Best Bass VST Plugins:
The Definitive List  [2021]

Here’s the deal.

When it comes to matters GREAT bass synths, Rob Papen needs no introduction.

If anything, most of their releases have made it to the favorites list of many electronic music producers.

So, yes!

Versatility has been one of their strengths though SubBoomBass 2 is optimized to deliver a deeper low-end pitch.

With this synth, you have high quality presets which manifest Rob Papen’s depth and power.

You can efficiently utilize them not only for popular genres such as RnB or Hip-Hop but other electronic music styles too.

Rob Papen SubBoomBass 2 comes with more than a dozen waveforms obtained directly from pitched down samples of specific instruments.

And guess what?

It also features a distortion stage, amplifier section, and two filters with various specifications.

It leaves nothing to chance with a step sequencer, free modulation section, and an effects unit.

If you find everything congested, you only have to switch the Easy Edit Mode to reduce the number of active controls.

This concept provides for quicker adjustments and speeds the workflow.

Looking for a workhorse for anything synth related?

Massive by Native Instruments is a sure bet.

Drawing attention by its complex yet spectacular polyphonic functionality, this plugin is optimized for boundless creativity.

If anything, it comes equipped with adequate controls and variations to allow the creation of unlimited unique sounds without running out of ideas.

The NI Massive offers many wave tones, with each having an independent oscillator for processing and modification.

To add to this, you get an assortment of filter types, effects, macro controls, sequencing, and voicing regulators all working together harmoniously.

And it comes with GREAT presets too.

If you’ve never paid any attention to hybrid synths, you will be surprised how Massive creates excellent synth basses.

If you are looking for an inspiring weighty bass tone, Loopmasters’ Bass Master Synth plugin is worth considering.

At its core is a pair of oscillators offering over 200 waveforms powered by both classic and modern bass sources.

It also features up to 350 presets with parameters ready-mapped to the three-slot mod wheel matrix.

On matters enhancing sound design possibilities, it offers up to 13 filter types, filter envelope, and LFO.

And you can amplify your sound with effects such as distortion, stereo chorus, and more.

If that isn’t enough, you can count on the three-band Frequency Booster for sonic shaping.

In reality, the number of customization elements and control are probably more than you can ask.

All said and done, and regardless of music genre you are into, Bass Masters’ incredible sound production resources actualize speaker-shaking tones in no time.

If you have not tried Arturia’s virtual studio suite, the moment you do, you’ll probably be surprised why you didn’t notice it earlier.

The Minimoog V is a product of Arturia’s focus on emulating classic hardware instruments.

You are probably wondering what makes this plugin tick. Arturia Minimoog V features an advanced modulator that makes it possible to deduce shapes and control parameters.

Better yet, it has a vocal filter that boosts sonic possibilities thanks to a formant-analysis-based effect.

So you can have the synth do the talking without much ado.

A modulation matrix is included dramatically improving on the original design and doing away with its limitations.

Can’t possibly tell it all with pure explanations, so you can as well stick your guns to it

Sometimes you need an instrument plugin that is primarily addressed to be used in certain music genres.

That’s why the Bass Engine 2 is advertised by DopeSONIX as a hip hop and trap bass VST, and it does exactly that with great success. Note that this is a completely different plugin from the Bass Engine 1 and it is not an update!

So, what does this plugin offer?

The Bass Engine 2 comes with more than 300 hip hop bass instruments including 808’s, Sub Bass, Vintage Bass that have been passed through a Drawmer 1961 Dual Vacuum Tube Equaliser for warmth and punch.

Pitch, pan, glide, and volume controls are included, along with flexible ASDR controls and built-in high and low pass filters. Expressive controls include mono, poly and legato modes, along with soft, normal and hard velocity modes.

Last but not least, this plugin comes with ultra-low CPU usage, which makes it ideal for making music on the go with a laptop.

If you are looking for a bass VST plugin that will allow you to create stereo soundscapes and pan things around the stereo field, then the Monoment Bass will fulfill your desires!

The source material comes from stereo synths of high-quality, while the built-in tools of Mononome Bass let you fine-tune every detail. These include both a multi-band compressor and a spatialization tool.

Plus, you can use the “aging” knob to add some analog noise, as well as choose between other kinds of noise between the multiple organic noise options that are offered.

But do you want to know the best thing about this plugin?

It comes with Source, Filter, and FX modules for Softube Modular so that you can actually build your own synth! This allows you to have maximum customization and flexibility to create your own instrument and sounds!

In short, this is a top-quality plugin that imitates a modular bass synth.

If you are a fun of electric bass guitars, the IK Multimedia MODO BASS could be an excellent go-to plugin.

Although it’s not sample-based, as the premier physically modeled virtual bass instrument, it promises realism at a notch higher.

Why do we say this?

Not only does it provide multiple electric bass guitar sound options, but it also permits further tweaking of tone, character, and performance.

Make no mistake about it because thanks to its physical modeling technology, you get total control over the sound.

Besides, it features the electronic section from where users can switch pickups and manage their position and tone.

Similarly, it includes a performance mapping technique that allows the user to outline almost every aspect, including slides, vibrato, slaps, bends, and so much more.

Still not convinced?

You also have various playing styles.

So yes!

You can easily switch from finger to pick or slap.

At the same time, you have control over slide noise, detach noise, and so on.

In short, MODO BASS delivers the realism, credibility, and authenticity expected of a reliable computer-based bass player.

Royal Bass is perfect for most session jobs, while Mellow bass features an acoustic double bass.

The interface is clean and very easy to use. What’s more, Virtual Bassist 2 offers keyboard-playable sounds alongside phrases, while it has AI assisted bass articulations and a choice of premium effects for customization.

MIDI drag-and-drop is also supported, while it features great integration with Presonus Studio One.

If this sounds great to you, the company offers a free 30-day demo, so that you can check out this plugin.

The Ample Sound suits anyone looking for heavy bass tones in their tracks.

Ample Bass P III:

The Ample PIII offers over 3.6 GB of sound sufficient to allow the creation of an incredible range of realistic bass sounds.

As an imitation of the Fender precision, it offers just the right mix of velocities giving enough provision for creativity.

Though it features only four strings, it should suffice.

Ample Bass J III:

Isn't it refreshing to relive the good old disco memories from years ago?

It turns out that precisely what the Ample Bass JIII delivers.

It emulates that fretless sound with a natural enthusiasm with plenty of options for legato.

Talk about Sustain, Palm Mute, Natural Harmonic, Hammer On, Legato Slide, Pop, Slap, Tap, and more, ABJ offers it all.

In any case, this plugin comes with a 3GB sample library and more than ten bass articulations.

All these can be used to create legato notes of different durations, pitch, and polyphony.

What about having six different bass sounds in a single plugin?

The Chris Hein Bass by Best Service comes with exactly that! It features a Musicman Stingray electric bass both picked and slapped, a LeFay fretless bass, and a unique upright bass with three different sets of strings: steel, nylon, and gut strings.

It features a Native Instruments Kontakt 2 Player engine and includes up to 42 articulations as well as up to 8 velocity layers.

If that is not enough for you, you’ll be delighted to hear that what makes this plugin actually stand out is the 112 Midi controllable parameters with total recall, that let you easily access settings such as bridge/center playing, pickup micro-blending, expression samples, pinch harmonics and more.

In short, the Chris Hein Bass is a high-quality option for those who need a bass plugin that comes with great expressive tools.

For those of you who like to keep things simple, I would highly recommend the EZbass by Toontrack.

This bass plugin features two different basses, one modern and one vintage, that you can control to create your own basslines.

The interface is surprisingly clean and easy to use, while a number of presets helps you get started, even if you are an absolute beginner.

Plus, it can create matching basslines by itself, if you give it a keyboard or drum track!

But don’t get me wrong: EZbass comes with a handful of advanced features that will please experienced users and musicians, too. These include Audio to MIDI conversion, many articulations along with the grid editor that makes composing easy.

Summing up, whether you are a beginner or you are looking for a bass plugin with an intuitive interface, I would suggest trying out EZbass.

You can customize your playing style every time, by using one of the 11 interactive playing positions with automatic string switching. Additionally, full 5-string articulations are included, such as thumbing, popping, and mutes.

The Bass Slapper lets you control your tone with a 4-band EQ, sub-octave, and low boost features. Plus, real-time MIDI controls and a customizable key switch editor make it suitable for use at live settings.

Finally, you can use the Waves Bass Slapper both as a plugin and as a standalone instrument.

For starters, Native Instruments' plugins rarely disappoint.

The Scarbee library offers nothing less than an acceptable depth of quality.

Rickenbacker Bass:

Are you searching for an ideal product to add some aggression to your mix?

The Rickenbacker Bass offers mid-range as well as punchy low pitch ideal for playing with rock accompaniments.

After all, it comes with its own amp and string set, making it easy to produce sound suitable for distortion in the DAW.

Jay-bass:

If you can’t have enough of Fender J emulations, the presence of this should be enough attraction to NI Scarbee.

Jay Bass offers some jazz slapping and finger sounds that can add that funky feel to your tracks.

And what else, you have pickup positions and sets of various playing techniques.

Pre-Bass:

Another fantastic Fender P bass emulation, this product extends the usefulness of virtual bass.

Picture a chill-sounding bass with a little pop-urban touch, and Pre bass is pretty much it.

Here’s the kicker!

Pre bass features sets of self-playing styles and a vast sample library capable of playing anything from calm to slightly aggressive sounds.

MM-Bass:

Topping off the impressive Scarbee library, MM offers ample sound frequencies to fine-tune tracks as required.

Wait a minute, with its legato styles and thick sound nothing stops its usefulness for acoustic, jazz, and metal music.

Imagine the ultimate bass package that includes acoustic bass, fretted, and fretless electric basses.

Yes, with Orange Tree Samples, you got it all.

No doubt about it, the Orange Team bundle is an excellent acquisition given the following;

Evolution Rick:

As simple as it may be, Evolution Rick comes close to taking after a Fender Precision fired up for common use.

The point is that it has no particular guitar emulation but offers deep bass tones.

And that’s not all because it has a smooth dynamic range that alone makes the whole package worth having.

Cherry Electric Bass:

With this, you’ll have about 2.5 GB of samples from a 5-string though unspecified bass guitar.

It’s more of a line-in recording of an incredible bass guitar model.

Though inclined more to rock and metal music, the availability of lighter settings means it could work pretty well with most genres.

Corebass Pear:

Looking for upright bass tones suitable for jazz and classic rock recordings, cinematic mixes, and the likes?

If yes, perhaps your search will end with the Corebass Pear.

Offering a fretless edge anchored by a fretless slide technology very much like synths- the feature facilitates the achievement of GREAT sounds fitting needs as mentioned above.

Iconic Bass: Jaco

Any producer/composer would appreciate the genius behind the Iconic Bass.

Mainly, if you fancy the iconic and unique playing style of Jaco Pastorius, you’ll find your match with this plugin.

Talk about harmonics, vibratos, slides, and notes; it’s all covered and perfectly.

In the simplest terms, Output substance is a new classification of bass that pushes typical low-end boundaries.

Unlike most bass plugins, the focus here is on creating new unique sounds and not mere emulations.

But how?

It blends profoundly processed electric and acoustic basses, complete and live brass sections, huge polysynths, analog synths, GREAT sound designs, and more into single patches.

And that’s not all. Output has a powerful 3-layer engine, and over 300 presets, which makes working on sounds a breeze.

Beyond that, it has an intuitive preset menu with features such as smart tagging, Layer FX, Global FX, and macro slider, which facilitates fuss-free playing.

Most of all, it features complete effects control, Monophonic and Legato modes per layer, Rhythm page that syncs to tempo, and an advanced arpeggiator.

Spectrasonic’s eye for excellence is well exhibited in this combination bass.

Trilian is comprehensively designed to combine many different kinds of bass into one amazing versatile virtual instrument.

Let's get into the core.

Trilian is powered by next-gen Steam Engine Technology.

And it packs a 34GB sample library that includes electric, acoustic, and synth basses into one sound bundle.

Achieving expressive real-time performance of combined instruments can never be any easier.

Unlike Trilogy that came before it, here you have a beautiful staccato option, automatic legato, round-robin variations, dynamic slides, DI mixing, live and stack modes, among other editing features.

But perhaps the greatest strength of Spectrasonics Trilian is the high level of detail in the sampling.

Moreover, it’s the first product of the kind to integrate with Spectrasonics flagship Omnisphere ®synth, essentially providing an additional allowance for sound design.

All in all, Trilian packs everything one may need to bring dynamism in their tracks.

If cinematic bass is what you need, then you should check out Scoring Bass by Heavyocity.

It features three different basses that you can choose from (Warwick, Ken Smith, and Sire), as well as presets that combine them.

Speaking of which,  this plugin comes with over 100 tempo-synced grooves and rhythmic pedals that make composing and sound design faster.

In fact, there are three categories of patches in this plugin:: Pulse Grooves, Rhythmic Pedals, and Pads. The pads are especially good for creating sound design elements for film, TV, and game scoring.

Although it can be used as a standalone plugin for cinematic content, this plugin works best when combined with the Guitar plugin of the same series.

To conclude, if you want something different regarding bass plugins, or if you are a fan of Heavyocity’s Gravity series, the Scoring Bass is a great plugin for you.