• Best Professional Vst Plugins
• Best Bass Vst Plugin

But there’s thousands of free VSTs out there. Which ones are good for bass? We found all the best ones so you don’t have to dig. Here’s our 10 favourite free bass VST plugins that will give you bigger, better bass.

Future Audio Workshop SubLab. We find that it’s much easier to use plugins when they have a single. GK Amplification 2 LE. Modelled after the Gallien-Krueger MB150 amp, the GK Amplification 2 LE. This very simple VST plugin for Windows only has just three controls: attack, release and slide and sounds much more authentic than you might expect from such a lightweight plugin. If all you need is a. Ample Bass P Lite II – Windows / Mac Ample Bass P Lite II aim to bring the Fender Precision Bass sound to your studio. The Ample Bass VST plugin is an electric bass vst plugin great for some groovier and more rock-centric bass sounds. The Top 10 Best VST Synth Plugins For Bass: The List (in no particular order) 1. Native Instruments Massive. While many of the synth plugins on this list are modelled on classic hardware, Massive is an altogether different beast, taking bits and pieces of features and ideas from all over the place.

Over a period of three decades, the 808 has become an important sound for hip hop, trap, and other electronic music genres. Not many sounds in modern-day music have had quite an impact like the 808.

With the birth of the internet, plugin manufacturers and sample creators have flooded the market with their products, making it difficult to find the perfect 808.

If you’ve been searching (and who hasn’t?) then look no further. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best 808 plugins available right now.

Let’s check them out.

Top 808 VST’s

1. Future Audio Workshop SubLab

We find that it’s much easier to use plugins when they have a single purpose, making it simpler for music creators to…create! That’s why we think that the SubLab from Future Audio Workshop is great. It lets you make just about any sub tone you can think of for almost any genre, but more specifically trap and hip hop.

Sublab is more or less a hybrid VST, consisting of both an analog synth and an X-sub synth layer, which can be routed to a kick drum fairly easily. The easy-to-use (and attractive) interface provides great feedback from the spectrogram and oscillator waveform. You can blend together, three different layers in the “mixing” section.

The plugin gives every musical “genius” the ability to play with multiple layers (synth and sample) to create massive sub tones without destroying the bottom end of your mix. If that isn’t enough, you can always add in some dirt with the compression and saturation modules.

Let’s be honest, no plugin is perfect, and SubLab is no exception. There are only 69 presets included, which might be limiting for some producers. On the flip side, it’s not too difficult to build new tones from scratch, making it beginner-friendly.

Pros

• Generate sub tones without sacrificing the bottom end
• The compression and saturation are very high quality
• Three layers to play around with

Cons

• sampler section has no visual feedback
• Not velocity-sensitive

2. Niche Audio Planet 808

If you ever surf the web for samples, you’ve probably seen about a million different 808 kits out there. While that’s all good for modern music producers, many of the kits lack the necessary processing for when they are used in the context of full-on productions.

Niche Audio Plant 808 combats this by providing a number of different vibe-driven 808 kits for just about any music genre. Each of these 808 kits has been sampled, edited, and processed with care. While there are additional patches for a number of soft samplers, the Niche Audio Planet 808 is best used in Ableton Live or Maschine 2.

There are thirteen standard kits and two special kits included, as well as an array of low-end subs and percussion to add a bit of flair to the kits. Every kit has starter patterns to help get some ideas down right off the bat. Each one also comes with different pitches so that you can fit the samples with your music in any key.

Overall, this 808 VST is known for its authenticity. It is meticulously sculpted for Ableton Live and Maschine to make it a viable 808 asset for any kind of modern music producer.

Pros

• Versatile pack of 808s
• Meticulously sampled, edited, and organized
• Comes set up for Ableton Live and Maschine

Cons

• You lose many ease of use features in other DAWs

3. Wave Alchemy Revolution

Wave Alchemy says that their Revolution plugin is one of the most accurate virtual drum machine plugins available right now. Included in the VST are a number of classic machines like the OB-DX, 908, 606, 78, etc. but the 808s are what stands out.

In order to capture the original tone of each analog drum machine and every little nuance, Wave Alchemy injected thousands upon thousands of samples into the sound engine of the Revolution. The end result is the subtle differences that make analog so unique.

Each sound was captured through a balanced Radial JDI and a NEVE 1073 preamp, which resulted in sounds with a full frequency range response – think warm, punchy and dynamic! Another thing to note here is that each sound was also peak matched to help in the auditioning process.

A really cool feature is that you can load the different drum sounds into the 14 drum voice modules, effectively giving you a frankenstein kit of sorts. Use an 808 kick, a 909 hat, and an OB-DX snare. Get creative!

Pros

• A lot of high quality samples to play around with
• Comes with FX like reverb and saturation
• The interface is nice to look at 😉

Cons

• Not as beginner-friendly as some of the other options

4. DopeSONIX Bass Engine 1

If you make hip hop beats and you’re looking for a HUGE all-around bass plugin, the Bas Engine 1 might be what you’ve been missing. DopeSONIX went to the trouble of studying the last 30 years of hip hop to get a good representation of every bass sound through each era. You’ll get everything from a classic 808 to a vinyl-style upright bass.

The plugin comes arranged with the sounds in order from the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. In the 90’s collection, you can expect to see samples from machines like the MPC 60 MKII and SP-1200. Those were the days when bass lines were sampled from soul, jazz, and funk records.

By the time we hit the 2000’s, producers started getting their hands on hardware bass synths for more powerful bass tones. Some of the more popular samplers included the MPC 3000 and the ASR-10. Included in the Bass Engine 1 are 100 presets to give you those deep, dirty Y2K bass sounds.

Finally, you’ll get a collection of 808 and sub-bass sounds that we’re all taylored to modern trap, hip-hop, EDM, and dubstep. This is an absolutely impressive collection of hip-hop bass sounds combined with MIDI basslines, ADSR controls, and low CPU to boot.

Pros

• Quality bass sounds organized through the decades
• Interface is intuitive and easy to use
• Very low CPU usage!

Cons

• Not as many 808s as we were hoping (only 20)

5. Synsonic Instruments Synsonic BD-808

If you hate sifting through tons of different 808 sounds to find the right one, then the Synsonic BD-808 might be right for you – simplicity at its best! The BD-808 is incredibly useful for creating dope 808 bass lines with very little effort.

Unlike other plugins on our list, the BD-808 doesn’t use any 808 samples, instead it relies on detailed analysis of the old school bass drum circuits. Furthermore, it makes use of a MIDI control, allowing you to operate the plugin like a bass synthesizer, something you can’t do with an 808 sample.

Included are a few parameters to tweak your sounds to perfection.

• Accent – emphasizes the attack
• Tone – which controls the amount of click on the tone
• Plus a few other standard controls, such as Level and Decay.

Besides those controls, there are some other sound manipulation possibilities, such as halftone tuning, fine tuning, extended decay, and MIDISync.

By our analysis, we feel like the DB-808 is one of the simplest 808 VST plugins around for anyone looking for quality 808 sounds. Also, the ultra low price means you won’t burn a hole in your wallet.

Pros

• Ultra low cost
• Simple to Operate
• Additional controls for shaping your sound

Cons

• Not as versatile as others on the list
• Some users have commented that it can be a bit buggy

6. DopeSONIX Beat Machine 2

The Beat Machine 2 by DopeSONIX is an upgrade from the DopeSONIX Beat Machine 1 on our list, though this one is more of a drum machine than a bass synthesizer. It was designed for producers who need a wide variety of hip-hop drums for different production styles from different eras.

There are 600 different kits onboard that have been EQ’ed and mixed ahead of time so that they can be used in your productions right off the bat. The days of spending hours on end looking for the right kit pieces are long gone.

The cool thing about the DopeSONIX Beat Machine 2 is that these kits were arranged by era. The first 100 presets bring you the dusty, chopped kit pieces from 90s hip-hop. The second 100 presets are from the 2000s, giving you the new Boombap sounds of producers such as Havoc and Alchemist alongside the 808 driven styles of Lil Jon, the clean-cut sounds of Timbaland, and the new wave West Coast sounds of Dr. Dre. Lastly, you get the 808 and 909 inspired sounds from hood trap producers such as DJ Mustard and Lex Luger.

There are 600 high-quality drum kits, 1200+ samples, 300 stereo kits, 300 multi-out kits, and 50 drum patterns, all wrapped up in a flexible and low CPU plugin.

Pros

• Hundreds of incredible drum kits
• Sounds arranged by era
• Low CPU usage

Cons

• The sheer number of kit pieces can be overwhelming

7. D16 Group Nepheton

D16 Group is famous for their digital emulations of well-known, classic synths and drum machines. The Nepheton is a recreation of the famous 808 drum machine. Every sound that comes out of the unit is perfectly captured enabling you to import the original 808 sounds straight into your DAW.

The Nepheton uses hybrid sequencing, which should please both modern producers as well as the serious drum machine enthusiasts. Built in is a randomize feature allowing you to quickly dial-in some unique rhythms when the original 808 patterns start to get dull.

If you’re after a pure 808 emulation, the D16 Nepheton may be the best choice on our list.

Pros

• Classic 808 emulation
• Hybrid sequencing
• Randomizer feature for interesting patterns

Cons

• Modern producers may feel limited

8. Wave Alchemy Transistor Revolution MKII

For producers using Kontakt, the Transistor Revolution MKII is a perfect match. This plugin is a digital recreation of the iconic TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines from the 1980’s. Though this plugin has been around for quite some time, it has undergone some reason updates including a full re-script. Expect intuitive workflow and a beautiful interface.

The plugin comes equipped with a 16-track step sequencer, a 10-track mixer for individual drum processing, unified 808 and 909 instruments, reverb and delay defends, tape saturation, and volume and pan controls.

Thanks to the advanced sampling technology available in Kontakt, you can expect some 22,000 samples in this plugin for thick and fat sounds!

Carefully recorded with a Radial JDI and NEVE 1073 preamp, you can expect analog warmth and dynamics – top-notch analog sound at a relatively low price.

Pros

• Premium quality analog sounds
• Intuitive UI

Cons

• CPU hog!

Get Down With the 808

If your goal is to create chest-thumping trap, hip-hop or EDM, you need to get your hands on some quality 808s.

Instead of sifting through thousands of samples trying to create a good drum kit, why not pick up one of the best 808 VST’s on our list and get back to what you love doing – making music?

The key to any good mix is a balanced spectrum of frequencies…

Finding instruments that compliment the kick without drowning out its delicate range can be extremely difficult. Luckily for us, the sub-bass exists and serves as the unsung hero of energy and strength.

With so many Sub Bass VSTs out there, it can be tricky to pick out your ideal bass amongst all of the options. The Sub Bass, although limited in application, can completely affect the overall mood of a track.

Since many VSTs are built genre specific, it’s also important to sift through the specs of every potential candidate, before committing to one to fill your specific needs.

We’ve done the homework for you, and have compiled a few of what we consider the best Sub bass VST plugins on the market.

Other Helpful Guides:

Loopmasters Bass Master

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Loopmasters Bass Master totes itself as a synth dedicated to “the art of bass.” Other than that claim, it’s overall an impressive plugin for its affordable price.

The plugin has 127 different waveforms built in and is used for mainly electronic music. The plugin caters to a range of experience levels, as its user interface is friendly and laid out in a way that makes it easy to quickly find a sound that suits your needs.

Features and Specs

With 350 included presets, the Bass Master can be used as a diverse soundbank if nothing else. It is based around two sample-based oscillators, which Loopmasters feels adds a retro feel to the plugin.

The VST comes with bass boost, which can be used to fill in a lacking low end. In addition, there are 13 filters within the plugin to further craft the sound. The VST also has three mappable control knobs on the interface itself and embedded in each of the filters.

Best Professional Vst Plugins

The direct out controls on the interface mean that the sound can be mastered and compiled within the plugin, to produce a more polished sound. It’s also armed with internal distortion, chorus, and reverb, furthering processing possibilities.

Best Bass Vst Plugin

Above all, the Bass Master takes up an impressively low amount of CPU. These detail might seem insignificant, but low end based plugins are typically notorious for taking up way too much of your computer’s power.

Although critics may find the lack of oscillators limiting, the Bass Master is great for getting a decent sound quickly and for bass beginners alike. Many like that the plugin is relatively simple, which reflects the nature of most desired sub bass sounds.

Bottom-Line

As your technical skills progress, it may be time to switch over to a plugin with more built-in mappings and features. However, for the price, the quality of the Bass Master is undeniable, and the preset sounds alone make up for any shortcoming. The Loopmasters Bass Master is quick to get you a bass sound without compromising your budget or computer speed.

DopeSONIX Bass Engine 2

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This plugin is made for hip-hop and modern rap with a focus on a wide, fat, warmer-toned sound. DopeSONIX Bass Engine is uniquely inspired by 3 eras of hip-hop and is organized as such. Whether you’re looking to travel to the early 2000s or the 1990s, the Bass Engine will help you get there.

Features and Specs

Although it does not have adjustable oscillators, the bass engine is built in with the standard Attack, Decay, Sustain, and release controls. Moreover, the plugin was built to be a fast track to desired hip hop sounds. The lack of technical customization is deliberate, and in exchange offers efficiency with 300 preprocessed sounds ready to be used directly in a project. Moreover, rifling through presets is quick and easy- You won’t have to painstakingly wait on each patch to load.

Coupled with this factor, the DopeSONIX takes up a minimal amount of CPU, so it’s a great VST to use, even on low powered laptops/tablets. You have the added bonus of being able to program bass sounds within the plugin, so you don’t have to stress about always having a midi controller on hand.

Need some inspiration? The DopeSONIX Bass Engine 2 comes with 50 Hip Hop midi bassline patterns that can be edited or exported to get your mixes going. For minor adjustments, the VST has built-in glide, pan, and drive controls. To add to the retro vibe, Bass Engine 2 is equipped with an analog-inspired reverb. It is very affordable without sounding so.

Bottom-Line

Above all, the DopeSONIX Bass Engine 2 presents a refreshing look at the sub bass- Its unique organization by decade reflects real respect for the hip-hop genre as a whole and has the sound to back it up. Although some may be bothered by its lack of personalization and technical controls, it presents a quick way to get to a hip hop specific, quality, sound without the distraction of sometimes superfluous controls.

JST Sub Destroyer

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JST Sub Destroyer, although powerful, does not act as a standalone instrument. Rather, it can be added to existing instruments to add more girth and punch to your sub bass sounds. Moreover, it has a niche in EDM music for creating wobbly synth noises, often seen in genres such as dubstep.

Features and Specs

The Sub Destroyer has a simple look to it with few controls. When added onto any track, it can convert the signal to four different wave types: Triangle, Square, Sawtooth, and Sine. It includes two different visualizers, one by waveform, and the other by dB meter, so you can easily track where your frequencies and levels are hitting.

It has two main knobs- A standard lowpass filter and a volume knob. On the drive knob, there is a smaller character adjustment, to add interest to your sounds. Moreover, there is a “harmonic enhancement” feature to bring out those resonant tones that may be difficult to capture otherwise.

Classical and midi automation can be done within the plugin. The VST itself is super affordable and doesn’t take up a large amount of CPU, partially since it is not a standalone instrument.

Bottom-Line

The simple JST Sub Destroyer is a great addition to any preexisting bass sounds that need that extra boost. The lack of built-in sounds is a slight drawback, as the plugin is great at producing what it promises- Width to any low end quickly and efficiently. Overall, the plugin is great for the price and gives the community an option to alter preexisting sounds, rather than replace sounds completely.

FAW SubLab

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The FAW SubLab synthesizer plugin is very versatile and is used in mainly future bass, trap, and hip hop sounds. For those looking for a punchy 808, the SubLab has all you could want. It’s composed of three different sound engines: A sampler, a unique sub bass oscillator, and a standard synth. The layering of these three entities is sure to make a sound that stands out.

Features and Specs

SubLab comes with 250 analog style kick samples and 6 different bass modules. Most notably, the plugin comes with a pitch auto-adjust feature for any Sub signal. Any sample dropped into SubLab will automatically be pitch analyzed to maximize efficiency.

Moreover, this feature is coupled with a spectrograph, so that you can visually detect where your sub’s frequency lies in comparison to the rest of your track. In order to highlight the kick amongst the powerful subs provided by the plugin, FAW has included a built-in sidechain compressor to achieve this effect quickly and easily.

The VST also comes with a widening tool, which is especially useful since 808s are historically mono processed signals.

For the classic hip-hop distorted 808 sound, Sublab comes with 4 different types of distortion. Moreover, any 808 kick can be turned into a Sub with the Zero-Crossing method. Essentially, the plugin will detect the most sustained section of the kick sample, and loop it, making it appear longer. For what it’s worth, the plugin is pretty affordable.

Bottom-Line

Overall, this plugin is super worth it for the price. Some engineers might find it limiting as it is mainly geared towards 808 hip hop and trap styles. However, the sample pitch matching feature alone makes the process of producing much easier. The 808 as an entity is relatively modern so it’s definitely worth investing in a plugin that truly understands it inside and out.

Softube Monoment Bass

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Softube’s Monoment Bass is focused on creating basslines that stand out in the mix. Ideal for house and electronic music genres. It was created through collaboration with household DJ names such as Vandalism and Madison Mars. Each of these artists, along with a couple of others, have set presets within the plugin, each adding their unique take to what it means to have an exceptional bassline.

Features and Specs

Future bass vst free. The plugin itself is centered around a single, but powerful bass synthesizer. Monoment Bass includes a number of built-in samples, all sourced from boutique or small-batch synthesizers and instruments. The built-in synth and imported/embedded sounds can be layered within the plugin to create a unique low-end that stands out in a mix.

These sounds can also be detuned or pitch adjusted to add interest. For further tweaking, the plugin includes a couple of features to edit signal texture. Along with a section dedicated to ambience, Monoment Bass highlights an “aging” knob, which is a unique combination of distortion and pitch shifting to emulate a more vintage feel.

All of the sounds included on the plugin are stereo sourced, making all samples sound lush and wide. Softube states that samples were also recorded in “triplicate”, meaning that each sample is available in every key and tonation, expanding your possibilities as a producer. The plugin is very affordable and well worth the cost, especially if you’re looking for a good source of retro bass sounds.

Bottom-Line

All in all, the Monoment Bass is a good buy. Although it is limiting in that all samples are exclusively stereo, the plugin is very user-friendly and allows one to get the stand-out bassline they need in a short amount of time.

Rob Papen SubBoomBass 2

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The SubBoomBass 2 is an impressive instrument known for its low-end synth sounds and occasional percussive elements. It includes all the presets from the previous version, and has an endless amount of effect knobs so that you can get really specific with the sounds you’re creating. With its versatility, this synth is used for anything from film scores to pop music. Let’s dive into the SubBoomBass 2’s most notable features.

Features and Specs

This plugin is definitely one of the more intense ones. With over 1,900 built-in presets, the possibilities are endless. Although the instrument is only equipped with two oscillators, the interface automatically routes these signals to filter/envelope sections, so that the sounds can be ornately edited and crafted.

Moreover, there are more than 128 waveforms alone to choose from per oscillator. The plugin has two built-in sequencers, including a distinct 16 step sequencer to give the user a visual of their sound.

SubBoomBass 2 includes a modulation matrix, focused around altering the texture and shape of tones. Within the matrix, there are multiple effects to choose from. These can be added directly onto the oscillator, or used for adjustments during post-processing.

With so many options, the SubBoomBass 2 may take up a good amount of CPU depending on your device’s specs. The VST is super affordable for all that is included.

Bottom-Line

This instrument overall is a great resource for unique sounds and a plethora of signal possibilities. Although it may be heavier on the usage side of things and not as friendly of a user-interface, for its preset library alone, this plugin is well worth the cost.

Other Notable Mentions

Native Instrument Massive

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Native Instrument Massive is a famous and powerful wavetable synthesizer used among mainly electronic producers. This instrument is made to be strong… With 3 built-in oscillators and an additional one for modulation purposes, there’s no doubt your computer will need to work hard. Despite this drawback, Massive proves to live up to its name in the best of ways. The synth is packed with wide, high-quality sounds designed to make your mix shine.

Massive is packed with macro mappings and modulation knobs for increased control. Due to the abundance of features, the user interface can appear a bit cluttered, so it may take a little longer to get to the sound you need. However, with more specificity comes the potential for a more distinct, high-quality sound. The 3 oscillators within the plugin come with 80 different presets to experiment with. Notably, the VST has routing and voicing controls within the interface, giving more power to the user. Modulation settings can be dragged and dropped onto different channels, making creation easy, once the basic controls are understood thoroughly.

Massive requires a bit more up-front financial investment, but for those looking to dedicate themselves to a worthwhile synth, Massive is a superb option.

Xfer Records Serum

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Serum is a well-known synthesizer among novices and professionals alike. Known for its use of wavetable synthesis, this instrument is versatile and powerful. Although bass sounds are not the main purpose, Serum offers a large selection of low-end presets. Generally used for electronic music, this synth includes 10 different effect modules alone, allowing the user to craft the sound of their dreams.

Serum’s most basic set-up consists of two wavetable oscillators, noise generator, and a sub oscillator. The sub oscillator is unique to the synth and can give your low-end the touch it needs to stand out amongst other tracks. The oscillators were engineered for studio-grade performance, and preserve higher frequencies often lost during traditional mixing. Each oscillator can have up to 16 voices. Serum is definitely not light on the relative price point or CPU usage, but for all that’s included, it is well worth the price. The synth is loaded with 450 presets and 144 different wavetables.

Aesthetically speaking, Serum is formatted out in a very user-friendly way. With a central keyboard coupled with multiple visualizers, the synth is accessible to beginners, yet allows for further growth due to the breadth of the plugin. All in all, it is a great synth to add to your arsenal, regardless of whether or not you are focusing on spicing up a low-end.

Spectrasonics Trilian

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If you’re seeking a more conventional bass sound, i.e one emulating a physical instrument, Spectrasonics Trilian is an excellent option. Trilian has 60 different bass instrument patches, mimicking that of stand-up, acoustic and traditional basses. Each of these patches has additional voicings and styles included. Trilian shines best in pop/electronic genres.

In addition to the traditional sound, Trilian also offers over 300 samples from big name synths (Korg, Roland, Dave Smith, etc.). The VST allows you to select articulation patterns as well, making the sounds appear even more organic. The interface can be toggled to your preferred viewing- Spectrasonics includes a rack or text view. Unfortunately, you cannot import your own samples into Trilian. The plugin is a little pricey, but more than fair considering its over 100,000 distinct sounds. Your CPU might be compromised whilst using Trilian, but you have the option of downloading only the patches you need to help alleviate the burden.

Trilian is a great option for getting those tricky acoustic bass sounds. Moreover, its synth sample library is impressive, making it a worthwhile purchase for many projects, regardless of genre.

Final Thoughts

Sub Bass VSTS are essential to creating mixes with power and depth. The foundation of a song is important, so it makes sense to invest in an instrument that speaks to your style. Regardless of your needs, there’s definitely a plugin out there for you.