Native Instruments’ Jam Bass is a bass instrument plug-in with one American electric bass with dual pickups. It has 283 playing patterns and presets for 71 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). 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 Jam 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
- 283 patterns
- Range of tones
- 1 bass
- Playing detail
- Fingers, pick, slap and more
- Price (store, date)
- $99 [Official, checked Oct 26]
Summary
Among the 10 bass instrument plug-ins, Jam 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 a classic offset-body electric bass through patterns.
Main features of Jam Bass
One electric bass with dual pickups
This plug-in contains an American offset-body electric bass with two single-coil pickups. The manufacturer explains that you can adjust the tone by mixing the neck and bridge pickups.
283 patterns and presets for 71 songs
Patterns played by professionals are arranged into presets for 71 songs. You can drag the patterns into your DAW as MIDI, and swing and humanize (wobble) let you adjust the feel as well.
Playing techniques, amps and effects
Besides fingers, pick, slap and pop, it includes rhythmic techniques such as sixteenth notes, eighth notes and triplets. You can shape the sound with the shared amps and effects of Guitar Rig 7 Pro.
Video: “Session Bassist – Jam 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 funk or jazz
- Dragging patterns into the DAW and matching them to the chords of a song
- Programming a solo phrase with the instrument for melodies you play yourself
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 283 playing patterns in presets for 71 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 American electric bass with two single-coil pickups.
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 playing techniques such as fingers, pick, slap and pop.
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.
Jam Bass system requirements and getting started
| Operating system | Windows / Mac |
|---|---|
| Plug-in formats | An instrument used inside the free KONTAKT PLAYER (or KONTAKT) |
| Other | 8.24 GB download. KONTAKT PLAYER or KONTAKT version 8.2.0 or later is needed |
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)
- Prime Bass: features and rating (rank A)
- EZbass: features and rating (rank S)
- Trilian: features and rating (rank B)
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