Time to checkout some more samples, for those that like to mix the live jazzy sound with hip hop and downtempo funk.

Today I’m doing a review of Doodlebug’s Jazzy Hip Hop Theory, a jazzy hip hop library released by Loopmasters.

Some of the new school folks may not know who Digable Planets are…let’s just say, they ARE jazzy hip hop!

Doodlebug is a member from this very group.

So let’s check this joint out!

So what is Doodlebug’s Jazzy Hip Hop Theory?

It’s that real jazzy hip hop, played by the very same live musicians that have been playing with Doodlebug throughout his career from Digable Planets to his own solo stuff.

If you got a real appetite for that classic, jazz influenced hip hop, boom bap, back pack, funk-rap sound…

then this may be your thing.

You get real live drum loops, electric and upright bass, as well as some saxy flute lovin.

You also get some nice guitar riffs as well as a few vocals/phrases to play with

Quick Specs

• Content: 622Mb, 580 samples
• Format: rex, wav, kontakt, exs, refill, ableton live pack, nnxt, rmx, apple loops
• Price: $37.16

So how does it sound?

Authentic…

It really does have that live, jazzy feel to it.

The drums got that loose groove many love to chop or find off of records and loop.

The electric bass if funky while that upright bass has that laid back groove that reminds you of those classic 90′s tracks.

The flutes and saxes are played well, so authentic you can even hear some of the breathing! lol…

They even included some of those classic sounding vocals, well recorded so you could definitely use them in your tracks.

The quality is great, and the variety/style of the production is on point, feels like you’ve gained access to old 2 inch tapes of Digable Planets sessions.

So what’s the bottom line?

I really enjoyed this library, though I did have one major fault with it.

For it to be dedicated to jazzy hip hop, there was an obvious absence of ep/rhodes sounds….

which to me are pretty much synonymous with jazzy hip hop

I give this library a 4 out of 5 subs, no doubt, the addition of some live played rhodes/ep sounds would have made it that much stronger and complete.

That said, there’s really nothing to dislike about the content that’s there, it leaves you wanting more, and hoping for a volume 2

If there is a volume 2, I definitely hope they capture some of those jazzy chops from their live keyboard musicians

Overall it’s a nice authentic library, and captures that live sound perfectly…I know a few people that will pretty much fall in love with this one instantly.

The price is reasonable as well, making it an all around useful product.

You can check it out over at Loopmasters website: doodlebug jazzy hip hop

let me know what you think, leave a comment below.

It’s Friday…Big Fish Friday.

Today I am reviewing another library from Big Fish and eQuipped Music.

Yes, eQuipped, the same  ones that made smoker’s delight, smoker’s relight and breakbeat jazz…all high quality libraries.

Premier Beats and Hip Hop Instrumentals is another entry into the realm of laid back, turntable, breaks and bits based music.

let’s check it out!

What is Premier Beats and Hip Hop Instrumentals?

It’s a great big dose of raw and rugged hip hop sounds, complete with the vinyl dirt present.

It’s two dvds full of mpc style breaks, chords, instrumentals, drums, fx, and other sounds.

It has that feel of taking hits and stabs from various records or other musical pieces, performing audio heart transplants….

and creating something totally new from the gumbo of sounds you’ve gathered.

In the eQuipped style, everything is raw, authentic, high quality, and inspiring.

From smooth ep chords to bouncin bass and random stabs….

enough to satisfy even the most dedicated crate digger.

Quick Specs

• Content: 2 dvds 8gb total (multiple formats)
• Format: apple loops, rex, refill, wav
• Price: $199 for the physical dvd package, you can also get it in 3 download volumes for $49.99 each

How does it sound?

Really, you shouldn’t have to wonder about this.  eQuipped Music ALWAYS brings the heat!

How they manage to keep things raw, grimy, and dirty yet pristine in quality is beyond me, but they do it.

You get small bits and pieces, chords and riffs as one-shot samples to throw into your favorite sampler and just go to work.

They also have these same chords and riffs constructed into full loops, if you prefer the sound and randomness you get from chopping samples.

As if that isn’t enough, they also have these “instrumental loops” which are the chord and riff loops, mixed with bass, ep, and fx for a full sample chopping feel.

Recording is pristine, just enough “sauce”  on their sounds to keep them unique. I really don’t know what they do to their libraries, but I love it, it has a “smokey” feeling almost, airy, light, hard, smooth, silky….just all around goodness.

Kinda like your favorite fresh warm pie!

What’s the final verdict on Premier Beats?

A+ all the way.

This is an inspiring library, even the packaging is amazing, the dvds look like little vinyl records!

I like how they packaged the sounds in a way that everyone can use no matter how you like to work.  If you like to chop up samples, you can do that, if you just want to chop specific parts like the chords you can do that.  Even if you want to take the various chords from throughout the library and put them together yourself (I think it’s somewhere over 1000 different sounds and riffs just in the chords section) you can do that.

You get bass, drums, ep, and fx sounds too!  The drums alone are top notch and ready to go, so it’s like getting multiple libraries in one. Each section lives up to the quality and feel I’ve come to expect from eQuipped.

This is a 5 out of 5 subs library, all the way no questions asked. Something you will use for a very long time, their libraries are timeless.

If you want something that you can use, abuse, and not worry about it getting old, checkout Premier Beats and Hip Hop Instrumentals

or any of the other libraries from eQupped available at Big Fish: eQuipped Music at Big Fish

leave a comment below, let me know what you think!

time for some more motion samples

today I’m checking out an urban orchestra pack called Hoodlum Orchestra

What is Hoodlum Orchestra?

a collection of multi sample orchestra based loops.

Strings, violins, timpanis, and horns all played in a nice orchestral style,

with an urban edge.

These aren’t single sound loops, but multiple sounds put together in one loop,

just like the samples you’d grab from records or cds

Quick Specs

• Content: 160 multisample loops
• Format: wave
• Price: $35

What do they sound like?

Like some dope orchestra loops.  They don’t sound synthetic so I don’t know if they brought in real string players or what, but they definitely have an authentic sound to them.

Not too epic to where you can use it, some of them are laid back too.

Quality wise there’s nothing to worry about, everything is recorded well.

Production wise, there is plenty of variation to get a bunch of different feels.

Everything from down south anthems, laid back west coast strings, and hype/grimey east coast stuff….it’s all here.

So what’s the bottom line on the Hoodlum Orchestra?

It’s a very solid collection of orchestral samples.

Sometimes you get orchestral samples and they are too “epic” sounding so you can only use them for hype/epic style music.

These have a nice variety with plenty of laid back sounds to fit into various types of music.

They are played with an urban edge so they will provide constant inspiration.

I give these a 4 out of 5 subs.

Nice quality, nice production and a nice price.

Check em out right here: Motion Samples Hoodlum Orchestra

leave a comment and let me know what you think

I know it’s been a minute since we reviewed anything from Motion Samples but it’s that time again.

Today I’m checking out something that is sure to spark some interest among the underground, organic, hip hop lovers.

I’m talking about Hip Hop Genetics…let’s see whasup

Back to the foundations with Hip Hop Genetics

No matter who you are, if you’re producing any type of hip hop or urban music then you know it most definitely started out with the sample.

Taking small bits and pieces from here or there and creating something new.

We’re not just talking about the popular soul music sampling either, that’s only one style of sample based music.

Today I’m talking about that old school…

take a 1 second horn from here, mix it with a 5 second piano from there, glaze it up with some strings from an opera record…well….. you get me.

Hip Hop Genetics is a multi sample collection based on classic underground hip hop sounds.

Organs, farfisa, piano, harpsichords, rhodes, glockenspiel, classic guitars, basses and strings all layerd, mashed and mixed to have that “straight from the crates” sound.

Quick Specs

• Content: 350 multi samples
• Format: Wave
• Price: $50

So how does it sound?

Classic.

I love how they put stuff together.

Basically, it sounds just like they went in the studio, made some tracks with vintage instruments, recorded it to some warm sounding equipment, then to vinyl, then sampled it and chopped it up for human consumption.

The production style as always, captures the essence of the bits and pieces of sounds and instruments that underground hip hop lovers look for.

Though it has a “vintage” sound, it’s not low in quality at all.

A lot of the samples aren’t full, cut off in weird places…and aren’t full loops, just the type of stuff you’d expect to find when digging on your own.

So what’s the final verdict on this one?

It’s a great collection, I really like how each one of their sample packs really lives up to it’s name/target.  If it’s soul samples, then they sound authentic, club/pop synths….sound like they should.  And underground gutter nuggets sound just like the thrift store, swamp meet, back-alley crates you’d go looking for them in.

I give this a 4 out of 5 subs, it’s a very solid collection.

Like SoulTown vol 1, I’d like to have seen a few more longer samples for chopping…BUT, since this is aiming to capture that underground sound, I think they did a good job with the small bits and awkward measures….

it really challenges your creativity, just like pullin those treasures from your classic record collection.

Not everyone likes that underground sound, some are looking for something more “current” or “radio ready” but for those that still love and can’t get away from that classic, neck snap…boom bap music, definitely check this out.

Get that classic sampled sound…without having to deal with the pain of royalties and sample clearance….

Check em out in the Motion Samples Store

as usual, leave a comment below, let me know what you think.

Oh did you think I forgot about ya!

Did you think it wasn’t time for Big Fish Friday!

Oh yessssssssssssssssssssssss

This week we checking out a collection they sent over called Plush!

What is Plush?

Plush is a smooth sexy gumbo of Sade meets Maxwell while listening to D’Angelo and Musiq Soulchild battle it out!

Yes, it’s RnB, yes it’s sexy…

…and yes it’s smooth.

If you like slick synths, smooth and sexy keys, bangin drums, and bubblin bass….

then you may want to check this out.

Quick Specs:

• Contents: 7.17gb of wave files (over 16gb all together in all formats)
• Format: Acid, Wav, apple loops, rex, rmx
• Price: $129.95

So how plush does it sound?

Plush like crushed velvet couches baby!

The production on this collection is really smooth and it catches that “real” rnb… you know…not the hip hop/pop/electro mix that seems to be all over the radio.

This is that sit back, relax, light a candle or two, maybe two step a lil bit type of rnb…that good stuff!

The quality is of course top notch with every sound being well mixed, non distorted and inspiring.

You have strings that are switching from left to right in the sound field, thick pads, the keyboard riffs are amazing.

You got everything from smooth acoustic guitars to some slicing distorted leads.

Even the single shot drum sounds are usable…the sound is superb in both quality and style.

So what is the final verdict?

I really liked this one…I’m a sucker for the smooth stuff yo!

There really is enough content in here to keep you busy for a good while.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5 subs…my favorite sounds were the keys and the synths, straight funk…err…silk!

I would have liked to see a little more variety in the string section, but there’s definitely some stuff in there that can be worked.

I like how you get sub as well as real bass sounds in here.

And like I said, the drums are good.

All in all this is a great collection, doesn’t sound dated but yet still has that classic RnB feel…you know…that “Grown Folks” music.

Go on over to big fish and check it out: Big Fish Audio Plush

Just wanted to show you this video, producer Rockwilder making a beat on the beat kangz beat thang virtual

He comes up with some pretty sick stuff…just goes to show it’s not what you use but how you use it, he makes me look like a rookie on this thang lol

Yeah, lemme know what you think…

I thought it was dope

leave me a comment below.

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the beat thang if you haven’t yet, they doing a crazy promo for it.

Yes yes yall, it’s time for another review.

Back again with another sample pack from the folks over at fatloud.com, you know we like them around here.

They have quite a few that I haven’t had a chance to review for ya yet, but I wanted to do this one, you’ll soon see why.

Makin beats After Hours…

Like everything from FatLoud, this pack is dedicated to urban, hip hop, r&b music styles..that’s all they do, and they do it well.

I really liked the way they organized the samples in this one, it’s different from their usual construciton kit format, more inline with how I like to do things.

Every type of sound is in it’s own folder for easy browsing.

Quick specs:

• Content: 189 24 bit drum, instrument, hit, chords, and loops
• Format: wav, acid, aiff, apple, rex, refill 4.0,
• Price: FREE!!!

How is the sound quality and production?

FatLoud always brings it raw, they have a very clean, tightly produced sound to all of their sample packs, this one is no exception.

The synths pop, and the production styles are current, useful, and inspiring.  You don’t get bored with the sounds, and you can find something for pretty much any style of urban music you are making.

The drums knock, the strings are silky smooth, and the keys are raw.

No clicks, pops, hisses, or any of that crazy stuff you get with low budget companies…these are professional samples and you can hear it.

What’s the bottom line?

I love everything about this collection, when I got my hands on it I didn’t know what to expect but was definitely floored at the quality of it.

The fact that this is free is amazing, it’s better than many collections you have to pay for…dead serious.  I could have just posted this up with the rest of the free sites I did, but I wanted to review this one specifically, because it was a full sample pack of professional quality being given away for free.

This isn’t just a demo, it’s something you wouldn’t mind paying for.

I give this collection a 4.5 out of 5 subs. You may wonder why I didn’t give it a five….well, because I wanted more lol. I know it’s greedy, but this collection was really good and I just wish it contained a little bit more content…

I definitely like the organization of this collection and I hope the guys over at fatloud continue to create products in a similar style.

All you have to do is signup for their newsletter to get it… http://fatloud.com/newsletter

So check it out, download it, and come back over here to share your thoughts.

leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.

Is it Friday already!?

Dang!

Well it’s time for another edition of Big Fish Friday…time to take a look at some more samples sent to me by big fish audio.

This week, we’re gonna get a lil jazzy on ya!

Talkin all that Jazz…

This isn’t one of those “hip hop jazz hybrid” collections, this is straight up for people looking to compose jazz music.

This is perfect for us! No matter if you’re not making jazz, a lot of urban producers like to sample jazz records, myself included.

So anything that can give us an authentic sound without worrying about royalties and sample clearance…bring it on baby!

What’s in this Jazz Session?

My personal description would be ” a gang of smoke flowing hole in the wall bare chicken bones on a napkin type sounds”

But that’s not really technical enough so, here’s what they say on the site:

Jazz Sessions is a unique sample collection bringing you all the vibes you would hope to hear at any great jazz club, and adds swing, soul and solid jazz attitude to your productions!

Featuring a huge 3Gig library of jazz samples played by seasoned professionals and captured with maximum realism and authenticity. Jazz Sessions is the consummate tool for jazz-influenced producers worldwide, whether you are looking to make pure traditional jazz, nu-jazz, broken beats, or are looking to melt a pure jazz feel into another style of music – Jazz Sessions will deliver what you need.

Okay, that sounds good but what does it actually sound like?

Dopeness, pure finger snapin, diggin in the crates, authentic jazz dopeness!

Seriously, the riffs,  licks and loops are well played and definitely have a certain “feel” about them.

Heck man, I heard the breathing and foot tapping when demoing some of the flute riffs!

Like I said, it’s not jazz with a hip hop affection…it’s straight up jazz from the horns to the drums.

So this would work well for folks trying to actually compose jazz records, but my purpose would be to put together jazz compositions that I can then slice up like I would on from a jazz record!

Works perfect, recorded right, no distortion whatsoever.

One thing I didn’t like though, the release noise on the rhodes multisample…it was pretty loud, but that’s okay, there are plenty of rhode loops and riffs to use, and I’m sure I could tweak the multi in Kontakt if I wanted. But I had to let ya know about that one.

Okay, so it sounds good, sounds authentic, what about the pricepoint?

The price is right baby! Just like a majority of sample dvd libraries, this comes in at 99 bucks, and with all the money you save in royalties…I think it’s a good trade off.

BUT, they also did something very nice, probably for folks like us. You can download separate section from the collection for 29-49 bucks!

So if you want JUST the flutes, or the keys, or guitars, or brass…you can do that. You may not want the drums and bass…maybe you just want the instruments. Go for it then!

Final thoughts on the library?

If you can’t tell by now, I really loved this one. I’m a jazz music lover, even just for listening pleasure, but also for sampling and music production.  To be able to add some nice authentic jazz sounds to your music that actually sound good, it’s always a pleasure. Especially when the library is made for jazz musicians and not “jazzy hip hop samples”

I like those too, but sometimes you just want some real jazz infusion for ya grooves.

This is a 5 out of 5 straight up no questions about it. Great content, tons and tons of samples, multiple formats, and if you don’t want the whole thing you can go with individual sections!

bottom line is, if you like to use jazz samples, you definitely should check this library out.

Go listen to the demo at Big Fish Jazz Sessions and tell em I sent ya

What do you think?  Leave me a comment below.