FIXED NOISE OTTO Special Extended Article
Mar 5, 2007 5:55 PM, BY JASON SCOTT ALEXANDER
SAMPLE-PLAYING INSTRUMENT BRINGS THE NOISE
MORE STUFF
To hear demos of OTTO, go to Fixed Noise's OTTO page.
This sample instrument is the self-titled commercial debut from veteran Miami producer/ sound designer Otto Von Schirach, as well as a debut software release for Fixed Noise. Von Schirach pals with the likes of Richard Devine, Skinny Puppy and ex-NIN drummer Chris Vrenna, so it's little surprise that Otto the instrument takes the commercially less-beaten path of bleeding-edge industrial/IDM, spewing dissonant and noisy sounds that are equally suited to countless other musical genres, including dark electro, experimental hip-hop and trip-pop, film and multimedia scores. The two-DVD set installs 4.3 GB of material wrapped in a customized version of Native Instruments' Kontakt Player 2.
GEARING UP Otto opens to nine instrument folders. The Construction folder contains 24 individual-hit instruments, each with 20-odd one-shot samples keymapped across the keyboard in pitched octaves. Stylistically, those range from rock, pop and jazzy Afro-Cuban noise kits to DJ scratches, Miami bass, glitch, breakcore, jungle and gangsta-rap drums. Kit names like Gabber Gangbang, Opera Attic Bell, Hip-Hop Jiggy Pop and Video Game Synthesis tell you what's on offer here. With all the cannonlike kicks, Freddy Krueger cutlery hats, noise bursts, oscillator zippers, metallic noises, Jetson space buggies, data transmissions, solar flares and more, you'll never be short on contemporary electromagnetic percussion. A Surround folder offers these same hits routed as 5.1 using Kontakt 2's surround-output module.
The Sequences folder contains 220 drum-machine style beats using Kontakt 2's pattern editor, while a Loops folder categorizes bounced versions of these patterns as audio loops into 17 families. Tempos generally fall into 85 to 100 bpm hip-hop, 120 to 130 bpm techno/house and 180 to 220 bpm jungle and gabber mayhem.
In another folder, there are 135 instruments that have entirely random and off-the-wall responses, no matter what notes you play. A Melodic Sounds folder contains 52 instruments using single samples stretched across the keyboard (not multisampled) and no velocity switching to achieve a low-tech effect. This group is largely Fairlight-esque sampled strings, choirs and spectral pad sounds.
Finally, the 88 instruments within the Cinematic & Sound Effects folder are mostly single samples pitched across an octave or two in the middle of the keyboard, with no velocity or advanced programming. Perhaps half of the programs integrate loops and one-shots to create thematic kits. Leaning toward the ambient and spectral side of scoring and sound effects, these sounds all have haunting or suspenseful qualities that work well with the beats.
SIZE ISN'T ALL THAT COUNTS Despite Otto's size, its true substance is a little scarce for my tastes. Essentially, you have what boils down to around 17 thematic-loop instruments-or two dozen construction instruments, depending on how you look at it-from which all of the rhythmic material spawns. Otto is mainly about rhythmic material because the melodic and cinematic effects, though nice inclusions, are not likely what you'd buy this for. It's true that each loop instrument draws from an exciting, well-devised and expertly produced individual-hits collection of sizable girth, but the bottom line is that the same 17 or so loop families are regurgitated in the form of scripted Kontakt 2 sequences, bounced audio loops and Platinum-enhanced spin offs, live-oriented keymaps and random variations. To be fair, there are literally thousands of combinations and permutations here, all stemming from the original instruments.
Don't get me wrong, I spent hours digging deep and had incredible fun creating sequences with the Construction hits material and tweaking the Kontakt 2 sequence grid to generate loops. I found the Platinum loops to be great sources of drop-and-go inspiration to kick-start new tracks, augmenting them with hits from other families in the Construction folder. It could be argued that two bills is a lot to pay for a sample library, but remember that much of Otto's value is the modular interface. The way that Otto makes use of Kontakt 2's script editor in the Sequence module makes it a pure joy to draw in the craziest, stuttery IDM or industrial-rhythm loops with full control over patterns (which you can edit, randomize, load, save or call up from templates), number of steps and cycle points, note velocity and length, swing, etc.
It seems the Melodic materials folder was a bit of an afterthought; I can't help but feel that the wealth of programming parameters within Kontakt Player 2 is severely underutilized. The Cinematic and Sound effects instruments could have benefited from more real-time and modulation control to really get your spooky on. Also, why not use the Kontakt 2 multis- instead of instruments-for 5.1 surround work? The results could have been mind-blowing.
I'm being a little harsh, but not unjustly, considering the price and the buyer expectations. Otto's production quality is stunning for the most part, and the creator's influences scream through loud and clear. I also love that the instruments are instantly accessible in a fully blown Kontakt 2 workstation, and I can see the appeal of a stand-alone player and straightforward interface to laptop performers. If you think of it strictly as a sample library, disregarding the flexibility of the virtual instrument that it's built within, you may be disappointed, but everyone's mileage will vary.
Though it may not take you from the start to a finished tune on its own, Otto is a welcome tool for the sheer inspirational speed, ease and flexibility with which it can knock out a killer IDM or techno loop and for its contemporary sounding individual-hit material.
[PRODUCT SUMMARY]
FIXED NOISE
OTTO > $199.95
Pros: Well over 4 GB of samples. Made for IDM, industrial and hardcore electronic music but can cross over nicely to hip-hop, house, experimental pop and multimedia. Kontakt 2 Player provides clean and flexible interface for working with loops and sequenced instruments. Low system impact. Intel Mac-ready. Cons: A little overpriced, if you think of it merely as a sample library. Contact: www.fixednoise.com
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: OS 10.2.6 or higher; VST, RTAS, Audio Units or stand-alone use
PC: Windows XP; VST, DXi, RTAS or stand-alone use
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