Native Instruments’ Prime Bass is a bass instrument plug-in with one 70s-style electric bass. It has 355 playing patterns and phrases for 81 songs, and you can drag and drop the MIDI (MIDI: performance data that says which note was played and how hard) into your DAW (the software you make music in). Amps and effects are included, and it runs on the free KONTAKT PLAYER.
A bass instrument plug-in lets you play the sound of a bass on a computer. Even if you cannot play bass, you can put a bass line in your songs.
In this article we compare Prime Bass with 10 bass instrument plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.
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Score 3.5 / 5 (average of the 10 products compared: 3.6)
- Specs last checked
- 2026/09/25
- Ease of making basslines
- 355 patterns
- Range of tones
- 1 bass
- Playing detail
- Fingers, pick, slap and more
- Price (store, date)
- $99 [PB, checked Oct 26]
Summary
Among the 10 bass instrument plug-ins, Prime Bass is rank A. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and A is second from the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 3.5.
Strengths
- Ease of making basslines (4 points): you can quickly get a phrase that suits the song.
- Playing detail (4 points): you can change how it is played in detail for a realistic sound.
Things to keep in mind
- Range of tones (2 points): the number of basses included is small.
Who it suits: people who want to quickly use the sound of a classic electric bass through patterns.
Main features of Prime Bass
One electric bass, recorded in detail
Prime Bass is a bass instrument plug-in for KONTAKT, in which an American electric bass made in 1981 was recorded in detail. The manufacturer describes it as a “70s-style electric bass”. You can craft the sound with vintage tone knobs, transformer and tube saturation, and two bass amps and effects.
355 patterns across 81 song presets
It includes 355 playing patterns made by professional session musicians, arranged into presets for 81 songs. You can drag the patterns into your DAW as MIDI and match the pitch to the song. Swing and humanize (wobble) let you adjust the feel as well.
Many playing techniques
It includes techniques such as fingers, pick, slap and pop, mute, dead notes and harmonics. Hammer-ons, pull-offs and fret noise are added automatically to make the connections between notes natural.
Video: “SESSION BASSIST — PRIME BASS Walkthrough | Native Instruments” (official Native Instruments YouTube channel; narration in English) Watch on YouTube
Where it is useful
- Choosing patterns to make a bassline in pop or funk
- Dragging patterns into the DAW and matching them to the chords of a song
- Programming a bass showpiece with slap technique
Rating by criterion
Ease of making basslines: 4 / 5
We look at whether you can quickly get a bass phrase that suits the song.
There are 355 playing patterns in presets for 81 songs, and you can use the MIDI by drag and drop.
Range of tones: 2 / 5
We look at the kinds and number of basses included.
It is one 70s-style electric bass.
If “range of tones” matters most to you, MODO BASS 2 (5 points) is a better fit.
Playing detail: 4 / 5
We look at whether you can change playing details such as fingerstyle, pick and slides.
It includes techniques such as fingers, pick, slap and pop, mute, dead notes and harmonics, and adds hammer-ons, pull-offs and fret noise automatically.
How we score (Bass instrument plug-ins)
| Criterion | Basis | 5 pt | 4 pt | 3 pt | 2 pt | 1 pt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of making basslines | Whether you can quickly get a phrase that suits the song | Can automatically make a fitting bassline from the MIDI or audio of a song | Hundreds of playing patterns you can use as they are | Has playing patterns (number not stated) | No patterns mentioned | — |
| Range of tones | Kinds and number of basses included | 20 or more (including upright bass and others) | Several kinds, such as acoustic, electric and synth | 2 to 3 | 1 | — |
| Playing detail | Whether you can change playing techniques and details of the performance | Besides techniques, you can change the strings and where the string is plucked | Several techniques, such as fingers, pick and slap | Techniques such as legato are included (few kinds stated) | Not mentioned | — |
Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: quickly adding a realistic bass to your own songs and cover-song backing tracks. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Ease of making basslines" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. How realistic the sound is has not been compared by ear, so it is not scored. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent.
Prime Bass screens and images
Prime Bass system requirements and getting started
| Operating system | Windows / Mac |
|---|---|
| Plug-in formats | An instrument used inside the free KONTAKT PLAYER (or KONTAKT) |
| Other | 9.36 GB download |
Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026.
Compared with other bass instrument plug-ins
Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.
| Product | RankAvg. score | Ease of making basslines | Range of tones | Playing detail | Price (store, date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ToontrackEZbass | S 4.3 | Automatic from MIDI or audio | 2 basses | Fingers, pick, slap | $179 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| IK MultimediaMODO BASS 2 | A 4.0 | Pattern feature | 22 basses | Techniques + strings and position | $29.99 (sale; regular $199.99) [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| Native InstrumentsPrime Bass | A 3.5 | 355 patterns | 1 bass | Fingers, pick, slap and more | $99 [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| SpectrasonicsTrilian | B 3.3 | Arpeggiator | Acoustic, electric, synth | Legato, glide | $299 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Ample SoundAmple Bass P | A 3.5 | Hundreds of riffs | 1 bass | 13 techniques | $119 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Ample SoundAmple Bass J | A 3.5 | Hundreds of riffs | 1 bass | 13 techniques | $119 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Ample SoundAmple Bass Upright | A 3.5 | Hundreds of riffs | 1 bass | 13 techniques | $149 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Native InstrumentsIcon Bass | A 3.5 | 208 patterns | 1 bass | Fingers, pick, slap and more | $99 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Native InstrumentsJam Bass | A 3.5 | 283 patterns | 1 bass | Fingers, pick, slap and more | $99 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Native InstrumentsSession Bassist Upright | A 3.5 | 224 patterns | 1 bass | Open, muted, bowed and more | $99 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
Features checked on each manufacturer's official website on September 25, 2026. Check the store page behind the buy button for the price.
Read next
- MODO BASS 2: features and rating (rank A)
- Ample Bass P: features and rating (rank A)
- EZbass: features and rating (rank S)
- Trilian: features and rating (rank B)
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