Orbital Bass Engine

Bass tone open-source optimization protocol: launch sequence initiated.

Install

Every build is on the latest release page: standalone app, VST3 and AU.

macOS

Install the standalone app into /Applications (on an Intel Mac, replace macos with macos-intel):

curl -L "https://github.com/tywr/orbital-bass-engine/releases/latest/download/orbital-bass-engine-macos-standalone.zip" \
  -o /tmp/orbital.zip \
  && ditto -xk /tmp/orbital.zip /Applications/ \
  && rm /tmp/orbital.zip

If Gatekeeper blocks it, right-click the app and choose Open, or run xattr -cr /Applications/orbital-bass-engine.app. Plugins go in ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 and ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components (AU).

Windows

Download the standalone zip, extract it and run orbital-bass-engine.exe. For the plugin, extract the VST3 zip into C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3.

Linux

Install the standalone app into ~/.local/bin:

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin \
  && curl -L "https://github.com/tywr/orbital-bass-engine/releases/latest/download/orbital-bass-engine-linux-standalone.tar.gz" \
  | tar -xz -C ~/.local/bin

Then run orbital-bass-engine. For the plugin, extract the VST3 archive into ~/.vst3.

Signal chain

Input→Tuner→Compressor→Overdrive→EQ→Chorus→Cabinet IR→Output

Every stage can be bypassed individually. Built with JUCE, available as a standalone app, VST3 and AU.

Modules

Tuner

Chromatic YIN pitch detection.

Compressor

Custom FET-style compression. Threshold, ratio, makeup and parallel mix.

Overdrive

Inspired by the Darkglass Vintage Microtubes, with circuit-modeled filters and a DAFx 2020 saturation curve.

EQ

Low shelf, two fully parametric mids and a high shelf, ±12 dB per band, plus low-pass.

Chorus

Multiband stereo chorus to allow clear bass without phase cancellation.

Cabinet IR

Built-in impulse responses from the Shift-Line pack: B15, SVT810, EBS410, XL410, PPC212, TC410.

Presets

Collections of 5 persistent preset slots stored as plain XML in a folder of your choice.