Modern metal bass. Built to cut.

GEAR & TONE

Modern metal bass rig of Nobuyuki Tabata with Acacia bass and performance setup

Intro

This page summarizes my modern metal bass rig, main gear, signal chains, and tone samples.
It covers the setup I use in my content and in DATE BACK TO DAWN.

If you need any additional details, feel free to contact me.
For example, I can share exact knob positions, DI splits, or file export details.

What you’ll find here

Below, you’ll find an overview of my current setup.
In addition, this page shows how I use the rig in both studio and live situations.

Main bass and onboard electronics
Amp, cabinet, pedals, and utility gear
Signal chain examples for studio and live use
Reference tone samples, including playthroughs and tone demos

Main Gear (current)

Bass
Acacia Guitars Atlas 5 Multi-scale
Aguilar DCB pickups
Darkglass Tone Capsule onboard preamp

Amp & Cabinet
Kemper PROFILER Power Head
Kemper Profiling Amplifier Remote
KEMPER KABINET
Darkglass Alpha·Omega 900
Darkglass DG410N Cabinet

Pedals / Utility
Darkglass Hyper Luminal
Darkglass NSG Noise Gate
Darkglass B7K
Darkglass Alpha·Omega
EX-PRO FA Series

Additional plugins and tools are also available on request.

Signature tone concept

My modern metal bass rig is built for an aggressive, tight, and articulate sound.
At the same time, it is designed to stay clear in dense guitars and hard-hitting drums.

I focus on:
Fast transient response for pick and 3-finger precision
Controlled low end with tight subs and punchy low-mids
Clear top-end definition without harshness
Flexible live and studio routing for consistent, powerful tone

Acacia Tone & 3-Finger Picking Technique

Acacia Guitars Atlas 5 Bass Feature

Acacia Guitars Official Artist Announcement