ONE-SHOTS
Sep 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Jason Scott Alexander
LOOPMASTERS BROKEN BREAKS
A LITTLE CRAZY GLUE WILL DO YA
The value-marketed Loopmasters soundware doesn't typically shell out the largest bounty of samples per disc around, but the quality of the series makes up for this. Broken Beats absolutely knocked me out from its first spin. The two-disc set (audio and data) features more than 260 exhilarating breakbeat loops in tempo folders ranging from 80 to 170 bpm, largely in the higher speed limits. Loops come as REX2 and Acidized WAV files and cover such progressive styles as broken beat/glitch and nu-jazz inspired lounge, hip-hop, electro, drum 'n' bass, heavy soul and more. From those styles, the producers have further woven original and wonderfully eclectic-sounding subgenres that defy nomenclature altogether, save to say that they're downright inspiring.
All loops last four measures and, more often than not, feature deep syncopations, groovy shuffles and experimental swing patterns that fuse together fantastically when layered. Each tempo folder is thematically assembled with soulful-sounding acoustic loops side by side with their quirky electro cousins. Saturated and explosively blown-out kicks, crunchy filtered snares, flanged hi-hats, ominous vocal hits and heady drones with vinyl-lifted authenticity are all on tap. The beat-production skills are second to none and processing is outrageously slick and refined. As is also typical of this series, Loopmasters has included a massive collection of 450 single-hit drum samples (effects intact and assorted by the tempo category they were used to program), all painstakingly premapped into kits for use in the most popular samplers, making it a simple matter to augment the loops or trick out your own grooves.
LOOPMASTERS (DIST. BY BIG FISH AUDIO)
BROKEN BREAKS > $69.95
At a glance: Market-fresh eclectic and subgenre breakbeats. Two-disc pack: audio; Acidized-WAV/REX2/HALion/Kontakt/EXS24 data.
Contact: www.bigfishaudio.com
EVENTIDE ANTHOLOGY II
CHANNELING ANOTHER CLASSIC
New Jersey — based Eventide — long known for its expensive “pitch and time” Harmonizer gear — has added six new plug-ins to its popular Anthology bundle, increasing the overall count to 15. Foremost are two fully configurable channel strips that provide important tracking tools built right in. Ultra-Channel features a gate, de-esser, choice of an extreme-sounding Omnipressor or compressor/limiter with sidechain, five bands of superlative 48-bit parametric EQ, stereo delays and the company's trademark micropitch-shifting effect for thickening. E-Channel sports similar specs minus the de-esser, delay and micropitch and is optimized for multiple instancing. Both plug-ins lend that smooth Eventide character to all the basic mix functions with a modest DSP hit. The Precision Time Align plug-in offers virtually sample-accurate positive or negative nudging of individual tracks with physical distance calculations, which I found extremely useful for skewing misaligned direct-drum and room-mic tracks back into phase. Quadravox is a multi-instance optimized version of the Orville classic offering four voices of diatonic Harmonizer pitch-shifting; its musical notation grid made creative note placement intuitive, and its individual delay and pan control on each voice allowed me to quickly concoct extremely cool and dispersed effects on all sorts of material. Likewise, the double-precision EQ65 Filter Set, which eloquently copies the vintage Urei high- and low-cut 18dB/octave filters, features two variable-depth bandpass/band-reject filters that quickly conjure all sorts of creative remixing applications. The EQ45 caters to full 4-band parametric operation with high- and low-cut 12dB/octave filters. Anthology II represents amazing bang for the buck; you get every TDM plug-in Eventide has ever made for less than $80 apiece.
EVENTIDE
ANTHOLOGY II > $1,195 (UPGRADE $299)
At a glance: Six new plug-ins added to Eventide's flagship bundle, including two 48-bit double-precision channel strips and vintage EQ modules. TDM only.
Contact: www.eventide.com
UEBERSCHALL URBAN JOINTZ
MODERN HIP-HOP AND R&B FLAVAS
Primed and ready for radio or club play from the jump, this latest urban development from Ueberschall delivers 22 outstanding construction kits arranged by tempo and key, with tracks covering an assortment of the hottest styles in urban music today. Upbeat and aimed squarely at those who need to get the asses of the masses out of their chairs, Urban Jointz obviously owes a heavy debt to producers such as The Neptunes, Timbaland, Scott Storch and Dr. Dre for its worldly melodies, exotic percussion and hard-hitting chart-certifiable sound. Indeed, it's a good sign when I can't even pick favorites because they're all sick as hell. But standouts definitely include “Baroque Beat,” with its sophisticated string ensemble and piano interplay atop a simple snare-prominent beat; “Belly Dance,” an uplifting southern snare pattern accented by finger cymbal atop a dirty organ riff, dark horns and funky dunked bass tone; “Bring Da Heat,” an all-synth affair setting off a classic Nelly-style club anthem vibe; “Sand Dance,” a Middle-Eastern flute melody and Spanish guitar cross-breeding experiment; “Doin It,” a laid-back, sensual kit with wah-guitar; and the equally refreshing “Natural,” an ultrasuave LL Cool J — type vibe that bounces along with funky guitar and bass and a disco string section setting a sophisticated nighttime theme. Tempos range from 78 to 114 bpm, mostly residing in the high 90s. Extra folders include more than 100 keyboard, electric mute guitar and acoustic guitar riffs in 1, 2 and 4-bar phrases, as well as 50 MC vocals and 145 vinyl scratches and effects.
UEBERSCHALL (DIST. BY EAST WEST/SOUNDS ONLINE)
URBAN JOINTZ > $99.95
At a glance: Construction-kit elements in Apple Loops, REX2 and Acidized-WAV formats.
Contact: www.soundsonline.com
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