Distortion Bass: Siberian Cat Audio's Free Soundbox Library Adds Grit to Your Productions

Siberian Cat Audio released Distortion Bass, a free library for Audiomodern Soundbox. It brings gritty, pedal-processed bass guitar tones to your productions.

This marks the eighth entry in the developer's Freebie Sunday series. The library costs nothing to download.

What is Distortion Bass?

Distortion Bass functions as a sample library, not a standalone plugin. It loads inside Audiomodern's free Soundbox sampler. After installation, it appears as a playable instrument with five presets.

The samples come from a real bass guitar routed through a Taurus distortion pedal. This creates thick, saturated tones with prominent fuzz. The result works well in experimental electronic music where clean DI bass sounds too polished.

What's inside

• 13 main samples from the distorted bass guitar signal chain
• ~89 underlying files that include velocity layers and round-robins
• 24-bit / 48 kHz resolution
• 1 instrument mapped across the full keyboard range
• 5 presets with varied tonal options
• 100% free with no registration required

The focused sample set keeps the library lightweight. It targets one specific sound rather than offering broad variety.

You'll need Soundbox first

You must install Audiomodern Soundbox before the library works. Soundbox is a free MPE-capable sampler available in VST3 and AU formats. It serves as the host for third-party libraries like Distortion Bass.

The sampler uses a four-layer architecture: Skin, Group, Sound, and Effects. A vector pad lets you morph between layers in real time. Built-in ADSR envelopes and DSP effects add further control.

Here's the official overview from Audiomodern:

Place the Distortion Bass files in your Soundbox content folder after installation. The library then appears alongside other installed instruments.

Where it shines

The Taurus-driven saturation delivers a natural distortion curve that proves difficult to replicate with plugins alone. Producers often reach for it in these situations:

• Experimental electronic tracks needing aggressive low-end texture
• Industrial or dark genres where clean bass feels out of place
• Layering under sub bass to add midrange grit
• Sound design elements for film and game scores

Five presets provide solid starting points. However, the limited number means you will rely on Soundbox tools — pitch, envelopes, filters, vector pad, and effects — to shape the sound further.

A pattern worth following

Siberian Cat Audio continues to expand its Freebie Sunday collection. Each release focuses on characterful, unconventional sources. The approach appeals to producers who prefer distinctive samples over generic sounds.

Current Soundbox users benefit most. These libraries install quickly and integrate directly inside the sampler.

Get it

Download Distortion Bass from the Siberian Cat Audio product page. Grab Audiomodern Soundbox first from the official Audiomodern page if you do not have it installed.

Looking for more free production tools? Check out our other coverage of free plugins and sample libraries on the Dubspot blog.