ONE-SHOTS
Jan 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Jason Scott Alexander
SONY CREATIVE SOFTWARE BUNKER 8 PHD: PROGRESSIVE HOUSE DYNAMICS
GET SCHOOLED IN FLOOR-FILLING
Created by the prolific Bunker 8 in Toronto, this collection visits nearly every nook and cranny of the interpretive “progressive” dance genre. While the title suggests a dominance of house, the 479 Acidized WAV files in 21 session folders tap into everything from funky rollers and nu-skool breaks to brooding techno and deeper, more abstract trance. “The Things We Do” serves up a pair of shuffled hip-house loops with cavernous kicks and goliath bass lines, a tasty SynthAxe-style riff, “tick-tack” modified guitar arpeggio on the counterpoint and a highly catchy wah-synth progression as your main hook. Loops are between 16 and 32 beats, often including subtle variations halfway through. For more dramatic build-ups and transitions, you'll likely need to construct your own beats from the one-shot samples.
The great dynamics within each session — which you can peel away like onion layers to suit your arrangement — make this library stand out. The aptly named “Light Show” conjures images of a DJ set coming down from or at full climax. Its edgy, hard-sync pizzicato sequential line and atmospheric echo synth can incrementally build momentum and power, while the deeply pumping kick, call-and-answer conga rhythms and bullfrog bass screw down a relentless rhythm. Bunker 8 is known for digital übercleanliness and industrial leanings, and bringing that over to the prog genre works really well. You can certainly find libraries of greater diversity and with more loops than PHD, but the low price is right and Sony now sells its collections as direct downloads at a discount.
SONY CREATIVE SOFTWARE BUNKER 8 PHD: PROGRESSIVE HOUSE DYNAMICS > $39.95
At a glance: Edgy synth arpeggios, bulbous bass lines, breakbeat rhythms, dark progressive effects and more. Twenty-one session folders containing 548 MB of 24-bit Acidized WAV files.
Contact: www.sonycreativesoftware.com
FUTURE LOOPS ZION TRAIN DUB DRUMS
FEEL DEE GOOD VIBE, MON!
For its new Drumming Series, Future Loops tapped legendary Zion Train drummer and mixologist Neil Perch to produce a stunning collection of live dub rhythms. Loops on this 1 GB DVD split up into four sessions, each contributing a distinct vibe and tonal quality. Croatian drummer Vedran Meniga lends his remarkable talents on the first session, recording direct to hard disc in ranges from 135 to 160 bpm. It's straight-ahead traditional dub fare with all the intricate hi-hat syncopation, ghost notes and lock-tight side-stick work you'd expect. The same kit appears to be used throughout the nearly 230 loops, all left meticulously clean and unprocessed. The second session features Dave Ruffy of The Ruts playing to 2-inch 24-track analog tape. That warmth bleeds through for a much larger sound and fuller bottom end on the kick and rack toms; it's a shame there are only 52 loops. A third folder of approximately 180 lo-fi loops mainly features slightly grittier EQ treatment, particularly on snare and hi-hat sculpting. Conversely, the final session of 389 hi-fi patterns range from 65 to 168 bpm in the roots reggae, funk, ska, Caribbean upstroke and jazz-rock genres.
Unfortunately, some subtle but present leak from a bass guitar during tracking pops up throughout the library. In a dense mix with your own bass line, it likely won't be a problem. But if used in isolation, you can't roll off the bass without cutting into the body of the kick and floor toms. Overall, this disc of pure and earthy dub celebrates the genre in a very comprehensive manner.
FUTURE LOOPS (DIST. BY BIG FISH AUDIO) ZION TRAIN DUB DRUMS > $99.95
At a glance: 900 drum loops, more than 100 rolls/fills and 400 drum hits by dub pioneers. 1 GB on DVD in WAV and REX-2 formats.
Contact: www.bigfishaudio.com or www.futureloops.com
AUDIO BOMB/BEST SERVICE REGGAETON MEETS DANCEHALL VOL. 1
LET THE FLIRTATION BEGIN
Judging by the cover image, busty bikini-clad women can't get enough island-music sample collections. But fortunately for Audio Bomb, its shameless cover tactic is backed by quality goods on the disc. Provided in 16-bit/44.1 kHz Acidized WAV, REX-2, NN-XT, Soundfont and HALion formats, samples break into two folders: Reggaeton and Dancehall. Each contains 15 kits, ranging in tempo from 94 to 115 bpm, individually composed of loops, as well as single-hit drums and instrument one-shots for augmenting the beats. In typical club-style reggae form, Dancehall features the usual elements for this genre, but without every number sounding like Rihanna's “Pon de Replay.” To create catchy hooks, the producers make inventive use of tribal flutes (bordering on didgederoo at times), sexy Spanish guitar, music box, synthetic steel drums, motion bells and other cool synth effects. The kicks are thunderous but solid, and various types of wood and metal percussion add a worldly spice to the rhythms, accented on the downbeat by various types of claps to create dynamics.
The Reggaeton folder's kits are decidedly more hip-hop, featuring slightly slower beats with more bounce and sway. Sonically, they veer toward a synthetic sound a little more than competing libraries, perhaps due to borrowing from the dancehall style as the disc's theme. But these kits also sound fuller and more interesting, often with upward of two-dozen track parts to arrange. The Extra Loops folder contains more than 180 additional drum, percussion and special effect loops. This disc is a successful connection between conventional club ideologies and the hot urban flavors of today.
AUDIO BOMB/BEST SERVICE (DIST. BY EASTWEST/SOUNDS ONLINE) REGGAETON MEETS DANCEHALL VOL. 1 > $130
At a glance: 15 reggaeton and 15 dancehall construction kits. More than 180 one-shot WAV samples.
Contact: www.soundsonline.com
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