KVR Audio

DSmolken · Post by **DSmolken** » Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:45 pm

With another forum member I'm working on a sample library of a Squier Bass VI. We've got one set of samples mostly finished. It's similar to the usual Karoryfer freebie stuff - sampled every minor third, four velocity layers, four round robins. It's plucked with the fingers and recorded using the neck pickup, for more of a shortscale bass sound than a big twangy guitar.

So far there is no other articulation and no noise samples of any kind - no finger slides, no key release, no muted plucks.

Simple question: if we decide to add more stuff, what stuff would you like it to be? That includes both recording different samples and doing more fancy stuff with the mappings - multiple voices, parameters adjustable by MIDI CC etc.

Also, are there any Bass VI libraries out there, either commercial or free? I couldn't find any but I haven't looked terribly hard.

bigcat1969 · Post by **bigcat1969** » Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:36 pm

Ample Sound seems to have one if I'm reading it right.
http://www.amplesound.net/en/index.asp

I think you should include round robins of the Basses being smashed live onstage. ;P Seriously your stuff is always great. look forward to seeing how this comes out!

DSmolken · Post by **DSmolken** » Sat Nov 29, 2014 9:33 pm

Ha. Basses being smashed with round robins? Wouldn't velocity layers be more important than round robins?

In Ample's case, VI seems to be short for "virtual instrument" and has nothing to do with the Bass VI-Roman-numeral-for-six Fenders. So, ours might be the world's first Bass VI library, all the more reason to do it right.

Winstontaneous · Post by **Winstontaneous** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 2:45 am

I'd be interested in vibrato bar on sustained notes. Are you using flatwound or roundwound strings?

Having owned a couple similar instruments (Fender Baritone Jaguar Custom & Schecter Hellcat VI, which sounds way better) I'd personally go in the opposite direction (twangy, picked, middle/bridge pickup sounds). I can think of better setups for a short-scale bass sound (hollowbody with flatwounds and a pick). The first thing that comes to mind when I think "Fender Bass VI" is Robert Smith's distinctive, cutting lead basslines with The Cure.

Not a criticism at all, just my preference as a bassist. Best of luck, your projects are always interesting.

DSmolken · Post by **DSmolken** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:36 am

It's got flatwound strings on it. We're actually thinking of doing twangy picked sounds as well, so there'd be a bass-like articulation, a guitar-like articulation, and then I could do some fancy things layering them together. It just depends if the bass's owner wants to record another set of samples.

A hollowbody bass is definitely on the list of things to sample someday, as is an Ampeg Baby Bass for salsa.

Musical Gym · Post by **Musical Gym** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 9:04 am

Keyswitch for Slide up/down by plus/minus 2 semitones; if not that, then at least pitch bend via wheel.

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 10:25 am

To do it right you shouldn't sample every third... Sample each string, chromatically, with round robins, multiple velocity layers. All kinds of articulations

DSmolken · Post by **DSmolken** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 4:36 pm

Musical Gym wrote:Keyswitch for Slide up/down by plus/minus 2 semitones; if not that, then at least pitch bend via wheel.

Interesting... I usually set pitch bend range to an octave, in case I want to do pitch automation in a drop and have some of these samples doubling a synth. Then again, I haven't actually wanted to do that yet. Would 200 cents make more sense for pitch bend?

EvilDragon wrote:To do it right you shouldn't sample every third... Sample each string, chromatically, with round robins, multiple velocity layers. All kinds of articulations

I think we're getting to the point where freebies will be expected to have thousands of samples covering all that and be at least a gigabyte in size, but we're not there yet...

But I mostly sample instruments I actually have so I can partly get away from the realism and organic sound of actually playing them. People who download these libraries probably mostly want as much realism as they can get. That's one reason why I wanted to ask these kinds of questions.

I might do chromatic samples someday just so I can have more options for stealing higher samples for additional voices. But articulations? I got no clue what anybody wants, other than arco and pizz for double bass. I've done release samples a few times, but always used the mappings without them. I've also done staccato samples once, but never used them either.

So, OK, if y'all can have only two or three different articulations, what should they be?

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 6:45 pm

Sustains, mutes, harmonics?

DSmolken · Post by **DSmolken** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:40 pm

OK, mutes are something I could definitely get behind. I do actually play a lot of those live. If not this time (since this is not my bass and I'm not the one doing the recording) then definitely in a future library.

Musical Gym · Post by **Musical Gym** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 9:50 pm

Not sure how you would implement pitch bend settings. I usually set it to either 2 or 12 depending on plugin.

DSmolken · Post by **DSmolken** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 10:42 pm

Sure, it's easy to set a global pitch bend range in Sforzando. I guess 2 makes sense for guitarish instruments.

Musical Gym · Post by **Musical Gym** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 11:48 pm

Some vsts like 2, others 12.

DSmolken · Post by **DSmolken** » Thu Dec 11, 2014 4:16 pm

Now also got picked and muted samples. Any other wishes?

Maybe a Kontakt version in addition to SFZ?

Musical Gym · Post by **Musical Gym** » Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:43 pm

Kontakt version would be great.

What would you want in a Bass VI sample library?