Ever since I started messing with Motu BPM I started to checkout the expansion libraries for it, I always do this when checking out a new instrument.
The fact that BPM can be expanded is a plus in my book, and the sounds from all of Motu’s instruments can be used.
But today I’m checking out one of the libraries from UVI Soundsource, the classic ep.
I went over and bought this probably a day or two after I got BPM, it was a small price and the demo sounded good.
Plus I liked that it could load up in BPM natively.
So let’s check it out
What is the Classic EP library?
This is basically a librarydedicated to the Rhodes MkI, a very soulful electric piano.
You know I love a good EP sound, so I HAD to check it out.
They multis -sampled an mkI up to 10 velocity layers deep.
It’s not a huge library, it has a collection of “raw” presets, as well as a few with fx on them.
Simple, to the point, but does it sound good?
Quick Specs
Content: 915mb rhodes multi-sampled instruments
Format: UVI soundcard
Price: $39
How does it sound?
Smooth.
When I checkout rhodes libraries, I have a certain sound I want. I’m not really into the hard, barking sound that some models are known for, I’m more into the smooth, silky sound of some lush rhodes chords.
However, I don’t want you to confuse that sound with the more digital, bell-like sound of an FM electric piano, which is cool, but not what I’m looking for most of the time.
This library fit the bill perfectly. Since the factory library had a few different EP sounds, I wanted to add this to the library for a dedicated, soulful rhodes sound.
It plays well and responds to velocity, allowing you to get a lil bit of that “bark” when you play it harder.
The FX versions of the instruments can prove to be pretty useful depending on what you’re looking for, but the ease with which you can add your own in bpm, or in the uvi workstation is cool as well.
Basically you get a good, smooth, well programed rhodes, that you can take and manipulate with any fx you wish, to get the sound you desire.
Most of the time I’m going with the raw preset, I just like how it sounds and it’s pretty much universally useful without me needing to tweak it.
So what’s the bottom line?
I try a lot of ep libraries, I love a great ep library, and for 39 bucks this one stands up to some of the more expensive ones quite well.
There aren’t a lot of presets, but you don’t need them, it’s a rhodes MkI.
It does require an iLok for use, so if you don’t have one that would be needed, but if you already use iLok for other things, it’s all good.
I give this library a 4 out of 5 subs, I find myself using it a lot, and the fact that it loads very fast makes it even more of a go to instrument.
Really, I like the way you can expand your BPM library with these soundcards, but if you don’t own bpm you can still use them with the free UVI Workstation
I’m definitely planning to checkout more libraries from UVI, I like the setup, I like the integration with BPM, and despite how some feel, I don’t mind dealing with the iLok, though it would be cool to be able to store the activation on your hard drive, for mobile situations.
Yo, I got some news that was definitely a shocker to me….check this out.
Nova Loops Executives Leave To Pursue Other Ventures
Nova Loops CEO/President, Donald Johnson and VP Of Operations, Nigel Williams have
both resigned their executive positions at Nova Loops and Nova Sound Inc in order to
pursue other ventures. After leading Nova Loops in hundreds of stellar loop library
and sample sound product releases, the tandem decided it was time to step aside and
move on to other challenges.
“I have truly enjoyed my time working as CEO/President of Nova Loops, we
accomplished some incredible things in a short amount of time, and we appreciate all
of the loyal customers that made the Nova venture a success”, states Donald Johnson.
Over the last 2 years with Donald Johnson and Nigel Williams at the controls the
company has quickly grown into an industry powerhouse, adding multiple distributors
and thousands of customers.
“It makes you feel good to know that you will be missed by clients that you have
created personal relationships with through helping them grow in their music
production”, states former VP Of Operations Nigel Williams.
For customer service inquiries:
sales@novaloops.com
877-491-3839
I definitely was surprised to hear this one, but it’s all good, I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I’m sure we’ll hear more from these two in the future, one thing I know about them is they never stop grinding and putting out products.
As soon as I know more info, I’ll keep ya posted.
The Novaloops site still appears to be in operation from what I can tell, I’m assuming the other partners are pushing forward.
Anyway, lemme know what ya think…more info will come as I get it.
Back with another soundhound, today we checking out some orchestra samples.
This is the first pack I’ve reviewed from Diginoiz, but I’m not new to them, they are a spinn-off label of fatloud, run by one of the producers for fatloud.
So though this is the first official Diginoiz review, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard form this producer.
I decided to check out Urban Avenue…..
So what is Urban Avenue?
It’s basically a collection of diverse orchestra loops geared specifically towards raw/urban music.
Not just strings, it includes horns, flutes, strings, etc…
all are played in various keys, tempos, and melodies..
very useful in urban music production.
These aren’t construction kits ( you know I like that!)
It’s just a big’ole folder of urban styled orchestra riffs and loops.
Quick Specs
content: 100 24 bit loops
format: wav, acid, aiff, apple, rex2, refill
price: $30
How do they sound?
The first thing I noticed about these loops is that most of them have a dark, street vibe to them.
This is in line with the title as well as the description on the website.
What you may not realize from the title, is that it’s a pretty diverse collection, not just strings. There’s horns, xylophones, flutes, and I even thought I heard some piano in there.
Basically it covers various instruments you would find in an orchestra, and gives you a urban slant to it.
The production itself is on point, and it doesn’t get repetitive. That is one thing I’ve always like about Fatloud, and I’m glad to see they continued it in the Diginoiz label.
Where most companies will give you thousands of loops that sound pretty identical, this collection gives you 100 very diverse loops, the styles, the sounds, the processing, everything about them keeps it diverse and thus fresh to use in your music.
Some stuff is slow and melodic, others are big and powerful, while some yet remain small and simple.
Overall you can really tell they take their time to make the most unique collections possible, by giving you as many styles of playing and production they can in one collection.
What’s the bottom line?
The bottom line is that I expect to see great things from the Diginoiz brand, since it is from the same production house as fatloud.
This is a nice, small collection of urban orchestra loops that don’t have the cliche orchestra loop sound.
Not just strings, but including various instruments gives you a well rounded collection, and since all they do is urban/pop music, it has the styles you’d like to incorporate into your music.
Sure if you want realistic orchestra loops, that sound like an orchestral arrangement, there are other options.
But if you want some unique riffs and loops, with a dark and edgy sound, then this is something to consider.
I give it a 4 out of 5 subs, I liked it, it’s useful, so much so that I wish there were more than 100 loops
But I do see the work put into each loop, so, I’ll give them a pass.
Definitely check them out over at fatloud, and don’t forget about the summer sale going on
You all know I’ve been using Maschine for a while, and one question I get quite a bit is how to lay out a song using scenes.
It’s a little different than traditional song mode in a beat machine…
where you just put a pattern in a list and tell it how many times to loop.
But once you understand it…
you’ll be making songs very quickly.
Here are some things to remember about scenes, patterns, and tracks in Maschine:
a scene is pretty much a “snapshot” that holds the state of the current pattern for each group
There are 8 groups, each can have 64 different patterns
Each scene can only hold up to 8 patterns, 1 for each group
Each pattern in a group can hold 16 tracks or “sounds”
a scene will play as long as the longest pattern in the scene, smaller patterns will repeat to match the lenght of the longest pattern
patterns are linked across scenes, if you change a pattern in one scene, it changes in others, it’s best to use different patterns to make changes
renaming the scenes can help you keep track and have a nice overview of your song
I hope this helps you out, if you have any questions feel free to ask as usual. Maschine is very powerful and capable of full productions, sometimes it just takes a little help to understand the best workflow for doing so.
This is by no means the only way to use Maschine, I’ve just found that this way works for a lot of folks used to building songs with patterns, and working on sections.
With all the scenes and patterns it’s definitely very flexible for live use and performance, but that’s not something I do so I wouldn’t be the best person to show you how to set that up lol.
If there’s any other instrument or element in popular music styles that has a profound of an effect on the over feel of the tracks as the drums do, it’s gotta be bass!
A great bass riff, bass line, or bass part can take a track to the next level….gives it that thump baby!
Honestly, when it comes to virtual bass sounds, one name usually comes up pretty much every time.
Spectrasonics.
Their first product ever, was Bass Legends, a sample cd dedicated to the bass.
Then some years later they produced Trilogy…the first virtual instrument that was specifically made up of acoustic, electric, and synth bass sounds.
That set the bar, Trilogy became the “go to” plugin for all your bass needs, and those with the computer power, and memory to take advantage never looked back.
Enter Trilian…the successor…and evolution of Trilogy
What is Trilian?
Trilian is bass, bass, and more bass, period.
Imagine having a room full of every type of bass guitar, bass pedal, synth bass, and random bass instruments at your immediate disposal.
That’s Trilian.
It has everything from highly detailed acoustic upright basses, to weird, unique, and sometimes very obscure synth bass instruments.
Oh, and it has fx racks as well, with plenty of inserts and sends to keep even the most patch happy user busy….provided your computer is up to the task.
It’s not just a module for playback, Trillian invites sound manipulation and creation, and also has some pretty cool things built in for live use, like fast switching between patches in live mode, or quick setup of stacking/splits across the keyboard.
Honestly, words really can’t describe it, you really have to hear it.
There are things that you may not even realize are missing from your bass sounds/instruments, until you play with Trilian!
Seriously, the detail in these instruments is beyond comparison, and I’ve heard/tried quite a few bass libraries in my days.
Take the acoustic upright bass for example, when I heard it…man, I promise I thought I could smell it! It sounds that real. And let me be honest here, I’m no bass player, I have friends that are, and I’ve heard enough live bass in my years to know what one sounds like.
It’s like I can actually hear and FEEL the strings vibrating, I feel like I’m actually playing the instrument.
The electric basses are the same thing, everything just sounds so authentic to my ears, from nice and smooth, to hard and harsh, the use of the fx in Trilian allow you to pull up a sexy fender electric and then pull up a harsh, trashy, heavy metal bass right after.
The fingered Clean Fender is amazing, based on the Fender J-bass, the character is just so useful. Thing is, after listening to these samples, it’s hard to even look at anything else, I hit the keys and I’m confident I can feel the strings vibrating, really…AND I can hear them. It’s not just a bass tone, I’m convinced they somehow trapped tiny bass fairies into the software that hit real bass strings every time I send them a midi message…true story.
I also liked the muted Chapman Stick…and the picked Hip Hop bass from the Trilogy library, has a nice deep, boomy tone. Of course those are just a few of the many I loved.
Cool, so you expect good realistic bass right…how about the synth bass section?
Man it’s like a freakin museum of synths known for producing fat, throbbing, floor shaking bass! Seriously, Moog, SE-1, Roland, Access Virus, Waldorf, Dave Smith…if these names mean anything to you, then you know what type of treasure awaits.
Not only that, but they sampled and reproduced some stuff I had absolutely NO idea ever existed, quirky limited run synths and modules, stuff only a true fanatic would know about…I was happy to see this stuff too.
Despite all the emulations and modeling available today, there’s something to be said about playing with direct samples of these timeless instruments. It allows you to capture that tone, that grit, that “in yo FACEness” that is just so common among these classics and why many still use them.
Mix that with the synth and manipulation wizardry of Spectrasonics and you have a synth bass utopia
Don’t forget these synth sources can be mixed with our traditional acoustic/electric sources to produce some brand new original tones.
How easy is it to use, how is the user experience?
I’m big on user interface. Every time I see a new product, or try one out, I have to check the interface. Not only must it look good (Trilian does) it must be easy to navigate as well as easy for me to tweak and come up with my own sounds.
Spectrasonics nails this right on the head. Their interface is clean, simple, yet allows you to go deep…and even while getting deep into the interface things still remain uncluttered and simple, it’s really a work of art when you see how much is going on in there.
If I want to modulate my frequency cutoff with an lfo (you get 8 lofos by the way) I just right click on the cutoff button, and tell it to modulate it with an lfo.
If I want to go deeper into a menu, I just hit the magnify icon, and it takes me deeper so I can get a more thorough view at that section.
The browser in Trilian (also in the other two Spectrasonics products) is really what has me spoiled, everything is a search or click away, and can be customized.
If I want to hold a specific collection of sounds, I can create a project, and add them to that project for quick recall. Or I can use ratings, to rate my sounds and then list them in order from based on those ratings.
I can also search by tag, name or whatever….
As far as playing, there are a lot of dynamic features built into the sounds, so not everything requires you to mess with key-switchng. Thing like slides, bends, etc, will trigger based on your playing, which is always a great feature in my opinion I love when instrument creators allow me to get great expression just by playing.
What about the performance, is it actually usable?
They’ve built in quite a lot to help aid in getting the best performance on your computer.
Things like disc streaming, or memory server (mac only, another point for Mac platform! sheesh!) help with the memory side of things.
Basically, the memory server allows users in 32 bit hosts, to access all the ram on their computer, despite not having a 64 bit host. Effectively, this let’s you use Spectrasonics products in your current system, 32 bit, yet still get the memory benefits that 64 bit hosts and platforms bring, virtually unlimited memory access. This would be AWESOME if it were possible on PCs, then I wouldn’t have to keep begging Ableton to release a 64bit version of LIVE!! (Eric…hook a brother up man! lol)
If you’re already running a 64 bit host, then you’ll be happy to know that Spectrasonics instruments are native 64 bit, no bit bridges or anything like that, just pure 64 bit goodness. For those on pc still running 32 bit hosts, don’t worry, they come as 32 bit versions too.
One thing I really liked is the “sample thinning” option. This basically lets you load lite versions of the patches that take less ram.
It’s pretty flexible too as you can pick what to load or not. Round Robin, legato, velocity range, which notes, you can even train it to the notes you are using at the moment, and it will only load the samples for those notes!
Plus you can tell it to “keep lite settings’ and it will load the same samples for every patch you bring up, so you can train it for your bass part, then browse through the patches loading only the samples needed for your part.
I thought this was amazing, and the features like this, along with the organization of projects in the browser make the user experience amazing.
So the bottom line is?
Look, we can get all technical and data oriented, but for me, it comes down to sound and usability, Trilian excels at both.
I can really find nothing wrong with Trilian, I love it, and I think it’s the best instrument on the market overall when it comes to bass. Not just synth bass, or acoustic, but every kind of bass you can imagine.
It’s multi timbral if you need, it integrates with their flagship synth monster Omnisphere, and has an arpeggiator with groove lock so you can import any midi/groove file and it will follow it, allowing you to match your bass to your drums or anything else, to get it “in the pocket”. Of course there are plenty of built in grooves to keep you busy as well.
The instrument samples can get quite large, so it’s best to have plenty of ram on your system, the more the better…however the sample thinning option allows you to still get access to these great sounds even if your don’t have huge amounts of ram.
The interface is simple for such a complex instrument which makes it a joy to work with, and I like that this same interface is on all 3 of their products, including Omnisphere their power synth module and Stylus RMX their realtime groove module, which makes it easy to move between them.
Heck, it’s almost like a hidden customer retention system lol, it pretty much makes you WANT to use the interface as much as possible…
thus, you’re more likely to own more than one of their instruments.
That Eric is sneaky!
For those that don’t know Eric Persing is the founder of Spectrasonics, which he started with his wife Lorey in 1994. From 1984 -2005 he was a long time consultant and chief sound designer for Roland….yes…without knowing it, you’ve probably been making music with Eric’s sounds and audio offspring for many years!
Like I said…SNEAKY!!!
This is without a question 5 out of 5 subs, this is just a must have for bass. There really is no bass sound that isn’t covered in here, and covered well.
I think the price is actually low, when you look at the other products in this price range, and the fact that there are other companies charging close to $1000 for instruments/libraries that aren’t as stable, as easy to use, and as high quality as what Spectrasonics puts out….but hey…I won’t complain, I’m glad they chose to make it available and accessible to a wide range of users.
While many companies choose to constantly churn out various different products, Spectrasonics has chosen to focus on three instrument lines.
I can’t speak for the other two just yet, but I will say that with Trilian, this is something we all appreciate, as it shows in the detail of the sounds and the well thought out navigational, project organization, and memory operation features.
I get the feeling they plan to develop this instrument for a long time, which is always good.
Go checkout the demos, watch the videos, and see more Trillian and the other instruments from Spectrasonics.
Native Instruments does, and they’ve put some vintage mojo on them as well…for when you’re feeling a little nostalgic?
But…are they any good? Or is it just another cheesy attempt at a usable pop string section?
let’s see
What are Session Strings?
To contrast a lot of the larger string/orchestral libraries, Session Strings is supposed to be a good collection of string sections that fit well within the modern music production environment.
I’ve seen quite a few string libraries, most are aimed at film and orchestration uses, with every single section of the string and multiple articulations, many of which require some form of classical/orchestral training or a crash course in string theory.
Which isn’t bad, because I like those libraries too, but sometimes you just want a good string ensemble that has minimal things to tweak, and you can just add it to your track.
The expressive features are there and easy to access, they even put in a collection that they called “m town” which is supposed to capture the feel and sound of vintage 70s strings from the disco/pop/funk/rnb music.
All that sounds good, but what really matters is if these strings are useful or not.
Quick Specs
content: 48 nki files, 10 standard and 10 mtown performance, 14 standard and 14 mtown individual patches
format: kontakt 4 or the free kontakt player
price: $119
How do they sound?
They sound pretty good, nice and full and usable, which is most important.
Sometimes you don’t want a library full of solo strings, sometimes you just need a good sounding section to lay as the padding for a track, to fill it out.
The recordings are done well, and in comparison to many string libraries, they aren’t drowned in reverb that is printed into the sample itself.
These have more of a “studio” sound to me, instead of a stage or concert hall sound, more like the sound of a bunch of string players in the studio, instead of on stage.
Of course you can use the included reverb to tweak or add your own.
The MTown presets are pretty cool, if you sample alot, you’ll enjoy the sound of the strings as it pretty much captures that string sound we always look for on records.
Overall, the sound is good and usable, comparable to many more advanced libraries.
Of course you don’t get every single type of articulation as you would with a full level string library, but you get the ones that are most useful when playing a string section.
So what’s the bottom line?
It’s no secret I’m a fan of the new line of Kore and Kontakt instruments form NI. It allows folks to build up quite a customized and quality library without the investment of full products and software.
The fact that you can play any of these instruments in their free players is awesome, plus, if you want to upgrade, they work in the full versions.
I really like the sound of the Session Strings, and find myself going back to these over a lot of the larger libraries just for how immediate they are and how I can just pull up a sound, tweak, and have what I need.
The animator is pretty cool, could be useful, but I would have liked to see it more user editable. If they add another tab beside the fx tab, where you could pull up the step/graph editor, and tweak each included groove that would be awesome.
This would give you a mini string section sequencer inside the interface….maybe in an update?
Overall, it’s a useful library, with a good sound that will fit many situations. Some of the falls/scoops can be a bit cheesy at times but hey, alot of the music we were inspired by from the past was pretty cheesy lol, it’s sorta like salt…it’s good in moderation, just don’t over do it!
I give this library a 4 out of 5 subs, I really liked it, but wish the animator was editable as it’s a great feature of the library but can get pretty old pretty quick with the two knobs used to tweak it.
If you want some good strings, and even some vintage sounding tones, definitely read up on it and check it out.
It’s a great alternative to spending hundreds on string libraries that may not have the tone, or ease of use you need for adding a simple string section to modern tracks.
However, I’m still learning and getting stuff from the book and I want to explain a little bit more as to what the book is really about.
It’s not just a simple step by step,” this is how you make a beat” type of book.
I feel this book will challenge everyone that reads it both creatively and intellectually, and if you’re the type of person that likes to improve yourself, then you definitely owe this book a read.
Not only for beat makers, but anyone interested in hip hop, music, and artistry in general, as the foundations and principals in here can be applied to many different aspects.
You get the foundations you need to allow yourself the freedom to create your own art, not a paint by numbers beat making guide, but more of a brick and mortar, solid foundation upon which you can continue to explore and build your own structure.
I like it, it’s one of those books that are timeless, much like Psychocybernetics, Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hil, and The Strangest Secret from Earl Nightingale are for me on success in business and life.
Or like the Bible is my go to for overall life, spirituality, and truth, etc.
This is “that book” for all things beat making, creativity, and even general work ethic and being an “owner” of your own creative enterpise.
I’m sure I’ll share more from it in the future, but one of the things I really wanted to point out was how it changed my mindset about beat makers being musicians.
I know many, including myself, always separate the two…beatmaker…and musician, but this book pretty much erases that notion, and shows with clarity how a beatmaker IS a musician.
Just one of the nuggets I picked up.
I just don’t want folks to miss this book, and overlook it, it will challenge you, cause you to learn, and become a wealth of info…
It’s not in Amazon/bookstores yet , but it will be by the end of this summer, they are waiting for his shipment.
What is the Classic EP library?
Smooth.
I give this library a 4 out of 5 subs, I find myself using it a lot, and the fact that it loads very fast makes it even more of a go to instrument.
So what is Urban Avenue?
Trilian is bass, bass, and more bass, period.
Not only that, but they sampled and reproduced some stuff I had absolutely NO idea ever existed, quirky limited run synths and modules, stuff only a true fanatic would know about…I was happy to see this stuff too.
Spectrasonics nails this right on the head. Their interface is clean, simple, yet allows you to go deep…and even while getting deep into the interface things still remain uncluttered and simple, it’s really a work of art when you see how much is going on in there.
One thing I really liked is the “sample thinning” option. This basically lets you load lite versions of the patches that take less ram.
Look, we can get all technical and data oriented, but for me, it comes down to sound and usability, Trilian excels at both.
This is without a question 5 out of 5 subs, this is just a must have for bass. There really is no bass sound that isn’t covered in here, and covered well.
To contrast a lot of the larger string/orchestral libraries, Session Strings is supposed to be a good collection of string sections that fit well within the modern music production environment.
It’s no secret I’m a fan of the new line of Kore and Kontakt instruments form NI. It allows folks to build up quite a customized and quality library without the investment of full products and software.
You get the foundations you need to allow yourself the freedom to create your own art, not a paint by numbers beat making guide, but more of a brick and mortar, solid foundation upon which you can continue to explore and build your own structure.
