.
Using RootBass is quite straightforward. First, you can select the key - down and key - up articulations independently according to your preference. Adjust the decay, filter, tuning, and velocity sensitivity controls to get the sound you want. You can also control the noise type, volume, envelope, filtering, and velocity sensitivity for that extra character. When it comes to the modes, choose between poly and mono modes, or use the simple classic legato mode. If you don't want a certain element, you can bypass it easily. For the tape echo and effects, pair the unique tape echo with rotator, phaser, flanger, and chorus effects to color the bass tones. Select one of the three output mix types to shape the instrument's style. And don't forget to use tape saturation and compression for warmth and body, and reverb impulses for space. Regarding the arpeggiator, it has that 70s electronica style. Use the filtering, noise modeling, and effects to capture the vintage analog synth feel. Turn on the humanization feature to add more variation. As for maintenance, keep your software updated to ensure the best performance. Avoid exposing your device to extreme temperatures or humidity. If you encounter any issues, refer to the official support page for help.
