In this guide, we will outline the 15 best VST plugins in this category, ranging from multi-sampled instruments, synth basses, and futuristic bass solutions. A Few Considerations Before we get into the technical details, there are a few terms you need to get familiar with to fully understand the information below. After scanning is complete, locate your plug-in on the list and enable it by clicking the checkmark. Make sure it’s compatible! In order to use a plug-in within FL Studio, you need to make sure the format is compatible. FL Studio supports 32 and 64 bit AU, VST2 and VST3 plug-ins. Plug-ins with other formats cannot be used. This VST plugin is a fun one: With 128 presets to try and a ton of settings, you can shape your bass tone to your liking. The bass offers eight different styles (finger, generic, muted, pick, slap, sub, wah, pop) that differ greatly in tone. The bass guitar VST happens to be one of my favorite plugins. In fact, I would argue that a lot of bass guitars you hear in pop music today, have some sort of bass guitar VST blended in the mix. Today we are going to be taking an in-depth look at the current best bass guitar VSTs available.
Do you need to add a killer bass track to your new song but don’t have a bass guitar?
Or maybe you do play bass but don’t want to go through the headache of recording your own guitar?
These are just a few examples of where bass guitar software can come in handy. With high quality bass sounds at your fingertips, you can easily transform any song from mediocre into a sonic masterpiece.
The problem is that there are so many bass plugins out there and most sound very digital or are aimed more at electronic music. Replicating a real bass guitar is a tricky thing but luckily there are some great solutions.
Let’s take a look at my favorite options out there and help you find the best bass guitar VST plugins.
Short on time? IK Multimedia's MODO Bass is my number 1 choice for best bass guitar VST for its amazingly natural sound and tweaking options.
Best Bass Guitar VST Plugins
IK Multimedia MODO Bass
After being in development for 8 years in collaboration with one of Europe’s oldest universities, MODO Bass is at the very top of the list when it comes to a virtual instrument for electric bass.
Virtual instruments are usually sample-based which means that when you trigger the sound it will play the sample. The problem with this is that the sounds tend to lack that “human” touch, and they can start to sound artificial.
IK Multimedia alleviates this problem all together by creating a brand new technology that models the entire process of playing a bass and the sound that comes out. MODO Bass utilizes modal synthesis technology to model each string as a nonlinear resonator.
Once you select from one of the 14 different bass guitar models, you start by selecting your play style. With finger style you can select which fingers you play with and how much force each will use. Select slap style and every stroke will sound different - just like a real bassist.
If you select pick style you can even select the thickness of the pick and whether you will use downpicking or alternate strokes. You can even apply muting to the strings and have complete control over every aspect of it.
In addition to all this you can specify where on the strings you play. Just like on a real bass, playing near the bridge provides a more pronounced upper frequency tone, and playing closer to the neck results in a more round tone.
Next up you will select your strings.
First the number of strings and the tuning, and then what gauge they are, the age of the strings, scale length, action, and much more.
They really have thought of everything here and every attribute contributes to the final sound in an organic and realistic way.
The electronics section is where you will select the best pickup from the 24 different models and configure the wiring of the bass. You can experiment with up to 2 pickups on each bass, their position, and frequency response parameters.
Switch the electronics from passive to active and you’ll get access to a whole new EQ parameter so you can fine tune your tone.
They didn’t stop just there though.
You’ll have complete control over the signal chain and get to add in any of the 7 stomp box effects including Octaver, Distortion, Chorus, Compressor, Delay, Envelope Filter and Graphic EQ.
Using IK’s advanced non-linear modeling technology, the pedalboard not only provides ultra accurate modeling of the desired effect, but also models the interactions of the effects pedal with the others giving you a realism not found in any other software package.
Lastly, choose your amp and you’ll of course get access to all of the functions you’ll need like EQ, gain structure, and tons of other fine-tuning options.
Overall, MODO Bass is an outstanding plugin and probably the best out there for what it does. The sounds and subtle nuances are so realistic you’ll be convinced that you recorded a real bass.
If you can't record your own bass and if you are looking for a virtually modeled bass guitar that sounds very realistic with control over pretty much every aspect imaginable, this definitely gets my vote for best bass guitar VST.
Spectrasonics Trilian
Having first appeared in 2010, Trilian is still one of the most well known and highly regarded bass VST’s available.
It comes with a massive 34 GB library filled with electronic, acoustic guitars, synthesized, and experimental bass sounds.
Selecting your bass is easy - just go to the browser and sort by category, type, model, or technique. On the main page you’ll find the most useful settings for the bass like compressor settings, EQ, and mix settings.
If you crave more control you can go into a deeper edit menu to control modulation, soundsource, filter, envelope, LFO’s, and you can even add a 2nd layer to create a more complex sound if needed.
On the FX page you get access to over 30 original effects like gates, phasers, compressors, delays, and reverbs. Each one is in rack form so you can easily adjust all the settings with the knobs in the interface.
The arpeggiator is the last section where you get 32 total steps, and you’ll have access to a variety of modes, triggers, and clock signatures. You can also drag MIDI files into the program to have them played back using whichever instrument you want.
Where Trilian really shines is with its acoustic and synth bass sounds. It’s one of the very few plugins on the market that allows you to play a very realistic sounding double bass, and it’s certainly the best.
Although the program has aged quite a bit, the sounds have definitely stood the test of time and continue to shine.
Native Instruments - Scarbee Bass
Scarbee Bass is a virtual instrument that is powered by Kontakt, a VST plugin.
Kontakt 5 Player is free and luckily the Scarbee Bass plugins can be used by it, although you will have to purchase each individual bass guitar model you want for between $69 and $99.
These models include the Rickenbacker Bass, Jay-Bass, Pre-Bass, Pre-Bass Amped, MM-Bass, and MM-Bass amped.
Although it’s not necessary, you can upgrade to the full version of Kontakt which will allow you to arrange, edit, loop, slice, and time-stretch samples using seven playback modes. Plus, it will give you access to 84 different effects and 43 GB of high-quality samples to use in your mix.
Thomas Hansen Skarbye is a sampling expert who has developed a large majority of the instrument packages available over Native Instruments.
Let’s take the Scarbee Jay-Bass package for example which is an authentic rendition of the legendary Fender Jazz Bass.
It recreates all the sonic intricacies of the Jazz Bass in both slapped and fingered playing styles, delivering a huge variety of tones suitable for almost every genre. All four strings of the original instrument have been sampled in nine different velocities, resulting in over 4,000 individual studio-grade samples.
The sounds were recorded through a DI to retain the distinctive original character of the instrument, using round-wound strings for a bright and punchy sound.
There are also profiles for various genres, including EQ and effects controls, which allow musicians and producers the ability to further customize the sound and behavior of Jay-Bass to fit the musical context.
There’s a unique scripting feature inside of Kontakt that allows for many subtle nuances to come through. Things like harmonics, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and fret noises are automatically triggered and add a distinctly human element to the playing.
The Rickenbacker Bass is one of my favorites, and it sounds incredible. It’s the first Scarbee bass to be played with a pick and it captures all the crisp and defined midrange of the iconic Rickenbacker 4003 guitar which has been captured on many top-selling rock albums.
A Kontakt effects chain then adds a Jump amplifier from Guitar Rig, a tape saturator, EQ, and compressor for an unrivaled tone.
If you know exactly what kind of electric bass you want in your mix and don’t need all the frills and hundreds of other options, Scarbee bass plugins will be the best bass guitar VST option for you.
Ilya Efimov Bass
Just like Scarbee Bass above, the Ilya Efimov bass plugins require Kontakt in order to be used, although you will need the full version to support these bass sounds.
The company was founded in 2010 by Ilya Efimov - a well known composer, songwriter, producer, and jazz pianist from Russia. While he continues to work on major motion picture films, Ilya is currently focused on sample library creation.
For around $100 for each instrument, you can purchase a Rock Bass, Modern Bass, Classic Bass, Fretless Bass, and Retro Bass.
If we take for example the Classic Bass, it is modeled after the Fender Precision Bass Guitar`72 release. They recorded 12 dynamic layers for each fret on each string with various playing techniques and articulations.
With fingered, slap, palm-mute and additional articulations, you can quickly edit your MIDI notes or play in real time while a sophisticated algorithm runs in the background to add in the subtle nuances in playing.
For the convenience of composer and arrangers, several Legato modes, Open String mode, Chord Detection mode and an X-note mode have been added.
The bass sounds here are very natural. The only downside is the required purchase of the full Kontakt software which can be a little expensive, but if you already have it then the Ilya Efimov bass plugins are well worth a look.
AmpleSound Ample Bass
Ample Bass is an AU, VST, AAX or RTAS host application that also comes with a stand-alone plugin.
Just like Scarbee and Ilya Efimov basses listed above, you will buy each individual bass instrument you want to use, and they run from between $119 and $169 each.
Some of the options available are Metal Ray5, Bass Upright II, Bass Acoustic II, Bass Yinyang II, Bass J II, Bass P II, along with some extension libraries for things like funk variations or picking style instead of the default fingerstyle.
I’m absolutely in love with all the bass sounds here, especially the upright, acoustic, and Yinyang basses.
Articulations are numerous here and include things like sustain, palm mute, natural harmonics, hammer-ons, pull-offs, legato slides, pops, slaps, taps, dead notes, and many others.
The string roll editor shows all your fingering, articulation, expression, and playing noise. Here you can easily adjust things like velocity, vibrato, legato, and so on.
One nifty feature is the random riff generator which will create a brand new lick for you based on analyzing different musical scores. The results here are very convincing and don’t just sound like a random mashup of notes.
Using the tab player you can load in many formats of guitar and bass tabulature which will then be played back using your bass sound. It supports all the fingering, looping, chords, articulations and other markers in the loaded tablature.
All in all it’s a fantastic bass VST and you don’t need any other expensive software just to run it which is a huge plus.
Final Verdict - Best Bass Guitar VST
As you can see, each of these plugins brings their own special sauce to the table and they all have great sounds.
Which one is best for you though?
If you are looking for the newest, absolute best, most well-rounded bass guitar software with endless tweaking options, IK Multimedia MODO Bass is for you. It will produce the most natural and realistic sounding tones, and you’ll be able to dig deep into the guts of the guitar to fine tune it to your exact specifications.
If you want a huge time-tested library filled to the bring with great electric, acoustic, and synth bass sounds, Trilian is worth a look.
When you know exactly what kind of bass you want in your mix and don’t need tons of options for tweaking the sound, definitely check out Ilya Efimov, Scarbee, and Ample Bass. Take a listen through the bass sample sounds online and see if one speaks to you.
Ample Bass has a leg up on the others I think for the fact that it has acoustic bass, double bass, standalone software, and a tab player, but if you find a bass sound you like in the other packages you really can’t go wrong.
Good luck!
Whether you’re bopping near the front stage at a musical festival or sitting in the backseat with the subwoofer’s bumpin’, it’s the bass that gets you moving.
Bass is such a core element in music of all types from Pop to Hip Hop and having the right bass sound in your track can either make or break the record.
If your song lacks that much needed low end that provides impact and energy, then maybe it’s time to update your arsenal of bass plugins.
Thankfully, there are a variety of bass VSTs, suitable for creating just about any kind of low-end material that you can think of.
In this article, you’ll discover some of the best bass VSTs on the market, from synthetic basses to multi-sampled bass instruments and more!
Let’s get started!
Top 10 Bass Plugins
1. Loopmasters Bass Master
If you’re the type of producer that HAS to have a solid bass fill your track, then Loopmasters Bass Master VST is one of the better bass plugins out there. A pair of oscillators lead the way in the Bass Master, offering more than 200 distinct waveforms. Besides that, the plugin comes with both classic and modern bass sounds, making it suitable for just about any creative situation.
You’ll have a lot of professional sounds to work with while using the Bass Master as it comes packed with 350 presets in all. Each comes with a three-slot mod wheel matrix as well as pre-mapped parameters. Sound designers will appreciate the flexibility as there is an LFO, a filter envelope and 13 different filter types. As far as effects are concerned, you can improve the bass tone with processing such as chorus, distortion, to name but a few.
There’s a three-band frequency enhancer available to help you either boost the low-end a little more or get some of the top end out of the sound so that it can cut through the mix. Essentially, you’ve got a fair bit of configuration options, far more than you’ll ever need. No matter what type of bass tone you’re after, Bass Master has plenty of built-in sounds to serve your needs.
Pros
- Great bass tones
- Versatile effects section
- Lots of interesting presets to play around with
Cons
- Lacks a sequencing section
- Modulation capability is low
2. Future Audio Workshop SubLab
If you are searching for a hard-hitting subbass, then consider trying SubLab from the Future Audio Laboratory. This new wave bass synth VST is great for hip-hop, trap, and future bass genres. From classic 808s to strong sub-bass sounds, everything feels punchy and solid on almost every sound source.
The benefit of SubLab is that the workflow is amazingly intuitive. You can sample, layer, distort, widen, and effect any kind of sub for an impactful sound. The psychoacoustic subbass oscillator ensures that the sub will remain consistent and accurate no matter what note you are making.
SubLab’s workflow is incredibly intuitive. For a more powerful tone, you can sample, layer, distort, widen and effect just about sub. The subbass oscillator psychoacoustic ensures the sub will remain consistent and accurate no matter what note you make.
Not only does SubLab come stocked with standard bass tones, you’ll also have 250 classic analog drum machine samples and top notch modular synth sounds, right at your finger tips. There are six signature bass packs in all for just about every type of modern production.
We consider SubLab to be a Frankenstein instrument of sorts, with a powerful X-sub synth combined with analogue synthesizers. SubLab is a must-have for bass heads everywhere, with an intuitive interface and tightly organized layers that help you produce new, chest thumping sounds.
Pros
- X-Sub technology provides low-end integrity
- Premium effects bank
- three-layer, Intuitive architecture
Cons
- velocity-sensitivity not supported
- the sampler does not provide visible envelopes
3. Arturia Mini V
For many years, the Minimoog has had a rather large footprint in the music world. From the sweet bass lines of 70’s funk music to the earth-shaking bass of 90s hip-hop, nothing can compare to the sweet tones of a Minimoog.
Although many companies have tried to mimic Minimoog’s iconic sound and design, no company has done it like Arturia. They collaborated with Bob Moog to ensure the synth’s internal characteristics and subtleties remained accurate.
Being a digital version of the original, we should expect a few significant upgrades, am I right? Well, Arturia has in fact done just that – they’ve introduced the TAE technology with a detailed filter design so that you can easily create deep and powerful bass tones. The modulation matrix also features individual filtering destinations, as well as original synth automation.
Offering both classic and current Moog sounds, along with a few more, the preset browser is fantastic and easy to natigavte. The resizable interface makes it a pleasure to work with on just about any display. On top of that, you get a complete integration with the Arturia KeyLab, which is useful if it’s part of your setup. The Arturia Mini V is a perfect alternative for the radical reconstruction of a synth bass classic. The Arturia Mini V provides and excellent alternative for an innovative recreation of a legendary synth bass.
Pros
- Preset Library with Loads of amazing presets
- Includes extra sound design features
- A very authentic reproduction of the original
Cons
- The Oscillators behave differently than the original
- High CPU usage
4. Output SUBSTANCE
By far one of the most creative plug-in companies in the industry is OUTPUT. They are known for a number of groundbreaking synths, such as Pulse, Exhale, and Analog Strings. If you’re on the hunt for a diverse catalog of bass tones, than you’ll be pleasantly surprised with Substance. From highly processed bass synths, to sultry acoustic bass lines, there’s a plethora of interesting sounds for you to choose from, along with some quality analog synths and modern polysynths to boot.
SUBSTANCE the ultimate solution for generating powerful “snowflake” bass sounds that you haven’t heard anywhere else. To get your sound dialed in, you can layer up to 3 separate sound sources before tossing them into a robust section of FX, which comprises multiple parameters for filters, modulation and much more.
This plugin pushes the envelope of what you would expect from standard bass plug-ins, but just don’t expect it to produce the most authentic bass guitar tones. Here’s an idea: If you want that “authentic” sound, just play a real bass guitar over your record.
Pros
- Lots of interesting presets to whet your appetite
- Interface is easy to navigate
- Triple layered sound source configuration
Cons
- Macros aren’t very beginner-friendly
5. Softube Monoment Bass
If you’re into colossal bass tones with serious low-end and high-fidelity organic overtones, then you might want to give the The Softube Monoment Bass a look. Even though the plugin is grate for adding a solid foundation layer, it’s also perfect for topping tacks. The sounds included in the plugin were sampled from rare, high-end, synth classics giving you deep rich colors that can add texture to your tracks.
Included in the design are some built-in effects to provide your bass with even more character, including delay, multiband compression, and a stereo spatialization tool, among others. Beyond that, you get some sounds that were finely tuned by some of the hottest producers in the industry.
You’re not going to get a warm retro sound like you would from other bass emulations on the market, but what you do is get a wide range of modern bass sounds well suited for the producer class of today.
Pros
- Expect a lot of good quality presets and patches to play with
- Best suited for modern day genres
- Variety of effects
Cons
- No onboard sequencing
- Lack of standard ADSR envelopes
Fl Studio Free Bass Plugin
6. TAL BassLine 101
Back in the early 1980’s, the The Roland SH-101 was the go-to analog monosyth for producers.
The 101 had only a single oscillator, one envelope generator, and a simple sequencer. Despite the simplicity of the design, the 101 sounded absolutely unbelievable. Enter TAL Audio, who created their own rendition of the famous synth, but their version was far more capable than they had ever envisioned.
The plugin UI includes individual sliders for different waveforms and a two-pulse width restriction to keep everything accurate. On the left side of the plugin, you’ll find a number of controls that give you the ability to tinker around with portamento, transpose pitch, and even more.
If you’re looking for something truly authentic to the original SH-101, then the TAL BassLine 101 just might be what you’re looking for. We’re extremely impressed with how comparable the plugin sounds to the original unit.
Pros
- No feedback delay filter
- Great for those looking for an accurate emulation
- Includes sequencer
Cons
- Only one ADSR envelope
7. Rob Papen SubBoomBass 2
Bass Guitar Vst Plugin Fl Studio Plugin
If you’re searching for a conventional organic bass plugin, then the SubBoomBass 2 may not be the right plugin for you. Designed by the world-famous Rob Papen, the plugin’s sounds are generated from samples with unusual waveforms, many of which, have been pitched way down. The end result is an easily achievable low-end knock that’ll rattle your ear drums.
Besides the standard features you get in most other virtual instruments, you also get some parameters that are unique to the plugin like Wave Sequence, that allows for some interesting sound manipulation.
In addition, the plugin has an Easy Edit window, that’ll consolidate the parameters to make it easier for you to tweak and reduce any unnecessary confusion. It’s all about helping you do what you do best – create! This makes the plugin super beginner-friendly.
Fl Studio Bass Plugin
The SubBoomBass2 is an excellent choice for any producer, no matter what type of genre you make.
Pros
- Numerous presets to experiment with
- Onboard modulation and step sequencer
- Easy Edit window – great for Novice Producers
Cons
- Comes with only one ADSR
8. Sugar Bytes Cyclop
The primary goal of the Sugar Bytes Cyclop digital synth is to generate low sounds with fat and changing characteristics.
It enable you to modulate synth and filter settings by picking from a range of LFO shapes, which can all be accomplished at a tempo-synced rate to keep things as natural as possible.
The plugin includes a nice 16-step sequencer as well as an automation recorder, which gives you more options for tweaking your sound. But if that wasn’t enough, you can also import your own samples to be used as wavetables for even more flexibility.
But for those of you who aren’t sound designers, you don’t need to worry because there are an impressive 800+ presets included for you explore.
The Cyclop is a great option for anyone working in the digital realm. You get a number of in-depth editing tools, a monophonic engine, and every conceivable feature you’d expect from a contemporary synthesiser.
Pros
- Huge bass sounds
- One-of-a-kind modulation matrix
- Plenty of distinct presets to play with
Best Bass Guitar Vst Plugin
Cons
- Not as flexible as other digital synths
9. D16 Group Phoscyon
Calling all TB-303 lovers, the Phoscyon from D16 Group is a plugin we think you might love. If you know anything about the history of the TB-303, you know it’s massive influence on genres like acid house to more modern music like EDM.
Although there have been a few attempts, none of them have been successful in replicating the original hardware. With that said, we live in a digital and nomadic world, and it’s unrealistic to carry one of the original units all over the place. That’s why we love the D16 – you can bring it anywhere. Although it’s not 100% accurate, it’s certainly one of the best out there.
Inside the plugin you get a variety of saw and square waves, as well as a clear 18 dB/octave low-pass filter. On top of that, like all other digital recreations, you also get a few more goodies such as a randomizer, an arpeggiator, a sequencer, and top-notch distortion unit.
With this plugin you won’t get a wide selection of sounds like other plugins on our list but that shouldn’t matter if you’re after a high-quality recreation of the original TB-303.
Pros
- Faithful emulation of the classic 303
- Additional settings you won’t find on the original hardware unit
Cons
- A one trick pony
10. Heavyocity Scoring Bass: Gravity Pack 06
If scoring films is your forte, then having an earth-shaking bottom end is a must. Heavyocity has made a name for themselves with their unique variety of film scoring plugins, and their Scoring Bass plugin is no exception.
Looking for a fat and dirty bass guitar sound? You got it. This plugin is jam-packed with a number of bass guitar sounds, loops, and a handful of bass guitar VSTs that can be played.
Included in the Gravity Pack 06 is 4GB of pulses, pedals, pads, and sampled playable instruments. There are plenty of components to work with for just about any scoring situation. Browsing through the library will feel like you been given a copy to Hans Zimmer’s personal instrument hard drive.
If a high-quality cinematic Bass VST is what you’re after then the Heavyocity Scoring Bass is worth a look. It goes well beyond a traditional bass VST, and is actually more a kin to a full-blown sound design instrument.
Pros
- The library is super Versatile
- The sound design tools are top-notch
- Intuitive GUI
Cons
- Nothing we can think of
How Low Can You Go?
I’m sure you’ve noticed just how many options there are out there when it comes to bass guitar VSTs. Each plugin has its own unique set of features and tools. If possible, grab a demo before making your final decision. But either way, we think that any one of the plugins on this list would be a great choice.