These plugins are meant to be used within a DAW (although some plugins come with standalone apps as well). When enabled, a VST will affect the sound of the track that it is applied to. So for example, a saturation plugin applied to a vocal track will only cause the vocals to saturate and not the rest of the instruments. TL Utilities includes three essential toolset additions to any Pro Tools plugin collection: TL Metro, InTune, and MasterMeter. TL Metro is a versatile metronome that makes it quick and easy to create a click track. InTune is a professional tuner with the performance of a rack-mounted digital tuner and the convenience of a Pro Tools plugin. VST’s (Virtual Studio Technology) are the workhorses of many independent artists out there. And because we love all of our incredible unsigned artists so much (yes, aaawww) we’ve spent quite a bit of time scouring the internet to find you some of the best VST plugins around. If its a VST plug in with no mic it could be being picked up through the pick ups. What kind of VST plug in are you using that needs input echo? Im guessing a guitar sim, especially with that hiss, it sounds like guitar hum, hiss, buzz. A click track is a digital representation of that, but I'm talking about playing to a metronome for a guide track and then recording all other tracks based on the timing/tempo of that guide track versus playing to click track for the first and each subsequent track recording. We have collected for you the top 18 VST plugins Music Theory Tools to PluginBoutique. VST list navigation: Scaler 2 Cthulhu Guitar Pro 7.5 Chord Prism Notion 6 InstaChord InstaScale InstaSeries Bundle deCoda reMIDI Midi Madness 3 Phrasebox Liquid Notes For Live Liquid Notes Orb Composer Artist S 1.5 Orb Composer Pro S 1.5 Liquid Music & Liquid Rhythm Bundle InstaChord & Expansions 1.
This month’s freebie comes from one of our very own writers who respectfully wants you to “beat it”.
by Vincenzo Bellanova, Sept. 2018
A Metronome Plug-In
Click-It Master is a free metronome plug-in, a very simple and useful tool that many will find handy. Yes, a boring metronome, but if offers user-customizable patterns for different time signatures. It doesn’t just simply indicate the time, but also provides a different sound or “tick” associated with accents, and they depend on patterns. You can create your own patterns or your import your own metronome sounds, features which make this plug-in a really flexible tool for musicians and producers.
Click It Master was written by SoundBytes Magazine editor and writer David Baer for his review of Blue Cat Audio’s Plug’n Script. You can find the full review here .
As we can read from the review mentioned above, the idea preceded the release of Cubase 9.5, which itself offered a significant advance in DAW-based metronomes about the same time Click-It Master was made available. Unfortunately, this capability is not present in other DAWs, so unless you’re a Cubase 9.5 user, you have only the rudimentary metronome capability provided by your DAW … unless, of course, you grab this months’ freebie utility.
The Click-It Master metronome can be customized by the user, who can create custom click patterns for any rational time signature. The patterns follow and adapt themselves to the time signature of the current measure, giving a different click sound for the Downbeat, Primary beat and Secondary beat. Anyone who has a musical affinity with any genre that includes “prog” in the name should be especially interested in what this brings to the party.
Installation
Ferox vst plugin. Installing Click It Master is really easy and the instruction file provided with the download is clear. In Windows, for instance, all you have to do is copy the appropriate folder (x86 or x64 depending on your operating system, 32 bits or 64 bits) in your VST (VST 2) folder (mine, for instance, is located in the Program folder, under Steinberg). That’s all, after that, if your DAW is not already seeing Click-It Master, rescan the plugins.
The install folder contains a three-page PDF manual which is absolutely worth reading to better understand the particulars of the metronome, especially for importing our own .wav files as metronome sounds.
You can download the files here.
Interface and Use
The interface is very simple and straightforward. You can resize the GUI, turn the metronome off and deal with the center knob, which has different states, Off, Record, Record/Play and Reset. With the last one, the plug- in reinitializes itself from the control file and otherwise goes into the Off state.
The Control File (the default file name is CIM.cntl.) is responsible for the action. It determines the order of the pattern, or, how/where the different clicks of the metronome will sound, stressing the accents where they are needed. We can create a new control files simply using a .txt file indicating the accents with specific character, as shown in the images below.
So the character “!” will always indicate the Downbeat. “+” and “-“ characters are for primary and secondary beats respectively. Any other character represents a silent beat.
It is important to note that if you are planning to use your own sounds for the metronome clicks, be sure to make another folder and to name them as the plug-in expects: “DownbeatClick.wav”, “PrimaryClick.wav” and “SecondaryClick.wav”. The Cntl File Name tab right above the knob, allows the user to specify an alternate control file.
Conclusion
Click It Master is a smart, tiny little tool, but I found that is particularly useful. Musicians can practice or play following accents on difficult passages or practice on more unusual time signatures with a little audio assistance. It can be easy to use as well – often less work to set up and control than creating a song-specific audio or MIDI a click track. And, being a plugin sending out audio on a DAW’s audio track, you could also process the sound or alter some frequencies in recording sessions to limit sound bleeding or to fit collaborating musicians’ requests.
You may also be interested in:
Recording directly is as popular as ever nowadays. Loading up an amp sim is great for conveniently jamming, practicing, and recording bass without having to assemble a ton of gear.
With this ongoing trend, there is a vast virtual sea of amp simulators on the market to choose from (free and paid!)
Unfortunately, the majority of amp sims today are heavily tailored towards the six-string guitarists, while the bass players only get a fraction of bass amps and
About This Post
From my experience learning bass and my love of amps sims. I have taken the time to construct this roundup post of the best amps simulators that are more tailored towards the bass players in 2019.
Jargon Busting
Plugin: (A programme application that can open within a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) to enhance audio-related functionality.)
Standalone version: (A software that can open independently within the desktop without requiring to open inside a DAW to make use of its features)
#1 – Amplitube 4
- Price: €149 (base version)
- Bass amps: 1
- Standalone version: Yes
- Demo version: Yes
- Plugin: Yes
- Win/Mac
- 64-bit only
Created by IK Multimedia, Amplitube 4 is one of the top dogs when it comes to amp simulators. Amplitube 4 includes the most detail and depth when it comes to tone sculpting and the most realistic sounding selection of bass amplifiers on the market.
In my opinion, this software is one of the best-paid amp simulators, offering players iconic and infinite amounts of tone creation with an impressive level of detail and sonic realism.
The interface also looks visually appealing and very easy to navigate for creating an arsenal of bass presets at will.
The level of customization in Amplitube 4 is insane, everything from…
- Iconic modeled amps (guitar and bass)
- Effects (stompboxes, distortion, reverb, modulation, delay etc)
- Room ambiance simulation
- Microphone selection and placement
- Cabinet customization
- Rack effects
- Power tube customization
- Built-in recording suite
- Impressive visuals and interface
- Tuner
I could go on for days about how detailed this programme is when it comes to tone sculpting. There is so much in this programme that will satisfy most tone freaks including the bass players.
The interface is easy to set up your ideal rig which can run in both standalone for practicing and jamming or a plug-in to record within your selected DAW.
The Base Version
When it comes to usability for bass players presets, the Base version only offers a single solid-state bass amp.
With that said, the level of customization with all aspects of your rig will be enough to keep you going and offer a lot of tone-sculpting options.
However, when you want to expand in tones with the likes of more bass amps, effects and presets here’s where the problem begins.
The negative with this sim is not the features and tones because they are spot on, the problem with Amplitube 4 is its pricing structure! Let me explain…
Pricing Structure
Best Free Vst Plugins
The negative with Amplitube 4 is as detailed, real, and accurate the presets sound. To get the full experience with a satisfactory amount of bass amps, cabinets, effects, and bass presets. You have to be willing to shell out a small fortune.
Either in the form of buying the ‘deluxe version’ which is not cheap at €299. Or buying the base version and paying for the official ‘Ampeg expansion packs’ or paying for individual amps and effects via the ‘IK Custom Shop.’
/vst-plugin-deckadance2.html. (The ‘IK Custom Shop’ is an online store to purchase and download extra packs or separate amps to your rig.)
Most Affordable Option
The Deluxe version includes a ton of regular guitar amps but when it comes to the bass players, the deluxe version only includes a grand total of 3 bass amps (they do sound great though.)
The cheaper option would be to buy the ‘Base version’ at €149 and purchase the separate bass amps/packs and or any patches or effects you want from the IK Custom Shop.
The IK Custom Shop good for hand picking the amps, effects or whatever you want in your custom rig.
The problem is however, this can rack up a big bill fast as separate patches do not come cheap when purchased independently which quickly turns this amp sim into an endless money pit.
Why Amplitube 4?
Amplitube 4 is the option for bass players who want to invest a fair bit of money into a solid, usable, and fantastic sounding amp sim with tons of tone customization.
It is true that you pay for what you get in life and this is definitely the case with this software.
This option It is a little pricey but you will be rewarded with the investment of a solid amp sim to use for years to come with a crazy amount of tone customization and great sounding bass tones.
Which Version?
The version you go for depends on how far you want to invest for all of the
Having the full programme would be ideal if you play guitar on the side or an avid recording bassist who wants the full palate of tones at their disposal.
In this case, Amplitube 4 is one of the most popular and overall best amp sim to give you an infinite amount of tones for your bass recording and jamming requirements.
Pros
- Amazing sounding guitar and bass presets
- Endless tone customization
- Tons of features
- Easy to create presets and your ideal rig
- Use as standalone version or plugin
- Ultimate all in one amp sim
Cons
- Expensive investment
- Have to invest money to get additional bass amps
- Only supports 64-bit systems
- Cheaper alternatives
2# – Bias Amp 2
- Price: $299 (Elite version)
- Bass amps: 4
- Demo version: Yes
- Standalone version: Yes
- Plugin: Yes
- 32 & 64-bit systems
- Win/Mac
Bias Amp 2 is somewhat different from most amp simulators. Most sims give you a selection of amps to twiddle and tweak the EQ parameters or even a few
However, Bias Amp 2 essentially allows players to build and design your own ‘custom bass amp’… literally from the ground up.
Players have the option to tweak the smallest details that go into amp design such as transformers, power tubes, preamp tubes, biasing, power supply and shelf frequencies.
And all these small details will affect the overall tone of the amp. For example, the way you tweak the transformers will affect the sound of the upper midrange.
This is a single example of how amazingly detailed this amp sim can be for sculpturing and creating your perfect core bass tone which will please all the tube amp players out there.
Features
The programme includes 4 bass amps
This is before dialing the amps EQ or playing around with the selection of microphones, microphone placement, and cabinet speaker selection.
This programme gives the heavy tweakers and tube amp purists a field day when it comes to shaping your perfect bass tone.
This amp simulator focuses heavily on the level of customization that goes into the core amps design and elements which is good for tube amp purists.
Other features include the ‘Tonecloud’ which is an online community allowing users to upload and download amps presets created by members of the community.
Allowing users to audition and download some of the best presets rated and uploaded to the cloud adding users to share their best tones.
A noise gate is included and a selection of reverbs types to choose from with customizable parameters to dial in an ambient reverb to go with your perfect bass amp.
Sound
When it comes to sound and authenticity of a real tube amp, Bias Amp 2 has redesigned the previous engine used in the original Bias Amp.
Improving the responsiveness and realism when it comes to the dynamics, frequencies, and nuances of the sound of their line of tube amplifiers and cabs.
This new engine software, the tones are authentic and sound great when DI through any recording software adding a level of realism to any dry bass signal.
The Negatives
The only let down about this sim is there are no usual stompbox effects such as distortion, overdrive, flanger, phaser, or special effects etc like in other sims.
Another negative is that you have to pay the full price for the elite level to get the full experience which is not cheap at $299.
Saying that however, with the level of customization from this sim there is a lot of features and some great professional tube amp tones available from Bias Amp 2.
Pros
- Detailed and in-depth amp sim designer for bass and guitar
- Authentic and responsive sound
- High level of tone customization
- Standalone version
- Tonecloud community
- Amp matching feature
#3 – Helix Native
- Price: $399
- Bass amps: 13
- Standalone: No
- Demo Version: Yes
- Win/Mac
- Plugin: Yes
Helix Native by Line 6 is one of the most expensive amp sims on this list but offers a huge array of presets. Including 60 amps, (13 bass amps), 30 cabs and 100+ effects accommodating nicely for bass players.
Helix Native features the most bass amps on this list all modeled form popular and iconic bass amps from ‘Hiwatt,’ ‘Ampeg’ and ‘Mesa Boogie’ for example.
Features
The interface follows a simple design of dragging, dropping presets into the signal chain with each aspect of the rig can be shaped with the designated sliders to change the dynamics of the sound.
This sim caters in the effect department with everything you could want for shaping your ideal tone and experimenting with sounds.
- Distortion
- Dynamics
- EQ
- Modulation
- Delay/Reverb
- Pitch Shift
- Filters etc
- Wah
- Synth
This amp sim may not be the most visually appealing. But with lots of things going on inside a DAW, users can be thankful for the simple function of creating authentic bass tones without a cluttered interface. Excessive menus and other bells and whistles can distract from the usabailityin my opinion.
The Negative
The elephant in the room with this amp sim is the price! It is one of the most expensive options n this list and seems a lot of money for an amp sim just for using for bass.
On the plus side, you will have professional bass and guitar recording producers covered with a large number of amps, effects, and features.
This option would be a suitable option if you are a bass player that plays guitar on the side. Or if you happen to record other guitarists as a producer in a home studio situation.
Pros
- Simple interface
- Versatile selection of bass amps and cabs
- Realistic tones
- Large selection of effects
- High level of tone customization
#4 – Softube Bass Amp Room
- Price $149
- Presets: 1 amp, 3 cabinets
- Standalone Version: No
- Free Demo: Yes
- Plugin: Yes
- Win/Mac
Bass Amp Room by Softube stands out from most sims. Most programmes aim to please the masses with a ton of presets, effects and other bells and whistles. ‘Bass Amp Room’ from Softube however, do things differently…
Bass Amp Room only includes the one charming bass amp and a selection of 3 cabinets to choose from. So why am I recommending this considering the lack of bass amps?
The reason is that Softube
Although the interface looks simple, don’t underestimate the quality of tones from this sim. They are one of the most authentic that I have heard from any bass amp software.
What’s Included
The one available bass head replicates the iconic ‘Hiwatt DR103’ head while the bass cabinet is based off a classic ‘Ampeg’ 8×12 cab.
Bass Amp Room does an incredible job of simulating the tonal and sonic qualities of a bass tone down to the tee. Although added features are scarce, I will admit, the bass amp sims are one of the most authentic tonally.
The tone shaping abilities offer a good level of customization allowing you to modify the core building blocks of a tone. Everything from…
- Amp Head EQ
- Click and drag microphone placement
- Microphone tilt (off axis)
- DI EQ controls
- Pickup input gain
- Tone blending features
Unfortunately, Bass Amp Room doesn’t include any stompbox effects or features such as tuner, additional bass amps or a standalone version but does include a free 20-day demo version to test it out.
A good way to utilize this programme is to use it in your DAW to create an authentic raw sounding bass tone.
Then enable desired plug-ins to build on the tone in the form of effects adding ‘icing on the cake’ sounds and effects that are unavailable in the software.
Pros
- Authentic sounding bass tones
- Versatile tones for most genres (rock, metal, funk, jazz, etc)
- Enough tone shaping customization
- Solid sounding bass tones for recording in a DAW
- Dial a tone in quick without overcomplicating anything
Cons
- A tad on the pricey side for one bass head
- No standalone version
- No stompboxes or effects
- No additional amps or cabs to expand in sounds
#5 – GTR-3
- Price: $49
- Bass amps: 7
- Standalone: Yes
- Plug-in: Yes
- 64-bit only
- PC/Mac
- Free Demo: No
GTR-3 by Waves for the
The GTR-3 replicates bass tones with impressive accuracy adding a level of realism to any bass signal with any DAW and audio interface.
The pedalboard allows 6 designated spaces for stomp boxes with a selection of 26 effects which can be modified to add a surprising level of tone sculpting. It also runs a standalone version for running on the desktop without having to load it up as a plugin in a DAW.
I must admit, GTR-3 is not as heavily loaded with features as the other amp sims, excluding some features such as microphone customization, room ambiance, built in recording etc.
Metronome Plugin
However, for the price, you do get a lot of great sounding amps and effects which in the grand scheme is great value for money.
Best for
This programme may not be for the tone twiddling freaks out there like other amp sims. However, this programme does not make too much of a deal and is designed and marketed to be simple and straight to the point.
GTR-3 is a good option for any bass players who are maybe new to the amp sim world. Possibly looking for an easy to use guitar modeling software who are not looking to spend a fortune first time around.
Pros
- Simple easy to use
- Affordable
- Authentic sounding amps and effects
- Standalone version
#6 – GK Amplification 2 Pro
- Price: $79
- Bass Amps: 3
- Free Demo: Yes
- Standalone: Yes
- Win/Mac
- Plugin: Yes
GK stands for Gaillain and Kruker. For all of you who are unaware, GK is a high-end bass amp and cabinet manufacturer based in the US.
GK Amplification 2 Pro is an affordable and versatile bass amp sim offering 3 popular emulated versions from their line of bass heads for adding to your mixes or jamming on the side. The heads available are the popular CK bass head models.
- GK MB150
- GK 800RB
- GK 2001 RB
This sim also offers a large selection of cabinets to match with your ideal bass head. A good feature is combining 2 speaker cabs for a mash and blend of cabinet sounds allowing a good level of tonal customization.
The main tonal options you can customize with this amp sim are…
- Bass Head EQ
- Boost option
- Voicing filters
- Microphone positioning
- Microphone type selection
- Microphone angle
- Cabinet tone blending
GK Amplification Pro 2 programme includes a metronome and track recorder which is useful for recording moments of inspiration and creative ideas in the standalone version. This programme is available for use as a plug-in within a DAW.
Overall this programme is an affordable, easy to use and great sounding amp sim for dialing in solid bass tones for recording or jamming. There are no effects in the form of stompboxes which can leave users feeling a little empty handed for experimenting with sounds.
I would say this software is more geared towards recording in a DAW for adding addition plug-ins for effects, therefore, adding more tone shaping capabilities.
Pros
- Gallain-Kruker bass tones
- Simple interface
- Recording track
- Metronome
- Affordable
- Good amount of tonal shaping
- Standalone version
#7 – Ignite Amps SB-1
- Price: Free
- Presets: 1 Amp
- Standalone version: No
- Win/Mac
- Cabinet plugin Required: Yes
- Plugin: Yes
The SHB-1 is a virtual simulation of the actual real-life SHB-1 amp head created by Ignite amps for the bassist Frederico Fulceri of metal band ‘Subhuman.’
Every component in the real amp including the circuitry and tube technology was considered to create the most accurate and well represented simulated version of the SHB-1 bass head as functional plugin.
It’s no surprise then the SHB-1 plugin is a modeled aggressive sounding bass tube head, transforming a dry bass signal to a distorted, aggressive and mid focused metal sound without changing the core dynamics of the bass tone.
For me, this is where the plugin sounded at it’s best as it is voiced to sound aggressive and metal. What I liked about this plugin was the simple interface with a good amount of EQ and tone shaping controls for a free plugin.
I must say the amp head is surprisingly versatile, I have used this preset (before going to paid simulators) on many projects and was able to shape a number of bass tones across a range of genres.
I must admit, the SHB-1 plugin sounded at its best for sculpting an aggressive and distorted tube amp tone for my metal tracks.
Free Metronome Vst
When it comes to function, this plugin serves as a recording tool inside your DAW than a ‘standalone programme’ for real-time practicing and jamming. This programme also requires a matched cabinet simulator when you load up the plugin inside your DAW.
Overall, the SHB-1 serves as a great free simulator for creating a versatile palate of bass sounds for recording and achieving a range of worthy studio bass tones within your recording software.
Pros
- Free
- Simple interface
- Great sounding bass tube head plugin
- Supports 32 and 64-bit systems
- Great amp sim for recording
Top Tip
When recording bass inside your DAW, activate up to 3 separate tracks, each track with a different amp sim enabled. This will blend a range of sounds to achieve a unique tone allowing the bass frequencies to stand out ever so more in a full instrument mix.
You could also assign each individual amp sim to focus on the frequencies ranges of the tone. For example, one on the high, one on the mids and one focusing on the lows.
It’s always a good idea to utilize a few amps sims instead of relying on one to provide 100% of the tonality and do all the work.
Final Word
Before buying a paid amp sim, I always recommend first downloading the free demo version of the programme. So you can
This post has brought you a selection of the best bass amp simulators for all of your recording and tone tweaking needs, thanks for reading!
Before you go, there are other ways to amplify a bass guitar for practicing without amp simulators…
I recommended you read my post “Plugging a Bass into a Guitar Amp.” This will explain how to get a workable bass tone for practicing without needing to invest in a bedroom bass amp.