BIG FISH AUDIO: EARTH TONE
World percussion libraries are useful to
have around, because just about any
type of music—from hip-hop, to rock, to
electronica, to drum ’n’ bass—benefits
from having a frosting of persuasive
percussion.
Earth Tone has ten folders of loops
organized by tempo (from 72 to 135BPM),
with two additional folders for 190 and
200BPM. There are different instruments in the different
folders, but stretching is reasonably good (even the
Acidized files), so you can mix among the various folders
fairly easily.
One aspect I particularly like is that these have real
dynamic range, and don’t slam the dynamic range extremes,
either. This helps them fit into a composition really well, as
percussion generally is softer than the main rhythms. Of
course, you can always normalize and/or limit them in your
DAW if you want a more aggressive sound.
This is indeed world percussion: Some loops sound more
African, while others have a Middle Eastern or Latin flavor,
making this a versatile collection that also lends itself to
some interesting cross-cultural mash-ups. What’s more, the
loops-to-dollar ratio definitely works in your favor.
There are many world percussion libraries, but they often
focus on one particular part of the world. Earth Tone is a
fine general-purpose collection, where the odds are good
you’ll find something that works for you.
BEST SERVICE: CLUB REVOLUTION VOL. 1
With 2,099 one-shots and 642 electronic
drum loops, you can think of this collection
as a filling station for MPC-type grooveboxes—
it can provide loops on some of the
pads, and one-shots on others for accents.
As if to underscore the point, five out of the
six loop folders don’t have a kick, encouraging you to lay down
the loop, but get original with the underlying beat.
The one-shot collection is wonderful—bass, claps,
snares, kicks, effects, synths, toms, percussion, chopped
vocals, and the like. They’re also great companions for
drum modules, like Battery or Impulse. Most sounds have a
tough edge that’s more techno or hard/progressive house
than “classic” house, and they cut through a mix. Melodic
files have the key in the name.
The loops are of the “get up and move!” type. I’d
recommend boosting the highs a bit on some of them, but
the rhythms are spot on. All of them are fairly short and run
at 140BPM; they aren’t Acidized, and REX/Apple Loop versions
aren’t included—if you want to stretch the tempo,
you’re on your own.
For dance music productions, Club Revolution is “collage
fodder”—some assembly required, unlike “mix and
match” loop collections. The downside is you need to put
a little more work into putting the bits together, but the
upside is a more original, creative end result—and that’s a
good thing.
FUTURE LOOPS: INFINITE SOUNDS FROM A FUTURE COSMOS
Not only are virtual instruments sprouting
big libraries: Infinite Sounds is 17GB of
material that, had it been around during
the 1980s new age boom, would have
likely ended up in a zillion segments of
Hearts of Space. Each of the eight DVDs
is themed (Sea Explorations, Ice Ages,
Biospheres, Desert Soundscapes, etc.)
although these are loose descriptions.
There are no “beats” per se, although there are files with
rhythmic modulation; mostly this is about drones, pads,
effects, and soundscapes. They’re cinematic in nature, but
also work as the long, evolving sounds that skim the surface
of trance or chill. One DVD, “Artificial Intelligences,” has a lot
of electro-friendly material. Files typically hover around 30
seconds, and there are 400 files per DVD—most are
unpitched, although there are a few exceptions. The main
limitation: These aren’t cross-faded as loops, but fade in and
out. While more “plug-and-play,” this makes it difficult to
loop them.
There’s a certain sameness about the collection, but you
certainly can’t beat the value, whether you want to accompany
“So as the lion cub awakes,” “Professor, activate the
trans-gravitator!,” or even “The ancient Pharaohs. . . .” In fact
as I was reviewing this, I needed a video background and
clicking around unearthed three perfect candidates. I guess
that says something right there.