Bass Slapper by Waves slap bass virtual instrument interface

Bass Slapper: Sampled Slap Bass Virtual Instrument by Waves

Bass Slapper is a sampled slap bass virtual instrument by Waves. It is built from multisamples of slap bass playing and offers thumbing, popping and muting articulations, plus amp, cabinet and effects options.

VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS

AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique

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01Overview

Waves developed Bass Slapper to capture the sound of slap bass, a technique that is hard to sample because its character depends on how the note is played. The instrument uses 3,700 multisamples with round-robin note assignments and articulations. Its sustain is recorded naturally rather than looped. Producers can choose a warm, old-school tone or a brighter modern one, and select the neck position where notes are played, since the same note changes timbre across positions.

Best for

Funk bass lines
Disco and pop bass
Slap bass recording
Live bass performance
Old-school bass tones
Modern bright bass

Developer: Waves
Category: Virtual Instruments
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Sampled with natural sustain, with no looped samples
Dynamics controlled by selecting the number of velocity layers
11 interactive playing positions with automatic string switching
Full 5-string articulations: thumbing, popping and mutes
Five legato modes, including "always" and "off"
Four amp simulation and cabinet options
Pre-amp effects: compressor, phaser, overdrive, triggered wah, chorus
Post-amp delay with sync-to-tempo, plus reverb

03In depth

Sound, Playing Positions and Articulations

Bass Slapper is sampled with natural sustain and no looped samples, so notes decay the way a played bass does. You control dynamics by choosing the number of velocity layers. Eleven interactive playing positions switch strings automatically, which lets you change the tone of a line without re-triggering notes manually.

The 5-string articulation set covers thumbing, popping and mutes. Five legato modes are available, including "always" and "off," so you can decide when slides and hammer-ons apply. The instrument also lets you alter sustain, transpose and note release sound artifacts.

Tone Shaping and Effects for Bass Production

Four amp simulation and cabinet options let the tone purr or growl. Pre-amp effects include a compressor, phaser, overdrive, triggered wah and chorus. Post-amp effects include a delay with sync-to-tempo and a reverb.

You can also adjust MIDI parameters such as velocity curve and depth, which helps shape how your performance translates into sound. Bass Slapper runs as a plugin in your DAW or as a standalone instrument, and it is NKS-ready for NI Maschine and Komplete Kontrol.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Waves
Type	Plugin
Category	Virtual Instruments
Formats	VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Bass Slapper support?

Bass Slapper is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats.

Which operating systems are supported?

Bass Slapper runs on Windows and macOS. On Mac it supports macOS Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14 and Sequoia 15. On PC it supports Windows 10 and later.