Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Best App for Bass guitar
Hey everybody, What’s your best recommendation for Bass amp modeling apps. Loooking for that warm analog Ampeg sound.
What ye say?
Thanks
Put
Comments
I'm interested to hear from you folks as well.
I've always believed that a quality bass sound coming in is always the best option - I tend to do very little post-processing on bass since I like to let the instrument speak for itself. I've never found any amp models for bass that I thought brought more to the table than some fancy EQ-ing. Very different than guitar modeling software, which I feel has more overall impact on the tone quality.
I've mucked around with Reamp a bunch lately and I dig it quite a but as it's very subtle. Curious what others use here - Tonestack? Tonebrige? Bias FX?
Anyway, what say you?
My last attempt at this was using Tonestack.....where Tonestack is great for bass is that it has the A/B splitter...you can use this to get the DI tone as well as an affected tone thru an amp/cab/mic and then balance the 2, much like you would when recording a bass in the studio.
I use Tonestack.
Not sure there is much else available, for bass guitar specifically.
If you don’t like the amp sim stuff that is available, you could try to create something unique by combining some other apps/FX that are more general in their application.
I'm playing with using the best IOS FX on guitar and it's working out for me. I have ToneStack with all the IAP's so I'll be comparing the options but I think quality FX is the way to go.
For Bass I'd imagine a good EQ like FabFilter or ApeFilter for example. Then ReAmp for some tube tone coloring and then the odd FX you like (Delay, Distortion, Echo?). An IR Reverb to emulate cabinet, room environments... I'm beta testing one that looks like a keeper.
I'll plug in my bass and see what I can hear. Give me some time to get to it.
Ampkit has bass specific stuff too, including Ampeg.
Don't really hear of anyone using Ampkit these days though.
Sorry I could not resist
Frederick King also uses Fac Chorus, have a listen to one of his fantastic track here.
Thanks for the feedback everyone! Audiobus forum rarely disappoints.
To stretch this topic slightly to the OT zone:
How about any experience with real Tube preamp pedals(like the one from Two Notes or Audients new Sonos interface) and then into iOS app??
Need the warmth I say!
Appreciate y’all
Put
Another vote for ToneStack. I also use JamUp that has the same amp/cabinet configurations but produces slightly different tone.
Achieving the tone you’re used to in iOS is a completely different animal, takes some tweaking to be sure.
I mentioned in another thread that I recently dialed up a preset that I like in Tonestack using the Ampeg B -15 model a 115 cabinet, compressor, noise gate etc. Oh and through a 4 string passive fretless. I like it but it seems like you have to coax gain out of it. Hence the compressor and noise gate.
The tube pre might be a solution to the weak incoming signal. Or an active bass.
I've got an upcoming video planned discussing bass tone and iOS and a portion of it will focus on different ways of crafting your incoming signal (amps, direct boxes, preamps, etc.) and the other will focus on post-production effects. But here's a short version:
Before you ever fire up a DAW and start throwing effects/EQ/processing on the bass, make sure you're happy with the dry signal first. Try recording your bass different ways:
1) Have multiple digital interfaces? Try each one and compare tones (use your Focusrite Scarlet and compare it to iRig, for example)
2) Have a direct box? Try running into the DI box, then into your interface and compare that with direct into your interface.
3) Have an amp? Try using the DI in the back of your amp (if you have one) and compare to the direct signal.
4) Have a preamp? Try that vs the direct signal
6) Have a bass amp and speaker cab? Try micing your cab vs the direct signal
5) Try combinations of these - preamp into amp into iPad, or amp into DI into iPad.
See if there is any notable change in your bass tone after you've compared all these methods. This is clearly a more exhaustive list than most of us will actually try, but you get the idea. Once you've figured out the best way to get signal INTO your iPad/iPhone and you like that tone, THEN you can work out shaping your tone inside your workstation.
Not to be patronizing, but the best answer ALWAYS when recording live instruments is to get a tone you like coming in or "down to tape" as this is the basis for all the work that comes afterward. If your dry bass tone sucks, it's very likely the sound in the mix will as well. If you use all your processing power to "fix" something that sounds terrible, you won't have anything left to make it polished and shine, which is the real goal of post-processing.
Sorry if that was long winded, but I hope it helps.
TS here as well. I once plugged my bass into the preset I normally use for clean guitar and it sounded great.
OK. I plugged my Bass into an iRig HD and into the iPad.
Then I set up 2 channels in AUM:
1) with ReAmp and a Beta IR reverb that has a Fender Bassman IR w Cabinet
2) another using a ToneStack bass amp and cabinet
This recording plays a bass run on #1 and then similar line on #2 to compare. Of course, the bass selected (a Cheap Cort similar to a P Bass I think) the settings on Amps all are part of the results.
I hope the recordings not too hot.
ToneStack is good enough for me. I’m not an expert though.
My absolute favorite bass tone is from the headphone output from a $79 Danelectro practice amp. I’ll sell it to you for $10,000.
I’ve decided to blow the dust off of my bass guitar and I was wondering if the consensus is still ToneStack for an amp sim. I recently took ToneStack Go off my iPad in favor of Nembrini’s guitar amp sim offerings but I don’t see they have anything bass guitar specific. I’m not opposed to investing a little in TS, I was just wondering if there were any more suggestions for bass amp sims. Thank you!
I think GarageBand added a whole line of Bass Amps and presets since this thread was last active.
They sound pretty good, and are free.
Maybe check them out before you spend a small fortune for ToneStack.
Not a bass player, but AmpliTube has six bass heads that I know of — five are Ampeg models.
VStomp Amp HD from the HoTone hardware folks is free and offers a BASS PACK for $2 as an IAP.
GE Labs is also free and has a Fender Bassman and a lot of the new Amps that the 7-string guitar players use so the bass response should be good. Everything is unlocked and you only need to pay to buy slots to save your custom rigs.
Overloud's TH-U offers 4 bass amplifiers. NOTE: It's not AUv3 or IAA... just standalone. But it runs on my iPhone 5S so I use it as a sound module.
The Nembrini JSA1000jr is lovely on bass.
It is the closest stable amp sim that I've used so far on the
iOS platform that actually gives me the bass sound I need.
I do have Amplitube's bass IAP's which to be fair are
really nice but it's unstable and uses up to much CPU.
And the PSA 1000 makes your bass stereo... so both sides of the stage can go deaf if you
have enough Wattage. In small clubs I had to sit in front of the bass cabinet some times
playing drums. I still hate that guy. He felt the same way about my drums.
I played bass and hated getting a crash cymbal to my ear.
😆
Yeah, I've been thinking about what's next on my list of apps to acquire.
The stereo version is definitely on that list even though I can
run two instances to achieve a stereo image in AUM and Auria Pro.
The phase switch is very handy in that regards.
I may actually get a small P.A to serve as my bass and guitar rig. 😁
Oh, I know the feeling.
I used to be a pro drummer.
@McD and @Gravitas I hadn’t thought of the PSA 1000’s. I played around with some of their presets and liked what I was hearing. Thank you for the suggestion. This seems to be the best solution for me for recording straight into Zenbeats. I will checkout GarageBand’s bass amps also, more for fun. I have GE Labs and like playing guitar through it. I bought 4 slots when they were on sale, but haven’t found a good way to record it directly into any iPad app.Thank you for ALL the suggestions. I love this forum!
It looks like Basses cover fundamental frequencies in the 40-200Hz range.
You need something made for low frequency response. Cheap PA's target vocals and expensive PA's are in order... and some Sub-woofers to really shake the structure. Loud enough to create standing waves of overtones in the room.
We are so far off topic but it's that kind of day... slow news cycle.
I'm quoting my own post here because after 18 months from my initial comments, I still feel largely the same - to me, the bass still sounds best direct with some light processing in post. I've still not heard anything on iOS (or desktop, for that matter) to make me change my mind. That being said, I've spent a lot of time making sure my basses have a great direct sound, so I can understand if this doesn't work for everyone.
I am curious as to those of you processing bass guitars as to how much difference it is making for you... Please let me know, I'm honesty curious!
It's going to be more of a custom rig than anything else.
I hear ya.
I agree, it has been that kind of day.
True, small p.a's are passable for guitar when
using emulators and are not very good for bass.
When I say small, I actually mean compact and portable.
Modern design has made amps and P.A's much lighter
to carry, take the MarkBass series for instance.
I normally have a backline waiting for me so
I almost always have the correct amp or P.A for the gig
I suppose it makes sense for modern PA's to be designed to deliver solid
bass since popular music is rich in bass.
What do you recommend as an audio interface? Are the cheaper iRig like mobile devices capable or do you go above say $200 to get a decent direct signal.
Like drums most of use just use apps to cover the requirement. So, let's expand the query to cover the better bass apps:
Bassalicious 2?
iFretless Bass?
Bass-o-matic "Meatloaf" edition?
Inside joke here... my wife put fish in the blender once and I called the dish the Bass-o-matic Meatloaf referencing an SNL Dan Ackroyd skit.
My experience with amp simulations on iOS is that they all kill the organic sound of the bass, they give a very attractive sound with lots of bass and treble, but with the midrange down, when you listen the bass alone it can seem like a good sound, but when you listen the bass in the mix you lose a lot of presence
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mammoth-monumental-bass-amp/id1517411435
This maybe? Looks like it just came out today
How about using the PSA jr followed by a bass cab Ir. I will try that when I get time.
I just use my Behringer UMC404HD - it was under $200.
I feel that recording the bass dry gives me the most flexibility. If I like the performance and don't dig the tone, I can always reamp it through my Genzler amp, my Sadowsky preamp, or both. Or anything in iOS (like Reamp by Klevgrand).