Bass Amp Designer in MainStage

Bass Amp Designer emulates the sound of three famous bass guitar amplifiers and the speaker cabinets used with them. Each preconfigured model combines an amp and cabinet that recreates a well-known bass guitar amplifier sound. The amp and cabinet can be combined with integrated compression and EQ units to alter the tone. You can process signals directly, reproducing the sound of your bass played through these amplification systems. Virtual microphones are used to pick up the signal of the emulated amplifier and cabinet. You can choose from, and position, three different microphone types.

When recording, many bass players use a direct connection to a mixing board or other recording equipment, often using a passive (non powered) or active (powered) D.I. box (Direct Injection box). The use of a pre-amp with passive or active EQ and a hardware compressor instead of, or in addition to, a D.I. box is extremely popular too. Bass Amp Designer emulates a professional-level American D.I. box.

Bass Amp Designer has a two channel design—one for the pre-amp and one for the D.I. box. This lets you flexibly change the signal flow for the following playing and recording configurations: pre-amp with passive or active EQ, compressor, a straight power amp, just the sound of the cabinets and microphones, D.I. box alone, bass amp alone, or both in parallel. See Bass Amp Designer signal flow and Bass Amp Designer Pre-amp signal flow.

To add Bass Amp Designer to your concert, choose Amps and Pedals > Bass Amp Designer in a channel strip Audio Effect plug-in menu. See Add and remove plug-ins in MainStage.

The Bass Amp Designer interface is divided into four main parameter sections.

• Model parameters: The Model pop-up menu at the lower left of the window is used to choose a preconfigured model, consisting of an amplifier, a cabinet, and a microphone type. The other pop-up menus enable you to independently choose the type of amplifier, cabinet, and microphone. See Build a custom Bass Amp Designer combo.

• Amp parameters: Located at each end of the knobs section, these parameters are used to set the input gain, presence, and output level of the amp. See Bass Amp Designer amplifier controls.

• Effects parameters: Located in the center of the knobs section, these parameters control the integrated EQ and compressor effects. A further graphic or parametric EQ is shown above the compressor controls when the EQ button is turned on. See Bass Amp Designer effects overview.

• Microphone parameters: Located at the right of the interface, these parameters set the type and position of the microphone that captures the amplifier and cabinet sound. See Bass Amp Designer microphone parameters.

• Output slider: The Output slider is found at the lower-right corner of the interface. It serves as the final level control for Bass Amp Designer output that is fed to ensuing effect slots in the channel strip, or directly to the channel strip output.

  Note: This parameter is different from the Master control, which serves the dual purpose of sound design as well as controlling the level of the Amp section.