The Upright — Free Download

Core Legato Articulations

The Upright’s Master Legato patch offers three distinct plucked legato articulations, each triggered by velocity. The primary range uses natural plucked legato intervals up to a major third. Lower velocities activate slide-into-pluck transitions, spanning a minor third to an octave, while the softest velocities produce slide-without-pluck effects up to a major second.

This velocity-layered design lets you shape phrasing intuitively by adjusting your playing dynamics. The slide speed for both sliding articulations is controlled via the modwheel, giving you real-time command over the character of each transition. This makes the patch suitable for melodic lines, walking bass, and expressive solo passages.

Performance Sustains and Body Percussion

The Performance Sustains patch is built from samples pulled from curated phrases, enhancing tone consistency and fluidity. It functions as a reliable workhorse for sustained notes, ideal for supporting chord progressions or holding basslines. The samples are designed to feel cohesive and musical, reducing the need for extensive programming.

The Body Perc patch collects slaps, thumps, knocks, fret slides, and room tone, all mapped below the playable range of the bass. This layout allows you to arm both the sustains and percussion patches simultaneously, enabling you to jam and add rhythmic accents or percussive color without switching instruments.

Bonus Beefy Legato

A separate Bonus Beefy Legato patch offers a more aggressive and impulsive take on legato intervals up to a major second. This articulation is designed for attitude-driven walking bass lines, providing a punchy, assertive feel that stands out in rhythmic contexts. It adds a distinct tonal option beyond the main legato patch.

The slide speed in this patch is also controlled via the modwheel, allowing you to fine-tune the phrasing to match the energy of your track. Whether you are composing in a studio or performing live, this patch gives you a quick way to inject character into bass parts.

Workflow and Practical Applications

The library is recorded at 48kHz/24-bit and compressed to NCW format, ensuring detailed sound while managing storage. The patches are designed to work together: you can layer the Master Legato for melodic passages, Performance Sustains for steady support, and Body Perc for rhythmic texture. This modular approach suits a variety of genres, from jazz and blues to folk and pop.

To get the most out of it, set up both the sustains and percussion patches simultaneously for real-time jamming. Use the velocity layers to alternate between smooth slides and direct plucks, and adjust the modwheel to control slide speed. The library is best for composers and producers seeking a expressive, playable upright bass without complex scripting.

Key features

• Three velocity-activated legato articulations
• Slide speed controlled via modwheel
• Bonus Beefy Legato for aggressive lines
• Performance Sustains patch from curated phrases
• Body Perc with slaps, thumps, knocks, and slides
• Recorded in 48kHz/24-bit, compressed NCW

Best for

Best for composers and producers needing expressive plucked upright bass for jazz, blues, folk, or pop. Its playable legato and percussion options suit both melodic writing and rhythmic backing, while the beefy patch adds attitude to walking basslines. Ideal for Kontakt Full users.