os: windows, mac
audio examples:
xsub is a free808 sub bass vst brought to you by hexloops and simplysounds. according tohexloops, xsub was created “using analog synthesizers, digital sine waves,guitar amps and other fancy gear.” a total of 36 different bass sounds areincluded, each spanning two octaves. i was surprised by how much the includedsounds differ in character. some of the sounds include an 808-ish click in thebeginning, while others are smooth bass sounds. many of the presets are more onthe distorted side – and while this means that xsub might be a little dirtierthan some might like, this is also what gives some of the sounds their uniquetone and presence.
xsub has abuilt-in adsr envelope, a panning knob and even a reverb. there’s also a pitch-modulatinglfo.
you can download xsub from the hexloops website.
format: vst/au, 32 bit + 64 bit
os: windows, mac
audio examples:
x-eight liteis the free lite version of x-eight, an 808 and sub bass vst/au plugin createdby thenatan. while the paid plugin contains over 1000 presets, x-eight litecomes with a total of 80 sub bass and 808 presets. that’s a good amount ofpresets for a free plugin! what’s even better is that these sounds are all verydistinct, creative and fun to play with.
for some,the main issue with x-eight lite might be that many of the sounds are not subbyor subtle enough and will steal quite a bit of attention as they contain plentyof high frequency content. however, depending on the style of music you’remaking, this might also be a good thing – these samples bang hard!
if you wantto remove some of the high frequency content, you can use x-eight’s built-inlow pass filter. besides attack and release, you can also dial in the rightamount of glide. this feature makes x-eight lite even more useful for creatingengaging beats.
there’sanother issue with this particular preset selection if you’re looking for subbass for layering purposes. most of the included samples feature a prominentkick or click sound in the beginning. while you can lengthen the attack or pulldown the filter to remove some of the kick/click sounds, this will also shapethe sound in a way that might not be practical for your purpose.
i alsodiscovered an odd behavior that you should be aware of when using the filter:when the filter is completely at 0 and you start turning the knob up slightlywith your mouse, the knob will be sluggish and not move but the filter will, infact, open. (note: i don’t know if this bug exists just in the context of mysetup or whether it’s reproducible somewhere else.) this is not a big problem,but it’s good to be aware of it.
to get x-eight, you’ll have to add it to your cart on the thenatan website. you can decide what you want to pay ($0 is okay as well) and are then redirect to a page where you have to type in your email address. after you’ve submitted your information, you will receive a download link in your email inbox.
not happy with the selection? here’s more:
i decided to focus page exclusively on plugins and libraries that have their strength in the sub range. there are many other bass synths and libraries with a wider range of bass tones that i will cover in other articles.
if you knowof any other cool sub bass plugins, i’d love to hear from you! write a commentbelow or get in touch here.
flex=" '="">General Midi Vst Plugin