English Bass Kontakt instrument by Ben Osterhouse interface

English Bass: Kontakt Upright Bass Instrument by Ben Osterhouse

Rated 4.3/5 on Plugin Boutique (6 ratings)

English Bass is a Kontakt instrument collection by Ben Osterhouse that creatively samples a 150-year-old upright bass. It includes five instruments derived from over 2000 recordings of the bass.

REQUIRESKontaktHost player sold separately

Kontakt

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01Overview

English Bass takes the sound of a 150-year-old upright bass and turns it into a set of playable Kontakt instruments. The collection draws on more than 2000 recordings of the instrument and organizes them into five patches, each focused on a different kind of texture or rhythm. Producers who want bass sounds that go beyond conventional plucked or bowed tones will find a range of material for melodic, rhythmic and sound design work. The full version of Kontakt is required to run the library.

Best for

Sustained bass textures
Rhythmic ostinatos
Percussive bass sounds
Sound design layers
Cinematic bass swells

Developer: Ben Osterhouse
Category: Kontakt Instruments
Requires: Kontakt
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Five instruments built from over 2000 recordings of an upright bass
Longs patch for expressive long articulations and dramatic swells
Clouds patch layering pizzicato and col legno into sustained textures
Rhythms patch for creating rhythmic ostinatos
Percussion patch with snap pizzicato, col legno and bass-body drums
Effects patch of manipulated sound design textures for layering
MIDI clips included for Longs, Percussion and Rhythms patches

03In depth

Five Patches for Bass Textures and Rhythms

The Longs patch explores expressive long articulations and dramatic swells, suited to sustained melodic lines and build-ups. The Clouds patch layers many instances of pizzicato and col legno to create prickly, sustained textures.

The Rhythms patch is designed for rhythmic ostinatos, while the Percussion patch focuses on the percussive sounds an acoustic bass can make. Percussion includes snap pizzicato, col legno and a set of drums built from sounds of the bass body.

Layering Effects and MIDI Clips

The Effects patch is a collection of manipulated and extended sound design techniques intended for layering with the main instruments. It can add extra movement and character alongside the core bass sounds.

MIDI clips are included for the Longs, Percussion and Rhythms patches, giving you starting points for sequencing. The library contains over 2000 samples in total.

04Specs

Will it run?

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

Developer	Ben Osterhouse
Type	Plugin
Category	Kontakt Instrument
Requires	Kontakt
Formats	Kontakt

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What do I need to use English Bass?

English Bass requires the full version of Kontakt 5.8.1 or later. It will run in demo mode if used in the free Kontakt Player.

How much disk space does English Bass need?

The library requires about 2.1GB of available hard drive space.

What sounds are included in English Bass?

The collection includes five instruments: Longs, Clouds, Rhythms, Percussion and Effects. All are derived from over 2000 recordings of a 150-year-old upright bass.