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Best double bass for jazz? (sampled or modelled)

Premier Sound Factory's Acoustic Bass seems well liked around here, though I don't know if it's still available. I have Ample's ABU which sounds nice if you don't need it to get too dirty and growly, but I always end up using my own free Meatbass samples.

Has anybody tried VSL's Upright (as opposed to Double) Bass? Seems like their take on the jazz bass sound, and I know their brushed drum kit sounds very good.
 
I got a few Jazz upright basses - also VSL Upright Bass, Acoustic Samples The Upright and Premier Soundfactory Acoustic Bass 2.

The bass I use mostly is the Acoustic Samples one because it just feels best in a lot of situations and also gives a good control over the articulations. Unfortunately the demos dont show the strengths of the instrument well IMO.

I used the Acoustic Samples Upright in these 2 pieces - dont know if its too much burried in the arrangement:





I also like the sound of the Premier Soundfactory bass 2 - there are so many nice little details in the recordings. The downside is that you dont have much control and also that this developer doesn´t even thinks it would be necessary to even have ANY GUI - he also doesn´t seem to respond to messages. A guy here on VI-Control even took the time and created a nice GUI and offered this developer to just use it. No reply. A very talented engineer from Okinawa if I remember correctly, but as it seems quite shy.

Btw - even the very standard factory double bass in logic pro isn´t that bad. I used quite much when I started making music:



There are fancier basses out there, but for a bass that comes with the DAW its really not so bad IMO.
 
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There is a very good GUI for the Premier Bass here btw.
https://vi-control.net/community/threads/psf-acoustic-bass-premier-2-free-gui.50343/

@SoundChris Love the warmth of your later works. Great job.

And I really love how a thread like this reminds me how the bass really works with drums to drive, walk, and swing jazz.

SoundChris said:
I got a few Jazz upright basses - also VSL Upright Bass, Acoustic Samples The Upright and Premier Soundfactory Acoustic Bass 2.


The bass I use mostly is the Acoustic Samples one because it just feels best in a lot of situations and also gives a good control over the articulations. Unfortunately the demos dont show the strengths of the instrument well IMO.

I used the Acoustic Samples Upright in these 2 pieces - dont know if its too much burried in the arrangement:





I also like the sound of the Premier Soundfactory bass 2 - there are so many nice little details in the recordings. The downside is that you dont have much control and also that this developer doesn´t even thinks it would be necessary to even have ANY GUI - he also doesn´t seem to respond to messages. A guy here on VI-Control even took the time and created a nice GUI and offered this developer to just use it. No reply. A very talented engineer from Okinawa if I remember correctly, but as it seems quite shy.

Btw - even the very standard factory double bass in logic pro isn´t that bad. I used quite much when I started making music:



There are fancier basses out there, but for a bass that comes with the DAW its really not so bad IMO.
Click to expand...
 
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SoundChris said:
There are fancier basses out there, but for a bass that comes with the DAW its really not so bad IMO.
Click to expand...
Yeah, given the nature of walking lines it does not take a fancy bass to do a decent job. As a bassist I am allowed to be opinionated about this, heh.

You don't need round robins because you generally won't play the same note two times in a row, don't need things like vibrato or legato (though the latter can be nice occasionally), and dynamic range isn't hugely wide, so a few mp to ff layers will do. You don't even need high notes sampled, as walking lines will rarely even reach the octave on the G string. It is good to have some percussive noises, but short notes with low velocity are a decent substitute in a mix. But it's really important to have close miking, and the right sound.
 
Thanks all for the great tips! And thanks to Chris and Polkamusic for your wonderful music!
Btw what drum libraries did you guys use on the tracks?
 
I have Straight Ahead Jazz Bass, Fluffy Audio's Simple Jazz Bass, and Modwheel's The Lowdown. They are all very good libraries, but for jazz pieces the one I use most often is the Straight Ahead Jazz Bass. With control over two microphones and a direct input setting, it has the most flexibility for getting the right sound I need. What it most lacks are specific, key-switchable slide articulations. Pitch wheel bends are the only option. Fluffy Audio's Simple Jazz Bass has a key-switch slide and a key-switch legato for intervals a minor third or less (if I remember correctly). It also had a nice price. But in the end I prefer the sound of the Straight Ahead Jazz Bass.
 
I bought ABU this xmas after a long search for a good acoustic bass and couldn't be happier. I was looking for a contemporary sound though ( Marc Johnson or Avishai Cohen sound). For that, ABU is amazing.
For walking lines, I also have back beat bass which I used a lot in tthe past. For me, both are complementary to each other, very different character, so I'm covered in that department now. :)
 
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