SPECTRASONICS
Jun 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By Dave Hill Jr.
Shape-shifting and roof-raising sample CDs.
Sample CDs can save a producer time, money, and hassle if done with the right combination of imagination, stylistic focus, and authenticity. The method of creating catalogs of sounds or loops that are both original and usable is not exactly common knowledge either, as evidenced by the vast array of crapola available for free downloading on the World Wide Web. A select few companies, however, have taken the form to new heights. Among them is Spectrasonics, maker of the popular Distorted Reality and Liquid Grooves series. Spectrasonics recently released two ambitious CD-ROMs, Metamorphosis and Vocal Planet, both featuring Ilio/Spectrasonics' innovative time-stretching tool, Groove Control. These new releases up the ante considerably in terms of programming ingenuity and sheer scope.
TRANSFORMATIVE POWERS
Upon hearing the word metamorphosis, most people imagine a man shape-shifting into a werewolf, or a caterpillar evolving into a butterfly. A dictionary defines it as “a transformation or profound change in form, from one stage to the next.” Because Spectrasonics' über-programmer Eric Persing's original sonic starting points are unavailable for comparison, we have no way of knowing how primitive they were before he craftily morphed them into the thick rhythmic textures and spatial aural shapes presented on Metamorphosis. We can say with certainty, however, that Metamorphosis represents a profound change in the form of sample CDs.
Like those in the Distorted Reality series, Metamorphosis's rhythmic loops transcend both style and convention as they duck and weave beyond fickle genre classifications like techno, drum ’n' bass, or trance. Instead, the rich offerings here give rise to new possibilities and put real tools into a producer's toolbox. The sounds on Metamorphosis move from street beats to future funk and then collide with world rhythms. The overall tonality is light and percussive, with a good amount of panning and phasing to create living, breathing textures. Many of the loops are best used as an additional layer over a simple kick-and-snare groove for added texture. None are simple, but the light quality of the loops makes them both rich and tasteful.
URBAN ORGANICA
Metamorphosis will please producers looking for sophistication coupled with low-down funk. Even a seemingly predictable ethnic track like “Indiatek” or “Ind. Sitar” gives new insight into possible filtering and processing of the beloved tabla and Beatleized sitar. Patches like “Pant” and “Dig It” may tip their hat to James Brown, but the sonic direction is 21st century. “Southside,” “Black Planet,” “Bootay,” and “Street Cred” provide a deep and nasty urban-party vibe. Other banks, including “Snug Bug,” “Glass Baby,” and “Half Life,” deliver evidence of Persing's groove-incubation techniques, where he allows sounds to fester inside synths, effects boxes, and feedback loops. Metamorphosis's vibrant patterns, which open up myriad original layering and mix options, far surpass the comparatively lifeless quality of many other sample CDs.
Part of what makes Metamorphosis so intense is the inclusion of 12 different Groove Menus. Each menu contains roughly 20 stereo loops synched at the tempo of that particular patch. For instance, the 100/200 MM7 patch consists of 22 loops at 100 bpm, spread across your keyboard one groove at a time. Some of the grooves have a double-time feel (hence the 200); MM7 indicates that the patch is from Metamorphosis Groove Menu 7. Layer these rhythms and you'll truly enjoy the essence of Metamorphosis, a state-of-the-art example of sophisticated programming and processing that makes loop mixing seem as organic as crop rotation.
Metamorphosis ships in a variety of formats: E-mu (E-4/E-5000), Akai/E-mu (works with Bitheadz's Unity, Steinberg's Halion, IK Multimedia's Sampletank, and Emagic's EXS24 software samplers), and Roland (700 and XV-5080). Metamorphosis is also the first Spectrasonics release for NemeSys's GigaSampler and GigaStudio (Giga format). Note that 32 MB of RAM is required for hardware samplers to take full advantage of larger banks.
A WORLD OF VOICES
Vocal Planet is the hip urban cousin to Spectrasonics' acclaimed classical sample CD, Symphony of Voices. But instead of the latter's lush London Choir or angelic Cantate Youth Choir, the six-disc Vocal Planet delivers gospel belters, funk screamers, Tuvan throat singers, opera divas, hipsters, preachers, blues singers, Rasta raconteurs, mariachi crooners, and Scandinavian warblers — in other words, an extremely thorough representation of the planet's vast vocal talent. There are “oos,” “ahs,” “ohs,” and even “hallelujahs,” as well as hundreds of commonly sung lyrics, spoken-word musings, and beatbox licks in every language.
Inserting ethnic flavor into dance music is now common practice, so producers should love Vocal Planet's ethnic elements. Beginning with a rare Tuvan throat singer's growling multiple-tone chants and ending with a good old-fashioned country yodel, the “World Voices” disc packs in 39 MB of Native American chants and yells, the rich sounds of Black Sea and Balkan singers, and beautiful African, Eastern European, and South American performances perfect for creating exotic melodies or pads.
The complete track listing and CD credits of Vocal Planet are obviously too lengthy to include here, but the 12,000-plus samples of blues, jazz, R&B, soul, gospel, hip-hop, spoken word, and unusual ethnic vocal sounds immediately catapult the collection into a category of its own. Vocal Planet provides more than eight hours of material, an impressive amount for any sample collection. Which leads us to ask: is it possible for its quality to match its quantity? The short answer is yes.
TECHNICAL ECSTASY
Generally, the recordings are single-channel and dry, noise free, and perfectly intonated. Convenient loop points are provided for each long voice sample (much as in Symphony of Voices), although some of these prelooped group samples are in stereo, adding another level of thickness to their sound. The loop-point feature accelerates the construction of pads or smooth fade-ins and fade-outs. The rhythmic loops in the form of beatbox and vocal sound grooves are also a fine addition; they come complete with Groove Control-sequenced files ready to import to Cubase, Logic Audio, or a MIDI-compatible hardware-software device (see the sidebar “Groove Control” for more details).
The sixth CD-ROM, called the Data Disk, is full of additional documentation, MIDI files, track listings, and software extras. One cool inclusion is the Vocal Planet Mod for Propellerhead's ReBirth 2.0. ReBirth users will agree that the Mods are among the best aspects of Propellerhead's popular 303, 808, and 909 emulation software. The addition of this new Mod with human beatbox and vocal drum sounds is a welcome and unique idea. Also found on the Data Disk is Spectrasonics' Soundfinder and QDesign's MVP Player, which allow quick locating and auditioning of samples using low-grade compressed MOV files (as opposed to making you load each sample bank into a sampler for previewing).
Some of the R&B spoken lyrics (like “Peace is a state of confusion”) might remind you more of Jack Handy's “Deep Thoughts” than of Beale Street, but astute producers will find plenty to run with in the breadth of Vocal Planet, in terms of both recording quality and the time, money, and hassle you can save by grabbing a quick “Ohh baby!” or “Can I get a witness?” from the collection. With the tightening union restrictions and escalating costs of hiring vocalists for commercial sessions, the value of Vocal Planet becomes even more concrete. It's no fun to spend valuable session time coaching a singer, and it's getting even harder to pay them. Vocal Planet offers, quite literally, a world of alternatives.
Former Seattle multitasker Dave Hill Jr. has worked with Michael Shrieve (Santana) and is currently drumming, programming, and composing in New York.
PRODUCT SUMMARY
SPECTRASONICS
Metamorphosis and Vocal Planet
CD-ROMs
Metamorphosis (Akai/E-mu, Roland, Giga CD-ROM with Groove Control $199; audio CD $99)
PROS: Cutting-edge programming. Groove Menu versatility.
CONS: Sounds may be too idiosyncratic for some.
Overall Rating (1 through 5): 5
Vocal Planet (Akai/E-mu, Roland, Kurzweil CD-ROM with Groove Control $399; audio CD $149)
PROS: Enormous variety and first-rate sound quality. Superb ethnic library.
CONS: A few slices of cheese among the pearls.
Overall Rating (1 through 5): 4
Contact: tel. (800) 747-4546
e-mail ilioinfo@ilio.com
Web www.ilio.com
Groove Control
Included in Metamorphosis and Vocal Planetlogic is Ilio and Spectrasonics' latest innovation, Groove Control. The Groove Control feature takes pitch-shifting and time-stretching to the next level by enabling you to impose feel and dynamic variety into once-stagnant loops and tired patterns. Groove Control consists essentially of nicely chopped sequences that you can alter or control like any other MIDI information to create the specific feel and dynamic level you desire. Groove Control offers the audio equivalent of injecting Bernard Purdie, Matt Chamberlain, or Steve Gadd into your drum machine while telling them to hit the snare just a little harder on 2 and 4 and to lay back a little.
Even more of Groove Control's advantages become apparent as you copy the files onto your hard drive and begin to play with your sequencer's interpretation of the sample data. You can adjust tempo and pitch independently in a process similar to tweaking audio loop files (as in Sonic Foundry's Acid Pro), but because this is MIDI you can also adjust the quantization ratio to tighten or loosen up the rhythm, or turn a straight groove into a shuffle.
You'll have even more fun listening to how a sample — actually a series of small samples — follows the tempo changes in your sequencer with no artifacts or glitches and no change in pitch. Want to replace the kick drum? No problem. The snare? Sure. Even lay it back a touch? Done.
DIFFERENT STROKES
You will undoubtedly invent other creative uses for Groove Control, but here are a few possibilities:
RANDOMIZING GROOVES
Simply exchange either the sample set or the Groove Control sequence to create entirely new combinations. Import a few of your own samples and see what happens.
MIDI DELAY
By copying sequencer tracks and trailing them a 16th or 32nd note behind the original track (usually at a lower volume), you can create delay effects that automatically adhere to the tempo even if you change it.
CHANGING THE GROOVE'S FEEL
Nudging the snare track back or pushing the hi-hat track ahead can create a lazier or a more energetic feel, respectively.
Groove Control works with all hardware and software sequencers that read and write Standard MIDI File sequences. Also, you'll need a CD-ROM drive to read the files, and some samplers impose limits on how many samples you can load simultaneously. CDs come with preformatted sequence files in Cubase (.arr) and Logic Audio (.lso), as well as Standard MIDI File formats.
Other Groove Control releases include Spectrasonics' Retro Funk and Liquid Grooves and Ilio's Skippy's Big Bad Beats and Ethno Techno.
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