Toontrack EBX: Hard Rock

Let the Low End Begin

Bass, presets, and MIDI tailored for genuine hard rock.

The Hard Rock EBX is an expansion for EZbass designed for use in bombastic, heavy, and genuine hard rock productions where the bass has an unquestionably central role.

The instrument, which has cemented its place at the pantheon of hard rock alongside iconic players like Lemmy, Cliff Burton, Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes, and Phil Lynott, is nothing short of a bonafide rock star itself. With its gut-punching low end, roaring mid-range, and zingy but ever-so-balanced highs, it's the definition of a rock-solid bass for serious hard rock songs. Add to that the comprehensive collection of presets and the MIDI that comes with this bulldozer of an EBX and you'll have what is sure to become a workhorse in your heavy rock toolbox from here on out.<.p>

If you're looking for a bass that can muster anything from the piercingly clear to the most gritty, gnarly, and wrecking ball-like of tones, this is it. Time to make some bass that rocks hard.

Features

• A meticulously captured classic mid-70s bass, optimal for a bombastic hard rock tone
• Sampled using both of the original mono and stereo outputs of the bass
• Comes with a wealth of presets for a broad range of hard rock tones – from vibrantly clean to
• dark, muddy, gritty, and heavily distorted
• Includes an unprocessed direct input (DI) preset option for easy external processing
• Has a custom MIDI content inspired by riff-oriented hard rock from the late '70s through to today

The Instrument

The Rickenbacker. Just the name alone paints a vividly stark picture of hard rock history. Since the late ’60s, this monumental instrument has been joined at the hip of countless iconic players and in the process become just as much of an icon itself.

"When looking to capture the ultimate hard rock bass, there really wasn’t much discussion as to which one to pick," comments Magnus Melkersson, EZbass lead R&D technician. "The look, the tone, the feel and the sheer stature of it – this bass literally fumes of hard rock from top to bottom."

The specific model captured for this EBX is an iconic 4001 dating back to 1974. With its neck-through construction, full-wood body and unique two-pickup/output design, the tone of this beast of a bass is as unique as its statuesque appearance.

The Sounds & Articulations

Seeing as the Hard Rock EBX seeks to capture that distinct and piercing hard rock tone, it was sampled solely with a pick option. It does this to its fullest extent, though, and includes all the articulations, like down and upstrokes, percussive sounds and subtle ghosts notes, you need to produce strikingly expressive bass tracks.

The Presets

Since both of the original standard mono and stereo outputs were recorded, the presets present anything from basic tones to most creative combinations of dual signal blends routed through different effects, amps and cabinets. To further give you the option of easy external processing, a clean direct input (DI) preset option is of course included.

"The instrument we captured isn’t only one of the most iconic, but also one of the most versatile in rock history," comments Ulf Edlund, EZbass lead sound designer. "To me, the presets we came up with only further fuel the spectacular width of this chameleon of a bass. Our goal with the presets was to pay homage to the hard rock heroes whose tones and basslines defined an era at the same time as we wanted to add something new to the table. Listening back to the finished result, I genuinely think we pulled it off."

The MIDI

The included MIDI library covers a broad repertoire of bassline variations inspired by hard, heavy and riff-oriented rock songs where the bass has an obvious center stage role. As always – with the onboard features in EZbass, you’ll be able to customize, slice and dice this MIDI to fit your songs, your palette and your spur-of-the-moment ideas.