Yo, ever since I bought Motu BPM I’ve been more interested in the sounds available from Motu and UVI.

Probably because they can all be opened in BPM, either way, I’ve been checking them out.

So far so good.

Today I’m checking out one of Motu’s instruments, dedicated to electric keyboard sounds.

The name of the product is simply “Electric Keys”, of course I love a dope EP so this sparked my interest even more.

Let’s check it out

So what is Electric Keys?

It’s like a buffet of electronic keyboard sounds and devices.

Despite what many may think at first (myself included) Electric Keys is not just about being another Rhodes or Wurly library….

Basically what you have is a “who’s who” of electric keyboard instruments.

Names like Roland, Yamaha, Korg, Hammond, Wurlitzer, Fafrisa, Mellotron, Moog, and Hohner should give you an idea of what to expect

And just in case you were wondering, these are all sampled in 24 bit, 96Khz, multi sample goodness

It’s a library of electric sounds broken into several major categories

Classic electric pianos, classic electric organs, electro-mechanical keyboards, funky clavs, Japanese CPianos, keyboard bass, rare & bonus keyboards, string machines, tape sampler, reed electric pianos, the B electric organ.

Quick Specs

• content: 40gb of 24bit multi samples
• format: vst, au, rtas, mas, dxi, mach 5, uvi workstation, motu bpm
• price: $279.99

How does it sound?

As you know, specs mean NOTHING if a product doesn’t sound good.  Luckily for the end user, Motu specs match the sound quality so you won’t be let down at all.

What I noticed at first playing with this, is that the sounds are very dynamic and “authentic”. Meaning an old 1960′s organ sounds like it should, not extra hi-fi.  Same for old string machines…they sounds as cheesy as ever!

Each category was recorded in a way to capture the actual feel of the instrument. Some of the organs actually had the sound of the mechanical parts of the instrument in there.

With a library as diverse as this, covering so many different areas, you’d expect there to be some overlap, maybe an organ that sounds like the Wurly, or the Wurly that sounds pretty much the same as the Rhodes with just a different fx on it…not true.

These instruments could have been instruments on their own. Meaning…you could have broken down each category, and sold it as it’s own product, and folks wouldn’t be disappointed.  Despite how vintage these instruments are, the recording and quality is still top notch.

I haven’t even talked about the fx engine, which allows you to take your sounds to a whole new level instantly.  Everything from slight reverb to weird flanged-out chorus type multi fx…basic and usable to insane and wacky.

But it all works.

Not to mention the quick controls on the front panel of the instrument that let you quickly adjust things like bass, mid, treble and drive, or add tremelo while adjusting the depth and speed.

The sound is really good, think the fact that there are so many different categories represented, with so many different types of electric keyboards, really adds to the sound quality.

As you can tell, I like the sound and playability of the instruments, as well as how true they are to the instruments themselves. You get the smooth mellow sounds of Rhodes right next to the bite of a B3, followed by the cheesy and synthetic sound of a random string machine.

What’s the bottom line?

It’s easy to see how someone can become a fan of the Motu products, honestly, I wasn’t paying much attention until I got bpm and wanted to expand it. Knowing it could read all of the Motu instruments was definitely a plus in the decision to get it.

The interface of Electric Keys is simple but very nice, I need a good interface on my software, sorry…if it’s ugly I can’t use it. Call me superficial if you must but I HATE ugly software.

The fact that you can load these up in your daw on their own, as well as in Mach 5, UVI Workstation (free) or Motu’s BPM just makes it more flexible.

The sound quality is just flat out good, and usable…even without adding any fx.  Many vintage key lovers will instantly recognize many of their favorite sounds and instruments, which could possible provoke inadvertent “old school” jam sessions…..that’s a good thing though

I really could find nothing wrong with this library, it really delivered above and beyond my expectations, I’m an EP fanatic, but the fact that you get multiple types of electric instruments in one library is like getting two prizes in the cereal box…just makes for a great day

Electric Keys without a doubt in my mind gets 5 out of 5 subs. Like I said, what impressed me even more than the sound quality is the diversity of sounds in here.

Good stuff man!

You can read up on all the instruments and the library over at Motu’s website: Electric Keys- vintage electric keyboard instrument

Check out their demos and such. I don’t think you can purchase directly from their website, but you can get it from some of your favorite online retailers.

let me know what you think…leave a comment below

Today I’m checking out another library/expansion from UVI

Ever since I bought BPM a few weeks back I’ve been exploring more of the expansion libraries available for it.

I can’t lie, I’m starting to really like what UVI/Motu is doing soundwise…it seems they don’t come up in conversations as much as other libraries.

Maybe folks just don’t know what they have over there, or maybe the people that do know like to keep it to themselves lol

And again, I like the expandability and flexibility of the libraries too.

Just like any other uvi library, this one can load up in BPM, Mach 5, or the free UVI Workstation.

Synths Anthology is all about synth sounds and instruments.

Let’s see whatsup

What is Synths Anthology?

It is a super collection of sampled synth instruments that cover the wide range and types of synths available.

You get sounds from all the major categories of synthesis like Classic Analog, FM & Formant, Vector Synthesis, Wavetables, Additive, PCM, Analog Modeling (virtual analog), PCM, etc.

They even put tons of pure waveforms from some classic synths in here so you can use them as building blocks for your own sound design.

They even included some tape machine sounds, you know stuff like the Mellotron…

it’s really a very broad collection of synth instruments and patches.

Quick Specs

• content: 8.4gb, over 2000 presets
• format: uvi soundcard works in BPM, Mach 5, UVI workstation
• price: $129

How does it sound?

I think they did a good job at capturing the actual character of the various types of synths and synthesis here.  The recording of the samples seems to be very clean and authentic, no digital clicks, pops or other artifacts.

I like that they went after various styles and instruments, and not just one specific type, this makes for a very diverse collection.

You have thick, analog fatness mixed in with clean digital tones.  Bright bellish fm sounds and airy wavetable morphing as well.

They sound like you’d expect, given the instruments from which the sounds were sampled, you have a very deep collection of some of the most prized synth sounds around.

Here’s an example of the instruments and synths used to create the sounds

Rather than organize them by instrument name, you can browse the sounds by type (analog, digital, fm, wavetable, etc) or by categories (pads, leads, synth bass, atmospheres, etc)

The fact that you can get some very fat basses right next to light airy pads is a great testament to the sampling and capturing of the source material.

I’ve always felt there’s a little bit of “edge” to direct samples of analog gear in comparison to virtual recreations of them purely by synthesis.

Though we have some very awesome modeling going on in the vst world today, there’s still something unique about loading up a sample of a fat moog bass, something in capturing that direct output from the synth itself just gives a different tone than a virtual moog at this point.

So what’s the bottom line?

The bottom line is I think this is a good, broad, versatile collection of synths that gives you a lot of different tones and textures within one libary.

Being that it is a sample based library, you won’t get the same tweakability and controls as you do with a dedicated synth plugin.

Depending on which instrument you load it in, UVI workstation, BPM, or Mach 5, you may have more control in one situation over another.

Though I love the UVI format, and the ability to load these sounds in BPM, I can’t help but feel this library would benefit even more from having it’s own dedicated virtual instrument interface.  A way to combine the huge synth material with even more synth and tweaking controls would take it to the next level in my opinion.

That said, I still feel even without the deep control of a dedicated synth plugin, this library delivers a great toolbox of synth sounds.

I give this library a 4 out of 5 subs, based on the sheer amount of content, diversity, and sound quality alone.

Most of the sounds are inspiring and ready to go out the box, and even the ability to tweak basic settings like filter, pitch, amp, and lfo/modulation allow you to get some good customization going from within UVI workstation or BPM.

Even still… I can’t help but wonder how much deeper you could take this source material with more modulation capabilities and synth features like unison, detune, sub oscillators, and other common things that you would find in a dedicated synth plugin.

Either way, that’s pretty much just my wishful thinking because the source content in this library is so deep, I feel the possibilities are truly endless.

It’s price-point is slightly less than most dedicated synthesizer plugins which is cool.  This keeps it in the range of other sample cds/libraries and I feel it’s definitely worth a good look/listen.  If you use BPM it’s definitely a great addition to that environment as well.

Checkout the demos over at uvisoundsource: Synths Anthology

leave a comment below, let me know what you think

Back again with another UVI expansion for Motu’s BPM, as well as the free UVI workstation.

Since BPM is really geared towards urban/dance production, I wanted to checkout the Hip Hop library from UVI

Like the other UVI libraries, this one loads up seamlessly in the BPM environment….

as I mentioned before, I really like how modular the BPM enviroment can be, because you can customize it to how you work, with sounds you want.

Anyway, so let’s see if they get the “hip hop sound” and if it’s useful.

What is Hip Hop Planet?

It’s a hip hop/urban sound library with some very specific features that allow it to integrate well with BPM.

Basically, like many libraries, it’s made up of construction kits, 87 to be exact.

But, where it differs from most, is the way in which you interact with it.

You get data specifically for Motu BPM which includes kits+patterns, kits, patterns, the construction loops, individual sounds, and instruments made up from the melodic elements of each construction kit.

It also works in the free uvi workstation, allowing you to work with the sliced loops and phrases, kits, sounds, and instruments without owning BPM.

Quick Specs

• Content: 3.6gb of samples
• Format: Uvi soundcard for BPM, UVI Workstation, Mach 5
• Price: $149

How does it sound?

Pristine….

Like the factory BPM library, these sounds have that quality and edge that urban music producers will enjoy.

It’s probably because they had it mastered by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound Studios in New York…he specializes in mastering hip hop, urban, and rnb music.

I will say this, like the factory sounds in BPM, there is a punch and clarity in the drums that you can’t deny.

And while I love the sound, I am not a huge fan of the drum kit layout.

Personally, I found that the kits were a tad bit redundant, as a lot of the percussive sounds were used over and over in each kit, the rim shots, some 808 style claps, toms, claves, etc…

The reason I mention this is because I think it could throw you off a bit if you don’t look deeper, there are tons of single hit drums and percussion under the sounds folder, which in my opinion, aren’t fully represented in the factory kits.

What I found to work best for me, is I just create my own kits from the single hits.  But the kits work well for quick access and you can always customize them with the single hits.

The instruments sound well, but I would have liked them to be full multi instruments instead of the special “x-sample” instruments.

Basically what these are, in BPM land, is the chopped melodic instruments from the construction kits, spread across keys into an instrument.  They are for most situations, but they don’t span across all the keys all the time, so sometimes you find a sound you like but want to play it up or down a couple of octaves and it just doesn’t extend that far.

Not a deal breaker, but I would definitely like to see full instruments in addition to the x-sample style of instruments they use in BPM. Think of x-samples as something you’d make if you take a few notes from a record/song, and spread them out on your keys to play.

This is a very common way of creating instruments in urban/hip hop music, it would just be nice to have it expanded a bit into full keyrange instruments that are looped, etc.

There are some very nice bass sounds, as well as synths and even some vocal/fx. They also include the drum kits in instrument format so if you’re using the uvi workstation you’ll be able to pull up the kits, and if you’re using BPM you can pull up the kits in the bank or rack areas.

What’s the bottom line?

Bottom line for me always comes down to sound as you know, and the sound of this library is very nice.

When I first got it, I was a little put off by the arrangement of the kits and felt underwhelmed, until I decided to explore the single hits and then I found quite a bit of usable stuff.

Honestly I think the way the kits are laid out could make folks feel less excited, especially after reading the info and hearing the demos.  Just be sure you explore the single hits because there’s much there to be played with that may not be as evident when going through the premade kits.

The synths and other instruments are useful and have a “chopped sample” feel, as if you were to take a note from a record and spread it across a few keys/pads for playing.

They work well and sound good, it would have been even better if they took the source instruments used and made multi sampled instruments in addition to the x-sample, being able to play a looped version of the synths and pads that span across the entire keyboard would allow it to be even more flexible.

At the end of the day, I loved the sound, and once I started making my own kits with the single hits I really saw the beauty of it.

I give Hip Hop Planet 4 out of 5 subs, if they do a part 2, or another urban focused kit, taking into consideration some of my suggestions on the kit layout and instrument creations, they could easily knock it out of the park.

That said, I do see room for improvement, not on the sound itself, which is awesome, but on the overall organization of the kits and the creation of the instruments.

This is definitely worth checking out, especially if you are a BPM user, but also users of Mach 5 or the UVI Workstation will enjoy it, because like I said, the sound quality is just top notch all the way around.

Checkout their demos over at uvisoundsource: EKOLOOPZ – Hip Hop Planet

let me know what you think

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.

Definitely head over to uvisoundsource.com and check it out: Classic Electric Piano

let me know what you think, leave a comment below

I just got Motu BPM last Friday,

Bought it from someone that wasn’t using it, hadn’t even been registered yet.

I had to check it out for myself.

I plan to have a full review of it, but just like I did with Maschine, I want to spend some more time learning it.

I just wanted to show a few quick tracks and some features I liked about it so far.

Of course you know there will be more reviews, tips, and videos on BPM. Also some comparisons between Maschine and BPM will be coming so keep an eye out.