Back at you again with another review from Fatloud. This time it’s another one from their XL series (easily one of my favorite series)

This is where they give you tons of sounds, already split into their own folders, instead of construction kits.

This is really smart, I know I do this on my own with anything that comes in a construction kit, I separate it all before I even listen to it, so all my synths, strings, bass, brass, winds, etc….are all together.

The first one we reviewed from this series was Black and Gold, and it was dope…let’s see if Dust is dope as well

What’s up with the Dust?

Well the XL series from Fatloud is basically the “anti construction kit” and I love it. You get all the sounds separated into their own folders, so your brass, bass, keys, etc are all together.

Dust is a new collection of all original, custom created, royalty-free loops and samples.

You get brass, strings, synths, keys, drumloops, drum hits, one shots, fx, and percussion. All separated and ready to go.

This collection was touched up with a little vinyl flavor, but only enough to give it a little “dirt” yet it still sounds very new school instead of like classic hip hop, it’s a nice mix.

Quick Specs

• Content: 200 loops, 123 one shot samples
• Format: 24bit Acidized Wav, 16 bit wav, 24 bit aiff, apple loops, rex,
• Price: $45.00

How does it sound?

Like everything else Fatloud puts out, the sound is always crisp and clean. Everything is processed well and ready to go with no strange artifacts, cracks, clicks, or any other undesired noises.

The production quality is always on point, and I’m always happy at how diverse they are in style and content.  It really feels like a huge melting pot of different sounds that all have a similar “dirt shine” to them.

You can tell they were processed to work together, yet the styles and sounds themselves are very diverse in nature

You can go from jazzy brass riffs, to smooth string beds, right into a rough and rugged electric keyboard riff.  Not just turntable hip hop, not just club pop, not just jazzy rnb, it’s a little bit of it all mixed into it’s own thing.

Fatloud definitely has their own sound, and so far, I’ve always been well pleased with that sound and surprised by the range of styles included that yet remain true to their sound.

What’s the bottom line, is Dust a must have?

I think it is, but again, that depends on your style and type of music you make.  If you’re looking for some of that classic boom bap style of dusty music, then there are definitely other products I’ve reviewed that will suit you.

If you like the sound and feel of a “lil bit of dirt” yet still want something that can be turned into both classic boom bap or new school space age funk then this is it.  The synths are fat, the drums are hard, the strings are silky, and the brass is huge.

You very well may be tempted to use the loops as is, for the foundation of your next track…and that’s totally your call, I prefer to chop but sometimes you just got to loop it and go…I understand that too.

This is no question, 5 out of 5 subs, I’ve YET to be let down by anything Fatloud puts out, it doesn’t get old, it doesn’t get boring, and the quality never slacks.

I’ll say the same thing I said before….MORE XL SERIES PRODUCTS PLEASE!

I really like how they lay it out, I’m just surprised no other sample pack providers are doing it this way, you usually only get it like this on some sample cd libraries.

Either way, I’m happy, it’s dope…and I think you should check out the demos. peep Fatloud Sample Shop

let me know what ya think!

Time to bring that sexy back baby!

Today I’m reviewing another sample collection sent over from motionsamples.com

This time we’re gonna sexy it out with some RnB style keys

What are R&B Soul Delite Keys?

Well, I’m glad you asked yo! According to the website:

Motion Samples presents an extraordinary collection of R&B’s finest ep, rhodes, piano and keyboard melodies with over 200 extended loops mixed down with Eventide processors for the perfect reverbs, delays and fx.

Never before have we offered so many melody ideas in one collection presenting great musicianship and soulful warm keyboard tones that will inspire you endlessly.

Highly recommended for R&B songwriters and producers.

That’s all fine and good, but what do they sound like? What about variety?

They sound amazing, the loops are rather long so it gives you a lot to work with.

But they production is where it stands out, they really went in on the style of play in this collection.

There are tons of variations in the typical R&B styles. Everything from R&B bangers, to ballads, to soulful hip hop and even a lil pop.

You can do whatever you want with these and the musicianship is second to none.

I was definitely impressed with the variation from loop to loop and I didn’t get board at all, each loop felt like it could become it’s own song.

Sound quality was on point as usual, no clipping or distortion, not too loud so you have headroom to put them in your own mixes.

Okay, so what about the value on this collection? Will it break the bank?

The short answer is NO. It comes in right at 40 bucks even, keeping it in the average price range for most pro level sample paks.

It’s still less than a full sample cd but don’t let that stop you, the quality and variety in this collection is well worth the price of admission.

Especially if you’re looking to get that smoother side of the R&B or Hip Hop into your tracks. The only way to even attempt to have some riffs and chops like this, is sampling from some of your favorite records, or hiring a keyboard player.

There is just no faking your way through a sound like this, very detailed and distinct, you really feel like just taking the loops as is, no chops, and building a song.

So what’s the final verdict?

Straight up, no question, without a doubt, 5 out of 5 subs. Period. End of discussion.

A producer will be busy for months using these loops, like I said, each one is practically a song/track waiting to happen. The 200 loops are NOT variations of the same loop, in most cases each loop is a completely different idea, I really like that.

Instead of 4-10 variations of the same loop or riff, you get 200 different ideas to mess with.

This raises the stock in addition to the fact that the loops themselves are long, 4-8 bars or so, and very well produced.

It’s no question motinsamples aims to be a major player in the sample pack game for a long time…I’ve yet to come across anything form them I didn’t like, or would improve or do differently.

That says a lot.

So the next time you’re looking to sexy out your tracks, make sure you checkout the soul delite keys, trust me, you’ll love em.

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

Matter of fact, let me know what you think of motionsamples period. I’ve seen a few of you go over and make purchases after these reviews, let me know what you got and if they lived up to the hype.

If you have any ideas or things you’d like to see, put that down…as I’m sure motionsamples will take a look.

Let me know…right here in the comments.

Mo samples from motionsamples.com baby.

Today we are looking at their hip hop organs and pianos pack.

When they first sent it to me, I assumed it would be a bunch of underground keyboard riffs…

let’s see whatsup.

Mo Keys Please….

I’m a firm believer that you can never have too many piano, organ, clavi, basically any type of keys. Never too many.

Let’s see what’s in this set:

Over 200 loops of Hip Hop piano and organ melodies recorded live and from outboard keyboards.

Whether you’re a samplehead or not so great keyboardist, this original collection offers endless cold hooks and chords to sample from or drop into your beats.

This is an unregretful collection for the truest east and west coast Hip Hop producers

Is there a good variety of styles?

I liked the variety, it was surprising. Like I said, I assumed it would be full of underground hip hop stuff but it wasn’t.

There were some riffs in here that were pretty sexy, and even some stuff that reminded me of that down south FUNK.

You know, that Dungeon Family, Eightball & MJG type stuff…don’t tell me you don’t know about that?

That’s the SOUF before the “new dirty south” sound. You can still find it, just not on the radio as much.

Anyway, point being there is plenty of variety that everyone will be able to find something to use.

NY, LA, ATL, NO, wherever you be…you can use something in here.

Production quality and sound?

I don’ t know why I do this for motion, but I guess I have to let ya know lol. If you don’t realize it by now, motion puts out very good quality recordings.

The samples are never distorted, unless on purpose, and they are never clipping or anything like that.

Also, the production styles and instrumentation is on point as usual, they are not your generically played riffs, these joints are intricate, you can tell they got some really good keyboardists to lay these down.

How about the price?

They have this set priced good, right at 30 bucks.

Not the average sample pack price, it’s a little lower, but not too low to where you naturally question the quality, it’s sitting just right….

This keeps it in the budget and range for many people, and even if you’re only purchasing one pack a month, there is enough in here to keep you busy, with enough variety to keep you interested.

What’s the bottom line? What’s the rating?

This was a good, useful, inspiring collection. It seems everyone has their own idea of what a good piano or organ sounds like when it comes to hip hop and urban music.

Luckily for us, motion doesn’t force it’s own agenda here, they give you enough variation to please even the toughest critic… I’m from the midwest, so it’s a melting pot of various styles, and I love it all.

I gave this a 4 out of 5 subs.

It was a solid collection, nothing I’d feel bad recommending to my closest buddies, and a nice weapon to have in any producer’s arsenal.

This was a good collection of keys, and if you’re like me and you’re always looking for some dope key riffs, you just may find them in this collection.

I’m sure you’ll find something.

Welcome to the first official “Big Fish Friday”

Each Friday I will be taking a look at something from bigfishaudio.com

They are one of the largest and most well known providers of sample cds and sample libraries in the industry.

I have established a relationship with the company where they will send me out various products throughout the year so that I can review them on the site.

Most of their products are in the sample cd range, as well as instruments, but the also do some sample paks as well.

I’m pretty sure I bought my first sample cd ever from big fish audio lol.

Anyway, today we’re going to look at one of their downloadable sample paks, Club Bangers RnB

So what IS Club Bangers RnB?

according to the site:

Club Bangers R&B Pak contains eight fresh and new R&B construction kits that are ready to drop in the clubs.

Edited and formatted to the highest standards, these kits are ready to go in nearly any music sequencing application.

All the content is included in acidized WAV, Apple Loops, REX, and RMX formats Once you get started, you’ll notice how easy it is to get great pro-sounding tracks together.

Smooth and sexy these jams are instant hits. The sounds are clean and tight and at this price you can’t go wrong.

Only 8 Kits? Is there much variety?

Yes, there is tons of variety.

You’ve got to remember, Big Fish is known for producing some of the most popular sample libraries around, and most of them carry a higher price tag, most starting around 100 bucks.

That’s not bad, that’s actually the norm for a full sample cd, I’m talking stuff with gigs and gigs of samples.  But with the download paks, they are allowing pretty much everyone the opportunity to get the same Big Fish quality at a lower entry point, something for everyone.

The variety of the kits is actually pretty good, I was expecting them to all sound the same but each takes it’s own direction and doesn’t really copy the others. Some are synth heavy, others more ballad or piano based, while some are heavy on the strings, it’s all good, and they all sound great.

If that wasn’t enough, they also give you the individual drum tracks AS WELL AS the individual drum hits, I love when construction sets come with single drum hits, so I don’t have to chop the drum loops myself.

What about the sound and production quality?

This is where the collection stands out and I was very pleased with the sound.  The synths range anywhere from soft and smooth to hard and in your face, all with no distortion…unless of course it’s on purpose.

The keys are recorded well, the bass has great low-end, and the drum loops KNOCK. The drums themselves are what surprised me the most in this one, I know Big Fish brings the pain when they do instruments, so I didn’t expect anything but the best.

I was NOT expecting to open up a highly usable and down right bangin set of single drum hits.

The styles and production in this pack are very diverse, the loops are long enough to get many chops from it, or even loop it up as is and lay a great foundation for your next RnB joint.

And the price-point?

The price is right baby!  Don’t expect to 4 to 7 gigs of stuff this high quality for 29 bucks, but you do get enough content to keep you happy and you will not feel cheated with this purchase.

29 bucks puts it right in the price range of many who are used to buying the single sample packs from many online sample providers.  But it allows you to get a taste of the Big Fish, and also gives you a glimpse into what you can expect from their larger sample collections.

I like this addition to their site, it allows everyone to benefit from their years of producing high quality sample content no matter what your budget is.

Final verdict? What is the rating?

I went into this not knowing what to expect, as you know I’m not a huge construction pack fan, but I’ve been known to use them in my own way.  I was able to find some loops and sounds to chop and that ALWAYS makes me happy.

I give this collection a 4.5 out of 5 subs, it’s really great, the only reason I had to not give it a full 5 subs is that there were only 8 kits, had there been 10 to 12 kits I would have given it a 5 out of 5.

Either way, it’s dope, a great value, and let’s many people get into the Big Fish sound that may not have the budget for their larger libraries. ( I will review some of those for you as well)

If you’re looking for a nice collection of RnB sounds and loops, as well as some bangin drums, you should definitely checkout Club Bangers RnB Pak.

Well produced, sounds good, and fun to use.

Let me know what you think below.