TSE Audio Releases Free TSE BOD 3 Bass Overdrive VST/AU Plugin

TSE Audio has released TSE BOD 3, an updated version of their free BOSS ODB-3 (or more probably the Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI, as mentioned in the comments section) bass overdrive pedal emulation in VST, AAX, and AU plugin formats for PC and Mac.

Bass guitar effects are somewhat of a rarity in the VST plugin world, especially when it comes to freeware. There are plenty of free virtual guitar amps and pedals out there, but far fewer tools are available for bass players. That said, the TSE BOD bass overdrive pedal is an excellent plugin with good tone, and a simple interface that makes dialing in the sound you want a quick and painless affair.

Testing it in my DAW reveals that TSE BOD 3 produces an authentic sounding overdrive effect, adding warmth and grit to my bass sound, giving it the edge it needs without too much tweaking. It’s a very smooth tone overall, much better than what I’d normally expect from a freeware bass guitar pedal. The CPU usage is also quite low, which is nice to see because virtual amps and cab simulations can add quite a bit of strain to the DAW.

The user interface features six knobs which control the level, drive, low-pass and high-pass filters, blend, and presence. Also available is a silver bypass switch with an ON/OFF light, input and output level controls, and a config cog at the bottom of the plugin. Clicking the config cog reveals more options, including an ON/OFF stereo input selector, an input channel selector, and nestled in between them the oversampling section, featuring manual and automatic options for upsampling the audio signal to prevent aliasing.

TSE BOD has had some algorithms reworked in this version to improve the emulation of the original bass ped even further, resulting in a more natural sound overall. If you’re a bass guitar player or a mixing engineer who often mixes bass guitars, this freebie by TSE Audio is well worth downloading and adding to your mixing tool collection. It works on PC and Mac, available as a VST, AAX, and Audio Unit plugin.

TSE BOD 3 is available for free download via TSE Audio (5.9 MB download size, ZIP archive containing EXE installer, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU/AAX plugin format for Windows & Mac OS).