The main view includes a preset menu at the top, and six tabs to open other views for choosing basic guitar model, adjusting playing style, setting string type and condition, changing electronics and pickups, setting amp and FX choices, and setting MIDI and keyswitch controls.
The SE version has only the 60’s P-Bass and 70’s P-Bass models (a Fender Precision Bass with an Alder body and Fender Precision Bass with an Ash body), but has all the controls of the full version so you can still obtain a wide range of tones and playing effects, even creating 5-string and 6-string models. One of the new models, a five-string Dingwall Combustion NG2.
Other models range from a 60’s Fender Precision Bass through a Gibson EB-0, a Rickenbacker 4003, and Yamaha TRB5P to an Ibanez Soundgear and a Warwick Streamer. The two new bass guitar models are “Metal” (based on a 5 string Dingwall Combustion NG2) and “Imperial” (based on a 6 string Fodera Custom model).
This adds subtle variation beyond that of the picking intensity (MIDI velocity).Ī Rick n’ Bass modified from four strings to six, playing an A# – note the vibrating string and the picking location at 6.03” from the bridge. And one capability I found very effective is changing the picking position in real time. You can also modify the playing style, including fingering technique, stroke direction, pick type (hard or soft), and muting. You can select from two generic amps (solid state and tube) and use up to four stomp-boxes, or use the DI output to send the signal to other processing gear (such as AmpliTube). You can age the strings, change the pickup position and even change the pickup entirely, add two pickups where the model normally has only one, swap out pickups to any one or two of 24 individual pickup models, add a piezo pickup under the bridge and add (or remove) active electronics in the guitar itself. Being mathematical models you can modify them in many ways: change string type (flat or round wound) and number of strings – you can make any of the guitars into 4, 5, or 6 string basses which is impossible with real hardware. Unlike sampled instruments, MODO Bass uses no sound sample files, but creates sounds based on mathematically modeling vibrating strings, resonating bodies, and electro-magnetic interaction of strings and pickups. MODO Bass includes 14 physically modeled bass guitar models (two in the SE version). I didn’t think I really needed a new bass instrument, but the idea of a physically modeled one, like MODO Drums and Pianoteq pianos, intrigued me.
Since I had previously complained about the somewhat convoluted system to access and get products with the old system I found the new Product Manager a definite improvement. The original review still stands for its description of what is available, and I decided to give it a try when it popped up in the new IKM Product Manager (which has caused quite a stir on forums with some people, me included, appreciating what it does, and others “upset” because they wanted something different). And there are now two versions, the full version and a light SE version for half the price. It has been updated a few times and two additional bass models were added with release 1.5. MODO Bass made its appearance over three years ago and was reviewed on Gearslutz shortly after release. MODO Bass and MODO Bass SE (1.5 update) from IK Multimedia