What's New in Virtual Bassist Version 2?

The features we added and improved in Version 2 of Virtual Bassist are a mixture of the most frequent user requests and catching up with features we introduced in other instruments – such as MIDI Drag’nDrop. If you have updated from Virtual Bassist to V2, here is the reference description for all the new features so you have it in one place. We’ll integrate it below later.

MIDI Drag’n’Drop

In Player Mode, the keys of the on-screen keyboard are now horizontally divided into two sections. The top section looks like a tab. 

• Click onto a tab and drag into the Virtual Bassist track of your DAW, then let go to drop the phrase into your track as a MIDI File.

Any phrases can be dragged and dropped: Common or Style Phrases, Intros, and Fills.

Building songs

If you play a key or chord before or while you drag, the dropped MIDI phrase will be in that key or chord. Use this to build entire songs: Hold a chord, drag phrase, hold next chord – you get it!

New Styles and Presets

Virtual Bassist 2 features 20 new Styles and 30 new Presets per title. They are conveniently marked “2.0” so you can easily spot them.

Finisher Section

The Finisher is a new section that adds bass-optimized effects to your Virtual Bassist. 

The Finisher was introduced with Virtual Guitarist Carbon in late 2019 and became so popular that we will integrate it with all our instruments over time, and made it into a new product line, with the first product, Finisher NEO, released in early 2020. Check it out! 

Finisher Section

In Virtual Bassist 2, you’ll find the Finisher Section at the bottom center. 

It consists of only two controls: 

• Step through the 15 Modes using the arrows, or select one by name by clicking on the title or the little triangle to the right. 
• Use the Finisher Knob to adjust the effect. You’re very encouraged to use the Automation feature for the Finisher knob for very dynamic transitions or modulations.

The Finisher effects are selected and optimized for each Virtual Bassist. They cover distortion, modulation, EQ and ambience – often all in one Mode. Experiment with them and enjoy!

UI Facelift

Users of the original Virtual Bassists will find the user interface slightly extended and enhanced to reflect the new features. We made it a thing to keep the original look as intact as possible though.

PreSonus Chord Track and Key Track Integration

With the new Virtual Bassist 2.1 update, we will provide Studio One users running on version 4.6.2 or later with an exclusive PreSonus chord and key track feature!

Descriptions of styles and phrases are displayed on the piano roll to help you find the right styles and phrases faster and easier for your track. The play range and the style/common phrases are divided in red (general key switches) and blue (play range) on the piano roll. 

The chord track feature in Studio One automatically follows the chords and automatically changes the MIDI notes for you.

We recommend using the “Follow Chords” toggle above the “Key” menu on the user interface. When Studio One interprets a wrong chord, the “Follow Chords” feature will correct it. Of course, the chord track feature will also work with turning off the “Follow Chords” toggle.

Note: Changing styles or common phrases won’t influence or change the chord tracks, but the harmonic input. Not all chords that are possible in the PreSonus Chord track, are recognized in our instruments. The closest interpretation will then be used.

Resizable Interface

With the 2.1 updates, Virtual Bassist user interfaces are resizable to fit on small screens. To resize, either click the “window” icon next to the notification bell in the top right corner or simply drag the three stripes in the bottom right corner of the user interface.

 

DAW Sync

You can now quantize the virtual bass player to match the playback, this setting can be found in the micro timing overlay. Quantize to the current grid, 1/4, 1/8, or 1/16 notes. This new feature keeps the Virtual Bassist always in sync with the DAW timing position to make sure you have the phrase in time and on the right beat.

Parallel Key Selection

With this update, modulation techniques are now possible. If you select a key in the ‘’Player Chord’’ section, you will now also see the parallel key in the selection menu.

Loading Indicator

We added a loading bar that displays the loading status of the sample library when opening the instrument in the DAW.