Output Substance is a powerful bass engine virtual instrument designed to provide producers and composers with a comprehensive toolkit for creating deep, rich, and impactful low-end sounds. This Kontakt-based instrument combines multiple sound sources, including heavily processed electric and acoustic basses, live brass sections, polysynths, and analog synths, to generate unique and powerful bass tones. Substance features a three-layer architecture that allows users to blend different sound sources, creating complex and evolving bass textures. The instrument comes with 300 presets, offering a wide range of starting points for various musical genres and production styles. Substance’s interface is sleek and user-friendly, with color-coded layers and intuitive controls that make sound shaping accessible to both beginners and experienced producers. The instrument also includes an advanced arpeggiator, rhythm page, and effects section, providing users with extensive sound manipulation capabilities.
Pros:
• Versatile three-layer engine allows for unique bass sound creation
• Intuitive interface with color-coded layers and macro controls
• Extensive preset library covering a wide range of bass sounds
• High-quality samples and sound sources
• Powerful effects and modulation options
Cons:
• CPU-intensive, which may strain older or less powerful systems
• Steep learning curve for users unfamiliar with complex sound design
Substance’s core feature is its three-layer sound engine, which allows users to combine and blend different sound sources to create complex and unique bass tones. Each layer can be assigned a different sound from various categories, including simple synths, bass guitars, brass and woodwinds, processed bass guitars, organic hybrids, subs, synth plucks, complex synths, and one-shots and impacts. This layering system provides immense flexibility in sound design, enabling users to craft everything from deep, rumbling sub-bass to aggressive, distorted leads.
The instrument’s interface is divided into several views, each focusing on different aspects of sound shaping. The Main view provides quick access to volume controls for each layer and four macro sliders (Dirt, Filter, Attack, and Shape) that affect the combined output. The Edit view allows for more detailed control over each layer, including envelope settings, panning, tuning, and sample start points.
Substance features a comprehensive effects section, with options for both individual layers and global application. Users can apply distortion, compression, delay, and reverb to sculpt their sounds further. The EQ view offers four separate three-band equalizers – one for each layer plus a global EQ – providing precise tonal control.
The Filter view is particularly powerful, offering four filters that can be applied to individual layers or globally. The layer filters are highly versatile, with ten different modes and dedicated envelopes for each. Additionally, global high-pass and low-pass filters with resonance controls allow for further sound shaping.
One of Substance’s standout features is its rhythm page, which syncs to the host tempo and allows for complex rhythmic modulation of various parameters. This feature is particularly useful for creating pulsating, evolving bass lines that add movement and interest to productions.
The arpeggiator in Substance is another powerful tool, enabling users to create intricate bass patterns and sequences. It offers various playback modes, note length controls, and the ability to sync to the host tempo, making it easy to integrate complex bass lines into a production.
Substance also includes a preset management system with smart tagging, making it easy to find and organize sounds. The four central macro sliders on the main interface are unique to each preset, providing quick access to the most relevant parameters for sound shaping.
When compared to other bass-focused virtual instruments, Substance stands out for its layering capabilities and the diversity of its sound sources. While plugins like Native Instruments’ Massive or Xfer Records’ Serum are powerful synthesizers that can create bass sounds, they primarily focus on synthesis rather than sample-based sound generation. Substance’s approach of combining sampled and synthesized elements offers a unique sonic palette that sets it apart from pure synthesizers. In comparison to other sample-based bass instruments like Spectrasonics’ Trilian, Substance offers a more modern and aggressive sound palette, focusing on hybrid and processed sounds rather than purely realistic bass emulations. Its layering system and extensive modulation options also provide more flexibility in sound design compared to many traditional sample-based instruments.
This plugin is best for:
• Electronic music producers seeking powerful, modern bass sounds
• Film and game composers needing impactful low-end elements
• Sound designers looking for unique and evolving bass textures
• Producers working in genres that require complex, layered bass sounds
• Musicians seeking inspiration from an extensive preset library of bass sounds
Output Substance is a powerful and versatile bass engine that offers a unique approach to low-end sound design. Its three-layer architecture, combined with high-quality samples and extensive modulation options, provides users with an incredibly flexible tool for creating complex and impactful bass sounds. The intuitive interface, despite the instrument’s complexity, makes it accessible to both beginners and experienced producers. While the CPU demands may be a concern for some users, the sonic possibilities offered by Substance more than justify its resource usage for those seeking top-tier bass sounds. The extensive preset library serves as an excellent starting point for inspiration, while the deep editing capabilities allow for endless customization. Whether used for electronic music production, film scoring, or sound design, Substance proves to be a valuable addition to any producer’s toolkit, capable of delivering everything from subtle, warm bass tones to aggressive, attention-grabbing low-end elements.