Ample Metal Ray5 is a virtual bass instrument by Ample Sound, based on a 5-string Musicman Stingray Classic. It offers nine articulations, polyphonic legato, MIDI and Guitar Pro tools, and built-in amp and effects.
Ample Metal Ray5 is built around a 5-string Musicman Stingray Classic bass and aims at producers who need a realistic electric bass part without recording one. The developer describes its tone as deep and punchy. Beyond the core sound, the plugin bundles a bass-focused MIDI workflow, with Riffer 4 for composing lines and Tab Reader 4 for importing bass tabs. It also includes amp models, cabinets and a compact effects chain, so a part can be shaped inside the plugin before it reaches your mix.
Ample Metal Ray5 includes nine articulations, covering slides, hammer-ons and dead notes. These let you add the small playing details that make a programmed bass line sound performed rather than sequenced.
Polyphonic legato and a slide smoother handle the transitions between notes. Drop tuning is supported down to A0, which is useful for heavy rock and metal parts that sit below standard bass range.
Riffer 4 offers two MIDI views, a Piano Roll and a Tab view, and applies intelligent fingering logic to place notes on the instrument. The plugin supports full MIDI import and export with playback accuracy, so parts can move in and out of your DAW.
Tab Reader 4 imports Guitar Pro files from versions 3 to 8. A large library of pre-made bass riffs is included as a starting point for composition.
For tone, the plugin offers three bass amp models and four cabinet options, with four mic choices per cabinet. Built-in effects include an 8-band EQ, compressor, delay and convolution reverb.
Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.
| Developer | Ample Sound |
|---|---|
| Type | Plugin |
| Category | Virtual Instruments |
| Formats | VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, Standalone |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS |
| Architecture | 64-bit |
Ample Metal Ray5 is available in VST3, VST2, AU, AAX and as a standalone application. It is 64-bit.
The plugin runs on Windows and macOS. On Mac, macOS 10.15 or later is required. On Windows, Windows 7 to Windows 11 (64-bit) is supported.
The plugin needs a host that supports the formats listed above, or you can use the standalone version. The developer recommends an SSD, with more than 20 GB of disk space and an Intel i5 or higher CPU.
Yes. Tab Reader 4 supports Guitar Pro files from versions 3 to 8, and Riffer 4 provides a Tab view alongside the Piano Roll.
