MBX3 by Audio Desk: Legendary Bass in Your DAW
Experience the power of classic analog bass right in your digital audio workstation with MBX3 by Audio Desk. This monophonic bass synthesizer, inspired by the legendary MAM MB33 mkII, brings the character and sound of the iconic hardware into the format of a convenient and efficient VST plugin.
MBX3 doesn’t just imitate, it reproduces the soul of analog synthesis with modern precision. It is ideal for creating deep, punchy basslines that are the foundation for any electronic, techno, house, or other style of music where bass plays a key role.
The Heart of Sound: Oscillators and Filter
At the heart of MBX3 is a single powerful oscillator with the ability to choose between sawtooth and pulse waveforms. An additional sub-oscillator with a sine wave adds depth and weight to your bass, allowing you to create a truly “fat” and voluminous sound that is felt not only with the ears, but also with the body.
The analog character of the synthesizer is emphasized by a 4-pole lowpass filter with analog modeling. It has a modified resonance response, allowing you to achieve unique textures and a “singing” sound at high Q values. The integrated passively-driven overdrive in the filter adds warmth, graininess, and aggression, allowing you to shape both soft and dirty bass timbres.
Modulation and Effects
MBX3 offers flexible modulation options for further sculpting your sound. You can modulate pulse width modulation (PWM) for dynamic timbre changes in the pulse wave and control the filter with its own envelope, which adds movement and expressiveness to bass lines.
The VCA section has convenient glide control, which is an integral element of classic monophonic synthesizers, allowing you to create smooth transitions between notes and the signature “sliding” sound.
At the signal output is a distortion effect, which allows you to add even more character, punch, and harmonic saturation to the bass. It is the perfect tool for creating basslines that are meant to “cut through” the mix.
Performance and Features
Despite the rich functionality and high-quality analog modeling, MBX3 is designed with efficiency in mind. Thanks to 2x oversampling, you get a clean sound without aliasing even at extreme settings, and the low load on the CPU allows you to use the plugin in large projects without unnecessary resource problems.
MBX3 comes with 10 factory presets that demonstrate the versatility of the synthesizer’s sound and serve as a great starting point for creating your own unique timbres.
Key features of MBX3:
- Monophonic bass synthesizer.
- 1 Oscillator with 2 waveforms (sawtooth and pulse).
- 1 Sub-oscillator (sine).
- Analog-modeled 4-pole lowpass filter.
- Modified resonance response.
- Passively-driven overdrive in the filter.
- PWM and filter modulation.
- VCA with glide control.
- Built-in distortion effect.
- 2x oversampling.
- 10 factory presets.
MBX3 by Audio Desk is a powerful and affordable tool for any musician or producer who wants to add deep, warm, and characteristic analog bass to their music. It is easy to use, but has enough flexibility to create a wide range of bass sounds, from classic to modern.
