Best bass distortion plug-in

[Ermz]

I know I've asked this a few times over the years, but I've yet to find something satisfactory. Short of using a Sansamp DI, or running bass out to a dual rect, what are the best plug-ins available to process bass grit/distortion with?

I'm currently trying Amplitube Metal and having very limited success with it. The tonality just isn't there... it doesn't growl at me, it just sounds flat and dirty.

 

[Jaymz]

Ive yet to find anything amp sim wise but the closest I got to a semi decent tone was using Revalver MK II, it sounded average by itself but fit under the guitars decent enough. Used I think it was with one of the stock Ampeg w/57 impulses. Besides that ive also tried everything with no success.

Just use my Sansamp DI now for the lot.

 

[crillemannen]

Sansamp-plugin and Ampeg SVX, those are both really good plugins

 

[abyssofdreams]

Some recommend Ampeg SVX but it doesn't help me. I get the best results with Isotope Trash (blended in with the DI track) or Warp
Just use some chorus on a bus for stereo spread if you want, wouldn't do so with faster metal though

 

[if6was9]

I've had decent results running a di and mixing it with a wagner track but eqing pretty severely the di for lows and highs and the wagner for mids and distortion. I don't even use an impulse on the track cause it totally ruined the tone- turned it into a muddy mess!

 

[Machinated]

I have been really happy with podfarm - plenty of different amps and cabs to play with. Sometimes I'll use the sansamp sim, sometimes another distortion like the RAT. Its the same old cliche, but the tone is all in the bassists fingers and bass - I can never use the same amp settings on 2 different bassists; I'll have to change the amp sim or distortion pedal.

 

[greyskull]

Sansamp or MAssey THC

 

[Ermz]

I totally agree that POD Farm would work ace. Splatt's distortion tones are excellent for blending into the midrange of a mix. Might have to look into it. At the same time though that money might buy a Sansamp DI to reamp bass through.

@crillemannen: When you mention Ampeg SVX, do you mean running it on full-range bass or only the high-passed track? I've used this one before, but I can't really get anything other than fuzz from it. It's cool for rounder tones, but for metal I couldn't get anything convincing.

 

[csholtmeier]

+1 for Massey THC, very good metallic growl. Bummer its PT only.

 

[Jesse Z]

My favorite plugin for this is THC, followed by Camel Crusher, though for the most part I've given up on distortion simulations. Short of using a good bass amp nothing beats splitting/re-amping the signal into a Mesa/Marshall/Peavey and blending that in. The difference is great enough to me that I just don't even think about it anymore.

 

[dcb]

if you use new strings, play with pick, have a great bass with great pu's,

one track of clean bass DI with loads of compression AND 120 hz boost
and one track with line 6 gearbox with only the tubescreamer on will do the trick, fat low end, still a present bass sound, and it will improve
your guitar tone

i also had luck with the free TSS Tubescreamer....

i sometimes use quadrafuzz as well on the second channel.

 

[Jaymz]

if you use new strings, play with pick, have a great bass with great pu's,

one track of clean bass DI with loads of compression AND 120 hz boost
and one track with line 6 gearbox with only the tubescreamer on will do the trick, fat low end, still a present bass sound, and it will improve
your guitar tone

i also had luck with the free TSS Tubescreamer....

i sometimes use quadrafuzz as well on the second channel.

Do you filter your DI track so you just have the low end present? If so where do you usually go to?

 

[dcb]

Do you filter your DI track so you just have the low end present? If so where do you usually go to?

on the di i usally end up using everything up to 6 khz, sometimes no cutting at all (depends on the pus, sometimes they have some nasty fizz in there...).

i emphasize the 800hz , acting like a "loudness" button somehow, enhancing the pick.

on the fx track i do tend to cut the low end. at 100 Hz,
so the fatness comes from the di track, while the mid - gritty sound comes from the distortion plugin. boosting the 800 hz here as well as 2/3 khz. but youll have to see what works best for the song and in combination with the guitars

 

[SabretoothNZ]

I like the sansamp plugin and have also had good results with guitar rig (bass amp model) and an impulse. But in any case you need some real good compression and eq to get the job done completely.

 

[hkollner]

I just use BTE TSS tubescreamer on the bass and then use compression and eq from there!

 

[ahjteam]

I know I've asked this a few times over the years, but I've yet to find something satisfactory. Short of using a Sansamp DI, or running bass out to a dual rect, what are the best plug-ins available to process bass grit/distortion with?

I'm currently trying Amplitube Metal and having very limited success with it. The tonality just isn't there... it doesn't growl at me, it just sounds flat and dirty.

Do note: passive pups, old strings, shitty playing:

 

[MetalJonesy]

i use the sansamp plugin for PT that blended with a bit of a cab impulse works great!!!

 

[Ermz]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

I think ideally I'd want a sim like POD Farm to boot up whenever and tweak to within an inch of its life, but I think I might try reamping the bass through my TS and seeing whether that gives the desired growl. Cheers.

 

[brandy]

Moonlaps, I could have asked the same question... I usually go for a more clean sound - just with some dirt in it (--> Overkill Bass Sound for example) but I sometimes need some more distortion.

Sansamp-plugin and Ampeg SVX, those are both really good plugins

I do own the Ampeg SVX, and I use it a lot - but I was not able to get a decent overdrive/distortion sound with it! Are there any tricks one can recommend? IMHO that distortion stomp box in SVX sucks big time.

I will do some research about that Sansamp plugin. Is it out for VST / Windows or is it a TDM PLugin only?

Thanks a lot,
Brandy

 

[Ermz]

It's an RTAS/TDM only plug-in sadly. On the bright side there is an actual hardware unit that it's based on, so you can use that instead . Until then maybe just try recording through any of your guitar stompboxes and see if anything fits.

My problem with that approach is that you get all this fizz and nasty shit in the bass distortion. I'm after something a little more organic.