Another one from sonicspecialists….these guys know how to do drums.
After I reviewed their new Urban Electro kit, they sent over the Urban Fire 5, the latest of a long series of genre dominating drum libraries.
I’ve been wanting to review this for you for a while, but I’ve just been busy with so many different things…
let’s get it!
What is Urban Fire 5?
Quite possibly the LAST urban/pop drum library you’ll ever need…until they drop UF6!
No seriously, this is a drum library that screams professional, industry, radio ready and any other adjectives you’d use to define something that is ready to make your tracks stand up and stand out!
To me, this is more than a drum library, with all the tools and the finely tuned tones and sounds in this collection, this feels like a drum toolkit! Everything works together perfectly and is built to be mixed and matched.
It’s like a big bucket of legos…in drum format!
Not only is there the staples like kicks, snares, hats, etc…but you get stuff like dirty tones, kick and snare enchancers, and even some dope percussion sounds. Enhancers made to layer your sounds, and percussion that is sweet and sexy, everything feels so crisp and clean.
Quick Specs
- Content: Over 850 samples
- Format: 16 and 24 bit wave
- Price: $174.95
How does it sound?
Like fried catfish at a July 4th bbq!
Ha! These sounds are HOT, straight up.
What really amazes me is the clarity and detail of every single aspect of the sounds. The kicks thump but are still crisp, the snare smack yet still have meat, the hi hats cut through like a razor, the claps and percussion…..man, I can’t even explain them.
These folks know how to engineer a good sound, more importantly, they know how to engineer drums so that they sit well in a variety of urban/pop music applications.
You really don’t have to do any type of eq or tweaking with these, they magically seem to carve their own space out in any track you put them in. Even at low volumes they are still well defined.
No clipping, yet they are processed to BANG…you can tell these dudes are real engineers and not just drum sample producers.
It’s one thing to have a bangin drum, it’s another thing when that drum is majorly FAT but yet not clipping or overloading in the mix.
They just “fit in” wherever you put them.
I really don’t know what they do over there, but I now understand why they are regarded as the best when it comes to drum samples.
What’s the final verdict?
Isn’t it obvious? This is THE professional drum toolkit that ANY serious beat maker, producer, musician, engineer, boy scout, dj, doctor, wast management technician, professional tap dancer….well you get the point. Everyone should have a set of Urban Fire drums in their possession.
Straight up, without a doubt, no questions asked, if you have to ask then you already missed the boat…..
5 out of 5 subs….the bar has been raised and permanently set in 17ft thick marble.
This is what a drum library should sound like. I tried to really find one part of the library I didn’t like, but I couldn’t.
I’m not huge on 808 sounds, so I thought ” prolly some more wack 808″ but they weren’t. How you make an 808 both knock AND boom is beyond me. The roundness of the bass PLUS the thump of a solid kick = crazy drum aerobics.
Just go download the demo man, honestly, the demo kit will be an upgrade over the majority of drum samples available on the market.
Do yourself a favor and check them out: sonicspecialists urban fire drums
Then let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.
Wow…those samples sound fantastic. I might have to look at picking up a copy!
thanks for checkin it Sean, they sound even better in person, peep the free demo they have. Nothing like this drums around man lol. They sick!
Man,its been a minute loved the video i had these jonts for a while now and you make me want 2 go bang out on these dums again,and when are you going 2 give us sum more of your samples again lol…………….
Hahahaha, yeah man these joints is dope. I’m always on the lookout for more samples to give ya as well!
I have been looking for some drums sounds that I don’t have tweak so much to get them to sound good in the mix. I will have to check out Sonic Specialists to see if they have any acoustic drum sounds. Thanks for review of the samples.
they def got some great sounds man.
Hey SaintJoe, which bit would you recommend downloading 16 or 24?
You get both I believe, if your software uses 24bit then just roll with that. If you have hardware that’s using 16 bit then roll with that.
Man, Why you always making me buy new drums….HAHAHAHA. Think Im good for the next few years, but I’ll look at em, nahmean.
Lol, just showin cats whats out here man!
them drums sound mad crisp! those are killer drums right there you could create a killer track! lol!
no doubt fam, these joints go hard!
As you’ve said, one could definitely bet set-up for quite some time with this kit. I haven’t thought of downloading the demo as I’m still trying to wrap my mind around Maschine at the moment, but this will make it to my grocery list.
totally different level of drums bro, real talk
hey joe guy that do what we do need this in our library those sounds are so clean and crisp just to be able to put kits together where you can match up or mix up true sounding kits is a plus there is many times i find myself trying to put together kits with the software i have and it takes away from the thought process of what else i,m trying to do, this looks like i could go throuh it that process faster and get on with the rest ohh it would also help if i had that maschine that thang a beast going to get one real so you go me sold on that thanx again
no doubt fam, they some great sounding drums for sure and great for layering and such.
It is a definite must have for today’s Beat Producers. I have the Sonic Specialist collections (including Urban Fire 5) and they just keep getting better. Straight Hip Hop & R&B hits can be made using these drum kits…add using these samples with the ease of Native Instruments Maschine and now you got a fast flow for putting some dope a$$ kits together quickly.
Thanks for the review man.
Btw, I just picked up some Mackie MR8 8″ studio monitor’s from Guitar Center yesterday so I will definitely give my Urban Fire 5 samples a workout on those today.
nice! lemme know how they sound
I’ve been listening to some of my tracks through the Mackie monitors and it is a big difference in the clarity of those compared to the M-Audio BX monitors I’ve been using. The sound is clear and even compared to my M-Audio monitors.
I was going to buy some KRK monitors but decided on Mackie instead and from what I’m hearing I think I made a good choice.
can’t go wrong wit mackie yo! lol…they got some goodies man.
you right i use the HR824’s my self..
Dope! Wouldn’t mind gettin some Mackie’s myself.
These are some really good drum sounds. I like the enhancer idea that is really cool to get good layered drum sounds. Thanks for the review I hadn’t heard of these guys before.
no doubt man, these are def a good collection. I love how you can mix and match and the different elements for layering are sick.
Whoa!!! These reminded me of why I put a sub in the studio. Joints definately bang!!!
no doubt fam, these joints is sick.
lovely dude that price is a little hard to get wit for drumz but i guess this seperates the men from the boys
no doubt fam, it’s dope, I come from the days of the mpc when buying any type of drum library usually meant spending over 100 bucks and close to 200 or so lol, there’s still some companies out there that sell these libraries on floppies for the mpc 2000!
But I hear ya, it just depends on what you want. These are the cream of the crop in my opinion.
but the enhacers the cool work they well worth it i stand corrected
I hear that fam, it’s all about what you lookin for.
I recently copped Maschine so I’ve been going through my whole library. I’ve been shocked how like 1 outta 100 hits has that OOMPH. It really is rare, so I could see the value of a whole library with that quality.
yeah man, these dudes focus on bangin drums, that’s it lol…so the quality gonna be a lil more precise.
Pingback: Urban Fire 5 Review from SoundsAndGear.com « Sonic Specialists Drum Kits, Samples for Hip Hop & House
Hey Saint Joe,
Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to give us great reviews. ….
I am a Bpm owner. I produce Gospel, NeoSoul, hip hop, and jazz.
My music involves a lot of the elements of drummers like Chris Dave
Spanky Mccurdy, Aaron Spears, and the Roots, JIll Scott stuff.
So I need that live drum, hybrid, feel, like what u would see at the Grammys when Aaron Spears plays for usher:) …. thats what I need.
I really feel with what im hearing in BPM im good already,
I Love BPM 1.5 …. I love THe sound.
BUT,,,
I have a bit more money to invest in drum sounds.
I value your opinion, and i would be so honered if you could
give me your opinion on whether you believe an investment in
Hip Hop Planet, Sounds in HD, or Urban Fire would be the next
best step. I cannot spend over $200. Again, i really value your opinion. Thanks Brother
1 more point i forgot to add is that, I did download the sample
kits for Sounds in Hd (SIHD) and Urban Fire, they were okay, but i would
probably be much more happier hearing the real versions in my daw.
Ive not had an opportunity to get an actual copy as u have which is why i really value your opinion..
On Motu’s website..they have a demo that you can play and hear the drums in action.. i found that more helpful than SIHD and Urban Fire’s websites.
So im actually leaning more to hip hop planet because of what i heard in the demo… and the style of music that i produce..(NeoSoul) w/ live feel (Drummers like Spanky, and Aaron Spears)…
But please let me know if you think i might want to check out something else. God bless yah
@blessedboy, if you think you like the sound of hip hop planet better and you’re using BPM it may be the way to go for you. It has some good ones for sure and it’s usable.
@blessedboy, I really think you should checkout the acoustic blends from SHD, they are really nice.
@saintjoe,
Thanks Saint Joe! Ill def pick up SHD. I noticed u just sugested acoustic blends. Do you think it would be redundant to get the
whole SHD collection if I get hip hop planet (HHP).
Can you tell me the difference in the 3 SHD, HHP, and Urban Fire.
what will i find in the SHD that i wont in BPM 1.5 or Hip hop planet.
I wont trouble after this. I just know my lane and I don’t know enough about these products, so im wisely asking someone who does.
Thanks
@blessedboy,
LOL, i keep forgetting to ask the important points in 1 thread.
An important question is, can I use the SHD sounds within BPM.
I read some of your post and it seemed like u were sugestingthat only the UVI stuff can work within BPM( but maybe i miss understood). It sounded like u were saying that after the UVI expansion stuff thats it were as with Mashine, its the future, and will continue to expand. If i miss understood i apologize. Im just trying to get as educated on these things as possible and get the most out BPM, cause thus far Im luvin it. It fit my budget, and a good friend of mine who knows more about drum production than me reccomended it over Mashine even though i wanted Mashine having read all your wonderful comments on it. He assured me that Mashine is overated. (Of course that was just his opinion, does not mean its true)I figured I would at least give BPM a try. Thus far i really luv the drum sounds. I dont like the way they left the instruments incomplete as u eluded too. I also dont exactly dig the way they have the kits set up. But the actual drums do it for me. im hoping that it wont have any limitations, and that if it does theyll be fixed. — LOL im done for the night.
Your comments are will appreciated,, and this is the first time ive commented on your site… Its been a privelege
@blessedboy,
ok did some more research, def getting acoustic blends.
Feel free to disregard the above paragraph because u answered it in other post and videos.
But please answer this, which one rocks harder Hip Hop Planet
or Urban Fire and Why?
I need to know this cause im going to get acoustic blends and one of these depending on your recommendation.
Thanks
@blessedboy, again, Urban Fire 5 is straight drums, and not in BPM format, you will have to make your own kits from the individual samples, Hip Hop Planet has drums and instruments, and it comes already in BPM format so you can just load and go.
@blessedboy, I guess it depends on what you’re looking for, to me BPM isn’t close to as useful as Maschine, the drums are cool, but get redundant really fast, there is a lot of overlap in the BPM library. That said, I like the FX and such in BPM, I also like the groove engine, but I absolutely hate the step sequencer, wish they would have piano roll option for the drum banks like they do for the instruments. In the end, it’s really about what you do with it, I load my own drums in both and rarely ever use the factory sounds in either Maschine or BPM so it’s more down to which has the better workflow and for me it’s Maschine all the way.
@blessedboy, no doubt man, SHD is just drums, Hip Hop Planet has instruments as well as drums and is already laid out for use in BPM
@blessedboy,
And finally are SHD, HHP, and UF usable in BPM? can i just transport them into the folders?
@blessedboy, yes, all are usable in BPM
I get the difference between urban and bpm.
What im asking is which is more hotter.
For instance in your review, you say that Hip hop Planet is useful. Its great to know that its useful and i appreciate that.
But the question is, is it Hot in your opinion as far as the individual hits… just as u said SHD and Urban fire wer hot..:)
Is Hip Hop Planet HOT like urban fire and SHD which u gave like 10 out of 5 stars lol or is it just “usable”
Thanks man
God bless
@blessedboy, I like Urban Fire better than Hip Hop Planet, that’s just me, you may prefer HHP, it sounds like from your own opinion, you like HHP, so I would say just get HHP
im lookin for the hottest drum sounds im already down with the Acoustic Blends that you reccomended… just need to know which is
“Hotter” between Hip Hop Planet and Urban Fire and why.
I get that Urban is individual sounds and Hip Hop Planet is made for BPM..
im just asking which of the two is a better investment sound wise in your opinion…
🙂
@blessedboy, like I said in the above response, I think Urban Fire is better out of the two, but again, if you like what you hear with HHP, you should go with that, seems like you were leaning to that in the beginning based on your own likes and what you heard, so I say follow your gut 🙂