Designed to do for bass what EZdrummer did for drums, EZbass is a new plugin and standalone instrument from Toontrack that promises to - you guessed it - make it easy to create basslines for your songs.
The software has actually been in development for a while - we first heard about it during the 2019 NAMM Show - and comes billed as the first product of its kind. More than just a sample library, EZbass has various features that will help you to create not only bass sounds, but also the musical parts for your song.
EZbass can be used in several ways. You can simply click Add Groove to get a bassline rolling, setting the chords of your song as you wish. Parts can then be tweaked in the Grid Editor, and you can choose from a wide range of MIDI playing styles.
Smart features include the option to tap in the rhythm you want so that bass can search its library for matching grooves, and the ability to choose an existing drum or keyboard MIDI part for the bassline to follow. You can even take an existing audio recording - one of a real bass guitar or other instrument, for example - and let EZbass convert it to MIDI.
Of course, you can just record the bassline yourself using your MIDI keyboard if you prefer; both vintage and modern instruments are included. Bass parts for different parts of your song - intro, verse, chorus etc - can be arranged in the software, too.
It seems like you can go as simple or as deep as you want with EZbass - you could just pick a preset, for example, but others will choose to spend time tweaking their tone and fiddling with the playing articulation settings.
Find out more on the Toontrack and Time+Space websites. EZbass is available now priced at £129/€155 and runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats.
