Native Instruments : Scarbee Rickenbacker Bass

SCARBEE RICKENBACKER® BASS captures the unmistakable sound of a Rickenbacker® 4003 for the first time in software. Delivering meaty, low end thunder and the crisp, defined midrange that has shaped rock and pop history, RICKENBACKER® BASS is the first software instrument to be officially approved by Rickenbacker®.

Painstakingly sampled by Thomas Skarbye, ideal for distortion, and the first SCARBEE bass to be played with a pick, RICKENBACKER® BASS delivers all the character and versatility of the original in an ultra-flexible, completely authentic KONTAKT instrument.

SCARBEE RICKENBACKER® BASS runs in KONTAKT and the free KONTAKT 5 player.

To create SCARBEE RICKENBACKER® BASS, a Rickenbacker® 4003 with stainless steel Rotosound strings was recorded direct into Pro Tools with premium Mogami cables and a Metric Halo LIO-8 preamp, assuring every nuance of this legendary bass came through in pristine quality.

Picked articulations available for the first time in a SCARBEE bass provide the crisp tone heard on countless rock and pop records since the 60s. Avoiding Rickenbacker®’s integrated foam muting system, palm-muted articulations were created with the pick hand positioned over the bridge, ensuring the realism of a true performance. Open picked articulations were played between the pickups, and both were recorded using the unique Rick-O-Sound stereo output for classic Rickenbacker® tone.

A unique KONTAKT effect chain adds the final component to this authorized Rickenbacker® instrument with the newly implemented Jump Amp from GUITAR RIG for extreme tweakability, and tape saturator, equalizer and compressor from the SOLID MIX SERIES for pro studio effects.

SCARBEE RICKENBACKER® BASS is based on the Rickenbacker® 4003, released in 1980 as the successor to the 4001 model that had been in consistent use since 1960. Already famous as a ‘mix sitter’ against a wall of guitars, the 4003 greatly improved the bass response of the 4001’s neck pickup to give it the balanced tonal response it has become famous for. The crisp, thunderous tone of these basses has been immortalized on some of the most successful rock and pop albums in history, and now it’s at your fingertips.

Thomas Skarbye is a highly regarded bassist whose sound design brand has become synonymous with quality and playability. His sampled instruments have become the first choice of top producers and musicians worldwide. To help create this Rickenbacker™-approved instrument, Thomas once again brought in Nils Liberg – the same scripting wizard behind SCARBEE FUNK GUITARIST, ALICIA’S KEYS, and SCARBEE MM BASS.

The Scarbee and Native Instruments partnership have released numerous instrument libraries for the industry-leading sampler KONTAKT and the free KONTAKT PLAYER. With SCARBEE’s renowned precision and level of detail, producers can expect a line of premium instruments across the musical spectrum.