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Sam Spacey is back with a new sample library called “Epica Bass” loaded with over 400 instruments built from 24bit mono samples. Epica Bass was sampled from Analog Synthesizers and also processed with an analog chain of boutique gear from the Neve Pre-amp, UBK Fatso to the Kush Sound Elektra Eq’s whilst being squashed by a DBX160 comp as well as Guitar FX pedals. There are no emulations or plugins involved with the creation of Epica Bass. I recently had the pleasure to review Epica Bass and put it through its paces to see what all the hoopla was about. Read more below.
If you purchased and downloaded Epica Bass, be prepared to wait for a while because the size of the library is up to 7 GB of data which is time consuming. I actually had to step away and let the library download over night because of the very size of Epica Bass. You will definitely need KONTAKT 5 to use Epica Bass but if you don’t have full version of KONTAKT, you can download the free KONTAKT player. Once everything is downloaded you will have to launch KONTAKT and add Epica Bass library which is simple for those familiar with loading libraries in KONTAKT. For novices, loading libraries in KONTAKT may be difficult but make sure to read manual included with Epica Bass.
Under the Hood
Sam Spacey took his time creating Epica Bass adding so much attention to detail. Many of the samples for Epica Bass come from awesome Analog Synths like the CS-30, SEM, and Future Retro etc. Each note was sampled multiple times to capture the nuances of real analog synths. The GUI for Epica Bass has all the control for many that are familiar with analog synthesis. The library has an Arpeggiator, FX and many presets to get you started to make music. Spacey included 6 Native Instruments filter emulations for more sonic manipulation.
The 5 main preset categories are Monophonic, Arpeggio, Multi, Polyphonic and Raw. The Monophonic category is just what it says. All presets in this category respond like a monophonic analog synth with only the ability to play one note at a time. Arpeggio is the arpeggiator and works like any other arpeggiator available today. You can have full control over it to change patterns. Multi is basically multiple presets playing at once to have a big monstrous sound. Polyphonic is a category where the different presets inside can play multiple notes at a time. The Raw category has raw wave forms which can be manipulated further.
The interface for Epica Bass has all the control of an analog synth with Cutoff, Resonance, Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. Three LFOs are included with destinations to Pitch, Filter and Amp. You can use your Mod wheel on your controller but you will have to assign manually using midi CC. It’s possible to assign Mod wheel to different destinations in Epica Bass like Filters, Volume etc.
Seven FXs are included in Epica Bass like an EQ, Compressor, and a bit depth reducer, Flanger, Chorus, Delay and Reverb. The FXs definitely beef up the sound and give them depth and color.
Conclusion
Epica Bass is impressive with the detailed samples from analog synths of the past and present. Some of those analog behemoths are not cheap and you could spend a hefty sum trying to attain them all. Epica Bass gives you access to those analog sounds without parting with your life savings. To be honest, I never been a fan of sampled analog sounds because samples never capture the full dynamics and the nuances of analog synths. Well, Sam Spacey hit the ball out the park with Epica Bass because he manage to capture all those nuances and pack them into multiple samples. I almost felt like I was playing a real analog synth.
With all the analog emulation synth plugins on the market today you may ask how does Epica Bass stack up to them? For one, Epica Bass samples are thicker compared to emulation synths. The sounds have more weight without that metallic sound some emulation plugins have. You will have to do a lot of work to get those emulations to sound thick like Epica Bass. Epica Bass sounds work well in a mix and you can make a whole song with it alone if you like. The FXs and Arpeggio are an added treat that makes Epica Bass appealing.
Also, I can’t forget to mention the basses in Epica Bass which are deep and have a rumble. You can get some deep sub basses out this library. Is Epica Bass worth purchasing? Yes indeed. The only con I can think of is that the samples take up space on the hard drive but this is to be expected with samples of this quality. For the price, I can’t think of a better deal.
Price £89.00 $107.22 USD
Buy Epica Bass here.
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